[MUSIC PLAYING]

NARRATOR: During the Constitutional Convention, the founders strongly debated how the states should be represented in the national government. These heated arguments would threaten to dissolve the convention altogether. And only a great compromise would be able to solve the conflict.

- The Great Compromise is really about turning the Senate over to the states. The nationalists don't want the states to be represented in the government. In the middle of the convention, the states almost break up.

NARRATOR: The larger states wanted to be represented by population, whereas the smaller states, such as Rhode Island, wanted equal representation regardless of population. These two opposing ideas were put into separate plans and were proposed to the convention.

The larger states rallied behind the so-called Virginia Plan, written by James Madison. And the smaller states were in support of the New Jersey plan. It was a battle between small state and large state. The larger states, mostly led by nationalists who wanted a stronger central government, wanted the states to give up many of their powers.

CAROL BERKIN: The nationalists want the states to have no power at all in the national government. And the small states get together and say, our way or the highway. You cannot not let us guard our rights in the government.

NARRATOR: James Madison, a key figure in the convention, was determined to settle the arguments once and for all.

CAROL BERKIN: Madison makes this great compromise. He says, all right, you can have one branch of the legislature. And he sees this as a terrible defeat for the national government. He really resisted so strongly. And finally, James Wilson comes over to him at the end of one great day of debate. Wilson's very tall. Madison's very short. Puts his hand on Madison's shoulder, and he squeezes it, and he says, if you don't give in, this convention will end and there will be no country. And the next day, Madison comes in and he says, OK, the states can have the Senate and proportional representation in the House.

NARRATOR: A state's population would determine representation in the House of Representatives. In the Senate, two delegates would represent each state, no matter the size of the population.

CAROL BERKIN: The Great Compromise is an amazing, dramatic moment where the nationalists say, OK, the states have power.

[MUSIC PLAYING]