What was the agreement that created a bicameral legislature with different methods of representation for each house?

The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, was pivotal in establishing a bicameral legislature in the United States, consisting of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. This compromise emerged during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 as a means to balance the needs of both large and small states in terms of representation in Congress.

The House of Representatives would be based on the population of each state, allowing larger states to have more representatives and thus more influence in the legislative process. In contrast, the Senate would provide equal representation for each state, with two senators regardless of state size, ensuring that smaller states had a fair voice in the federal government.

This dual approach to representation helped to forge a compromise between the Virginia Plan, which favored populous states with proportional representation, and the New Jersey Plan, which advocated for equal representation among states regardless of size. Ultimately, the Great Compromise played a critical role in shaping the structure of the legislative branch of the United States and remains a cornerstone of American governance.