The people of Connecticut played an important role in the history of the United States. For many years, colonial Connecticut was governed under the Fundamental Orders, sometimes regarded as the first written constitution. The Fundamental Orders later served as one of the models for the U.S. Constitution. At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, Connecticut delegates helped work out the Great Compromise or Connecticut Compromise. It broke a deadlock over how many representatives each state should elect to Congress. This compromise and the Fundamental Orders earned Connecticut the nickname of the Constitution State.