The Three Great Compromises

     The United States of America was founded on the basis of

compromise, but what does compromise really mean?  According to

the Webster's New World Dictionary compromise means "an adjustment

of opposing principles". Political systems use compromises in

daily life.  The Three Great Compromises that occurred early in

this nation's government were the Connecticut Compromise, the 3/5

Compromise, and finally the Commerce & Slave Trade Compromise.

Were it not for these compromises the United States could still be

governed under the Articles of Conferderation.

     The Connecticut Compromise was the most important compromise

in the history of the U.S. government. The representatives from

each state were going to change the government totally, from

powerful state governments to a powerful central government, which

they vowed not to do when they declared independence from England.

Rhode Island was so disgusted with the idea of changing the

government that they did not even come to the meeting.  Finally

after all the debating and each state getting their say, they

"compromised" on a plan where they would have two governmental

houses, one being the House of Representatives and the second

being the Senate, with the Senate being the stronger of the two

houses.  The House of Representatives was based on each state's

population, that is the more people in the state the more

representatives that state would get.  The Senate said that

regardless of the state's population each state would get two

representatives all with equal say.

     The 3/5 Compromise was mainly about slaves.  The issue in

this compromise was should slaves be counted for determining

representation for each state?  The North did not want them to be

counted because they were considered possessions, not citizens,

and that meant less representation for them.  The South, on the

other hand, wanted them to be counted because that meant that they

could pass laws more beneficial to the South since they would have

more representation.  So they "compromised" and said that each

slave counted 3/5 of a person.

     The final compromise was the Commerce & Slave Trade

Compromise.  The issue here was should Congress be able to

regulate trade and should the United States continue with slave

trading?  The North felt that Congress should control trade and

put an end to slave trading.  The South was fearful of Northern

jealousy of Southern agriculture trade with England, and the South

was also wary of Congress regulating trade.  The South also wished

to trade slaves indefinitely.  The compromise was that Congress

would control trade (fairly) and the South would trade slaves for

20 more years.

     The three great compromises in our the history of the United

States were critical to the success of the Constitution.  The 3/5

Compromise, the Connecticut Compromise, and the Commerce & Slave

Trade Compromise demonstrated that the Founding Fathers could

reach a middle ground.  These were much needed compromises, but

were they effective for long term political harmony?  And can

Congress and the President ever compromise on a budget today?