Stephanie Sous

Polysci 1
03/04/18

Plans from the Constitutional Convention

The Virginia Plan was written by James Madison. Although Madison wrote the plan, on
May 29, 1787, it was presented to the Constitutional Convention by Virginia Governor Edmund
Jennings Randolph. The large states benefited from this plan, however this caused a
disadvantage for the smaller states. This is because it created a strong national government where
they were able to veto any state laws. The senate and the house of representatives made up the
Bicameral legislature, which is a two-house legislature. It divided the legislature into two
different groups of people, or chambers. This plan made it so that States with a higher population
had more representation. More people equaled more representation, or in other words
proportionate representation. According to The Virginia Plan, Congress would have the power to
choose executives. It also gave birth to a new kind of government which was made up of three
branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.

The New Jersey Plan was written by New Jersey delegate William Paterson. Then, on
June 15, 1787, it was presented to the Constitutional Convention. The New Jersey plan benefited
and was in favor of the small states because. This plan was comprised of a unicameral congress.
This made it so that each state, no matter the size of the population, each senate had one vote.
The larger states believed that this was unfair. Because this plan challenged The Virginia Plan,
Edmund Randolph and James Madison were not in favor of The New Jersey plan. Congress was
then able to have the power to choose, or elect, the federal executives. The Congress was also
now able to tax states centered around the population of free individuals in the state, as well as
those considered under the 3/5th’s law. The executive would have the power to use force if
necessary to make uncooperative states obey the laws in place.

The Connecticut Compromise, also known as The Great Compromise, was proposed by
Oliver Ellsworth as well as Roger Sherman on July 16, 1787. The Great compromise was
literally a compromise of both the Virginia and New Jersey plan. Because some people wanted
The Virginia plan, while others favored The New Jersey plan, they came together and were able
to come to an agreement, for the most part. Ideas from both the New Jersey Plan as well as The
Virginia Plan were incorporated into the Connecticut Compromise, although they took more
from the latter. The Connecticut Compromise ended up having a bicameral legislature. An equal
number of representatives in the senate and the number of representatives was based on the state
population in the house of representatives. This was all determined at the Constitutional
Convention written by Ben Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Hancock, and
George Washington. The Great Compromise ended up benefitting both the small states along
with the larger states.
 Citations

Estes, Todd. "The Connecticut effect: the great compromise of 1787 and the history of small state
impact on Electoral College outcomes." The Historian, vol. 73, no. 2, 2011, p. 255+. U.S.
History in Context,
https://login.ezp.pasadena.edu/login?url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A260060595/UHIC
?u=pasa19871&xid=6e4ee54a. Accessed 3 Mar. 2018.

LEVY, LEONARD W. "New Jersey Plan." Encyclopedia of the American Constitution, edited by
Leonard W. Levy and Kenneth L. Karst, 2nd ed., vol. 4, Macmillan Reference USA, 2000, p.
1800. U.S. History in Context,
https://login.ezp.pasadena.edu/login?url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX3425001760/UH
IC?u=pasa19871&xid=fe9f2145. Accessed 4 Mar. 2018.

"Madison, James." Shaping of America, 1783-1815 Reference Library, edited by Lawrence W. Baker,
et al., vol. 4: Primary Sources, UXL, 2006, pp. 41-50. U.S. History in Context,
https://login.ezp.pasadena.edu/login?url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX3450900112/UH
IC?u=pasa19871&xid=12e946ec. Accessed 2 Mar. 2018.

"The New Jersey, or Paterson, Plan." West's Encyclopedia of American Law, edited by Shirelle Phelps
and Jeffrey Lehman, 2nd ed., vol. 12, Gale, 2005, pp. 110-111. U.S. History in Context,
https://login.ezp.pasadena.edu/login?url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX3437704861/UH
IC?u=pasa19871&xid=e64a4d08. Accessed 3 Mar. 2018.

"The Virginia, or Randolph, Plan." West's Encyclopedia of American Law, edited by Shirelle Phelps
and Jeffrey Lehman, 2nd ed., vol. 12, Gale, 2005, pp. 107-109. U.S. History in Context,
https://login.ezp.pasadena.edu/login?url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX3437704860/UH
IC?u=pasa19871&xid=8936c7bd. Accessed 2 Mar. 2018.