Existing comment:
Journal of the Constitutional Convention, July 5, 1787:
Although Franklin initially favored a single-house national legislature, during the Constitutional Convention, he ultimately accepted a two-house legislative model. The method of apportioning legislative representation remained highly contentious, however. Smaller states feared that representation based on population would leave them in a relatively weak position compared to their more populous neighbors. A committee, which included Franklin, worked out a compromise: representation in the House of Representatives would be based on a state's population; in the Senate, each state would have an equal vote. |