VA vs NJ Plan

8.H.2.3 - Summarize the role of debate, compromise, and negotiation during significant periods in the history of North Carolina and the United States.

8.C&G.1.1 - Summarize democratic ideals expressed in local, state, and national government.
8.C&G.1.2 - Evaluate the degree to which democratic ideals are evident in historical documents from North Carolina and the United States.

Power of the States

Have you ever had a disagreement with a friend where you had totally different opinions? Well, the men at the convention had many different opinions on how the country was to be run. The majority of the disagreements were over how much power was to be given to the states. James Madison wrote the Virginia Plan which called for states with larger populations to have more representation in the government. As an alternative to this, William Paterson presented the New Jersey Plan which called for equal representation for every state no matter what the population.

Virginia Plan vs. New Jersey Plan

While each plan did have many differing ideas, they both did want the new government to be separated into three branches, with each branch having a separation of powers and the ability to balance each other out. You probably recognize this as the system of 'checks and balances.' These three branches were to be the judicial, executive, and legislative. And now we have arrived at the main disagreement - the makeup of the legislative branch.

The Virginia Plan

While waiting for the Convention to formally begin, James Madison sketched out his initial draft, which became known as the Virginia Plan. It also reflected his views as a strong nationalist (Federalist). The Virginia Plan was a proposal by Virginia delegates for a bicameral legislative branch. Prior to the start of the Convention, the Virginian delegates met and, drawing largely from Madison’s suggestions, drafted a plan. The Virginia Plan proposed a legislative branch consisting of two chambers. Rotation in office and recall were two principles applied to the lower house of the national legislature. Each of the states would be represented in proportion to their “Quotas of contribution, or to the number of free inhabitants.” Both houses of the legislature would be determined proportionately. The lower house would be elected by the people, and the upper house would be elected by the lower house. The executive branch would exist solely to ensure that the will of the legislature was carried out and, therefore, would be selected by the legislature. States with a large population, like Virginia, would thus have more representatives than smaller states.

James Madison’s plan, known as the Virginia Plan, was the most important plan. 

The New Jersey Plan

After the Virginia Plan was introduced, New Jersey delegate William Paterson (Anti-Federalist) asked for an adjournment to contemplate the plan. Under the Articles of Confederation, each state had equal representation in Congress, exercising one vote each. Paterson’s New Jersey Plan was ultimately a rebuttal to the Virginia Plan. Under the New Jersey Plan, the unicameral legislature with one vote per state was inherited from the Articles of Confederation. This position reflected the belief that the states were independent entities and as they entered the United States of America freely and individually, so they remained.

Connecticut Compromise

To resolve this stalemate, Roger Sherman, a delegate from Connecticut, forged the Connecticut Compromise. In a sense it blended the Virginia (large-state) and New Jersey (small-state) proposals. Ultimately, its main contribution was determining the method for apportionment of the Senate and retaining a federal character in the constitution.

What was ultimately included in the Constitution was a modified form of this plan. In the Committee of Detail, Benjamin Franklin added the requirement that revenue bills originate in the House. As such, the Senate would bring a federal character to the government, not because senators were elected by state legislatures, but because each state was equally represented.

Assignment:

1. Compare and contrast the two major plans.

2. What middle ground are both sides willing to yield?

3. Determine which was supported by the Federalists & why?

4. Determine Which plan was supported by the anti-federalist and Why?

Recorded Lesson 10/30/20