Announcing the Great Compromise: Informing Our Community

Imagine you are living at the time of the Constitutional Convention. You have been asked to write a short announcement to inform your community about the Great Compromise. Your job is to explain what the Great Compromise was, why it was needed, and how it balanced the interests of large and small states. Your writing should be clear, factual, and organized as if you are announcing this important agreement to your neighbors. Use the guiding questions below to help you think through your response.

Use these guiding questions to help you organize your announcement:

• What problem were the states arguing about at the Constitutional Convention?
• How did the Great Compromise solve the disagreement between large and small states?
• Do you start by explaining what the Great Compromise is before giving details?
• Does your writing clearly explain how Congress would be set up?
• Have you included the idea of two houses of Congress?
• Did you explain how representation would work in each house?

Write a short announcement to your community explaining the Great Compromise. Be sure to:

• Explain the purpose of the Great Compromise.
• Summarize how it balanced the interests of large and small states.
• Clarify why it mattered in shaping the U.S. government. Your response should be clear, factual, and organized as an announcement.