Connecticut in the Constitutional Convention
Karl E. Valois
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Substantive Essay
At the beginning, I devote some time to the various weaknesses and shortcomings of the Articles of Confederation and the movement to create a stronger national government. After discussing Connecticut’s decision to participate in the Constitutional Convention and its choice of delegates, special emphasis is placed upon the “Connecticut” or “Great Compromise,” which helped to save the Convention from possible dissolution by creating our present bicameral system of government in the national legislature. Other topics and issues such as slavery and commerce are discussed and analyzed. Finally, I provide teachers with brief biographical sketches of Connecticut’s delegates: Roger Sherman, Oliver Ellsworth, and William Samuel Johnson. Such background information should enable teachers to acquire a degree of confidence in disseminating the knowledge and concepts in this unit.
