It was called the great compromise because small states and big states were arguing over how they should be represented in congress. Big states were in favor of a system saying you got as a certain amount of representatives in correlation to population. Small states wanted every state to have the same amount of votes. The compromise was to make the senate (2 senators for each state) and the House of Representatives (amount of representatives is based on population) therefore making the big and small states happy and stay together as a union
