Virginia and New Jersey Plans Overview

Marianne·

History

Preview

At a Glance

Grade Levelother

SubjectHistory

This resource explores the critical debates of the Constitutional Convention in 1787 focusing on the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan. Following the American Revolution, the United States struggled with weak governance under the Articles of Confederation, leading to the need for a stronger federal structure. The Virginia Plan, advocated by Edmund Randolph and James Madison, proposed a bicameral legislature with representation based on state populations, favoring larger states. In contrast, the New Jersey Plan, presented by William Paterson, called for a unicameral legislature with equal representation for each state, protecting the interests of smaller states. The document details the features of both plans, their support bases, and culminates in the Great Compromise, which established a bicameral Congress, balancing the representation interests of both large and small states.