In What Part of the Great Compromise
Are the Ideas of the Virginia Plan Represented?
Table of Contents
Introduction
Overview of the Constitutional
Convention
- Background of the Convention
- Goals of the Convention
- Major Delegates and State
Representation
The Virginia Plan
- Introduction of the Virginia
Plan
- Main Components and Features
- Motivations Behind the Plan
- Support for the Virginia Plan
The New Jersey Plan
- William Paterson Introduces the
New Jersey Plan
- Core Proposals of the New
Jersey Plan
- Reasons for the New Jersey Plan
- Supporters of the New Jersey
Plan
Key Points of the Great
Compromise
- Sherman and Ellsworth Broker
the Compromise
- House of Representatives
- Senate
- Additional Provisions
- Addressing Major Concerns
Connections to the Virginia
Plan
- Similarities to Bicameral
Legislature
- House Representation by
Population
- Apportionment Method
- Further Parallels
Lasting Impact of the
Compromise
- Breaking the Deadlock
- Ratification of the
Constitution
- Influence on Modern
Institutions
- Significance for Federalism
FAQs
Introduction
The Constitutional Convention of
1787 featured a major dispute over legislative representation between larger
states, which favored representation based on population, and smaller states,
which wanted equal representation. The Great Compromise, proposed by Roger
Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth of Connecticut, combined elements of the Virginia
Plan and New Jersey Plan to create a two-house Congress, with proportional
representation in the House and equal representation in the Senate. This addressed
concerns from both sides. The Great Compromise most closely aligned with the
Virginia Plan in establishing representation tied to population in the House of
Representatives. The compromise paved the way for eventual ratification of the
Constitution and the structure of Congress that endures today.
Overview of the Constitutional Convention
-
Background of the
Convention
The Constitutional Convention was
convened in the summer of 1787 in Philadelphia in order to revise the Articles
of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States. 🗓
There were multiple weaknesses with the Articles of Confederation that led to
calls for a new convention, including the lack of a strong executive branch and
judicial branch as well as insufficient powers for the national government. One
major issue was that the Articles of Confederation gave the federal government
no power to impose taxes or regulate interstate commerce.
By 1787, it was clear that major
changes were needed to address the flaws in the Articles of Confederation.
There was growing unrest with issues like Shays' Rebellion that highlighted the
weaknesses of the central government. To amend the Articles, constitutional
conventions needed to be held. Instead of just revising the Articles, the
delegates to the Constitutional Convention decided to draft an entirely new
constitution.
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Goals of the Convention
In addition to strengthening the
federal government overall, one of the major goals going into the
Constitutional Convention was resolving the issue of representation for
individual states.💡 Smaller states
preferred equal representation among the states - an approach reflected in the
unicameral legislature under the Articles of Confederation where each state had
one vote. Larger states wanted representation to be based on population, giving
more populous states greater power and influence.
Two competing proposals would
emerge: the Virginia Plan favoring larger states, and the New Jersey Plan
giving smaller states equal footing. Breaking this deadlock required difficult
negotiations and compromises between the two sides, ultimately resulting in the
Great Compromise. This laid the groundwork for the structure of Congress with
two houses that balanced proportional and equal representation.
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Major Delegates and State
Representation
A total of 55 delegates attended
the Constitutional Convention, though not all were present at all times. ✍️
Some of the most prominent delegates included James Madison of Virginia,
Alexander Hamilton of New York, William Paterson of New Jersey, Roger Sherman
and Oliver Ellsworth of Connecticut, Charles Pinckney and John Rutledge of
South Carolina, and George Washington who served as president of the
Convention. Washington's presence lent considerable prestige to the
proceedings.
The states were not equally
represented at the Convention. The Virginia delegation was particularly
influential with heavy hitters like Madison, Randolph, Mason, and Washington
advocating for the Virginia Plan. Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts
comprised the larger states at the Convention that backed proportional
representation. Smaller states like New Jersey, Delaware, and Connecticut
sought equal representation through proposals like the New Jersey Plan.
These competing interests would
need to be reconciled for any new constitution to be ratified. The Great
Compromise negotiated these opposing viewpoints to produce a balanced outcome.
The Virginia Plan
-
Introduction of the
Virginia Plan
On May 29, 1787, Edmund Randolph
presented for consideration the Virginia Plan drafted primarily by James
Madison as a framework for a new constitution.⚖️ This plan proposed replacing
the Articles of Confederation with a strong national government composed of
three branches - legislative, executive, and judicial. It called for a
two-house legislature with representation based on each state's population.
This proportional representation gave larger and more populous states greater
power, angering smaller states.
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Main Components and
Features
The Virginia Plan's proposed
legislature would consist of two houses: an upper house elected by the lower
house, and a directly elected lower house with representation proportional to a
state's population or tax contributions. 🗳️ The number of
representatives per state would be determined through a periodic census. This
population-based representation favored larger states with more residents.
The legislature could veto state
laws contravening the articles of union and use force against states failing to
fulfill duties required by the articles. The national legislature would elect
the national executive and establish lower national courts. Revenue bills would
originate in the lower house.
A key motivator was empowering
the federal government to prevent unrest like Shays' Rebellion by collecting
taxes and regulating commerce. The Virginia Plan envisioned broad powers for
the legislature and a robust federal government.
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Motivations Behind the Plan
Larger states sought proportional
representation to match their greater populations. 📊
Virginia had a population over ten times larger than Delaware's, so delegates
like Madison argued that representation should reflect this discrepancy.
Proportional representation allowed Virginia to maximize its impact.
Southern states also had large
slave populations that boosted their population counts for determining
representation. Northern states pushed back against this aspect, objecting to
slaves counting towards representation when they did not have the rights of citizenship.
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Support for the Virginia
Plan
The Virginia Plan earned broad
support from states with larger populations including Virginia, Massachusetts,
Pennsylvania, and Georgia. 👍 These states would
receive more representatives and greater influence under the proportional
representation model.
However, smaller states
vigorously opposed the plan due to its potential to minimize their role in the
government. They saw it as threatening their interests in favor of larger
states. This divide between large and small states was the main source of
conflict.
The New Jersey Plan
-
William Paterson Introduces
the New Jersey Plan
On June 15, 1787, William
Paterson of New Jersey introduced the New Jersey Plan as an alternative to the
Virginia Plan. ⚖️ While the Virginia Plan sought to establish an
entirely new strong central government, the more conservative New Jersey Plan
focused on revising the existing Articles of Confederation to overcome their
deficiencies.
-
Core Proposals of the New
Jersey Plan
The New Jersey Plan proposed
maintaining a unicameral Congress with each state having one vote, preserving
the equal representation structure of the Articles of Confederation. 🗳️
Congress would be granted additional powers including regulating interstate
commerce, imposing taxes, and compelling states to comply with congressional
requisitions.
An executive branch called the
federal judiciary would be established to enforce federal laws. A federal
supremacy clause was also added to establish the primacy of federal treaties
and laws over state laws. However, the bulk of the Articles of Confederation
were left unchanged under the New Jersey Plan.
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Reasons for the New Jersey
Plan
Smaller states like New Jersey,
Delaware, Maryland, and Connecticut developed the New Jersey Plan to protect
their interests and retain equal representation. 🗺️ They feared being
dominated by larger states under the Virginia Plan, losing influence in the
national government. Equal representation gave these smaller states equal
footing regardless of population.
The New Jersey Plan was also more
palatable for states wanting minimal changes to the Articles of Confederation.
Its goals aligned with strengthening specific weaknesses while preserving state
autonomy and sovereignty. This incremental approach was favored by delegates
who came only to modestly revise the Articles.
-
Supporters of the New
Jersey Plan
The smaller states at the
Convention unanimously backed the New Jersey Plan as a counter to the Virginia
Plan that could minimize their power. ✅ Equal representation was
non-negotiable for these states like New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and
Connecticut.
Some delegates from all states
also supported the New Jersey Plan's emphasis on maintaining state sovereignty
and independence. Opponents of a strong central government tended to favor
retaining state authority under the New Jersey Plan's approach.
Key Points of the Great Compromise
-
Sherman and Ellsworth
Broker the Compromise
After extensive debate and
discussion, on July 16, 1787 Connecticut delegate Roger Sherman proposed the
Great Compromise to reconcile the Virginia and New Jersey Plans. 🤝
Sherman and his fellow Connecticut delegate Oliver Ellsworth offered a
compromise to break the deadlock between large and small states over
representation.
-
House of Representatives
The Great Compromise proposed
establishing a bicameral legislature with a lower house called the House of
Representatives. 🏛️ Representation in the
House would be proportional based on state population. States would be
represented in the House according to their number of free inhabitants plus
three-fifths of slaves. State census data would determine the allotment of
representatives.
-
Senate
The upper chamber or Senate
granted equal representation to all states with two senators each. ☑️
This addressed smaller states' concerns about proportional representation
diminishing their influence. The Senate resembled the unicameral Congress under
the Articles of Confederation and the New Jersey Plan.
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Additional Provisions
Beyond the two-house structure,
revenue bills would originate in the House with the Senate able to propose
amendments. ✏️ The executive would be chosen by electors rather
than Congress as proposed in the Virginia Plan. A compromise on counting slaves
for representation was also included.
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Addressing Major Concerns
The Great Compromise managed to
address the major concerns of both large and small states. 🙌
Large states got proportional representation in the House while small states
got equal Senate representation. The split structure gave each side partial
victory.
Connections to the Virginia Plan
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Similarities to Bicameral
Legislature
The Great Compromise adopted the
general idea of a two-house legislature from the Virginia Plan. 🏛️
While the upper house membership diverged, establishing a bicameral legislature
was a key dimension retained from the Virginia Plan. This lent credibility to
the compromises made.
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House Representation by
Population
Most significantly, the Great
Compromise incorporated the Virginia Plan's idea of proportional representation
in the House. 📊 Tying House representation directly to
population size mirrored the Virginia Plan's approach and gave larger states
greater representation. This was a huge victory for large states.
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Apportionment Method
The method for apportioning
representatives among the states based on census data also resembled the
Virginia Plan. 🗳️ The Great Compromise used the same general
mechanism of a state's free inhabitants plus three-fifths of slaves to
determine its House seats. This population-based apportionment aligned with the
Virginia Plan.
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Further Parallels
The provision allowing only the
House to originate revenue bills similarly echoes the Virginia Plan's proposal.
♟️
More broadly, the Great Compromise accepted the Virginia Plan's basic framework
of empowering the federal legislature and harnessing proportional
representation, blending it with the New Jersey Plan's state equality in the
Senate.
Lasting Impact of the Compromise
-
Breaking the Deadlock
The Great Compromise succeeded in
breaking the deadlock over representation that had stalled the Constitutional
Convention for weeks. 🏛️ Satisfying both large
and small states made it possible to move forward with drafting and debating
the Constitution. If this compromise had failed, the Convention could have
collapsed.
-
Ratification of the
Constitution
By securing concessions through
proportional House representation, larger states were willing to ratify.
Smaller states could ratify knowing their equal Senate vote protected their
interests. This broad support was essential for the nine of thirteen states
needed to ratify the new Constitution.
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Influence on Modern
Institutions
The bicameral legislature
designed by the Great Compromise established the foundation for the modern U.S.
Congress's two-house structure. 🏛️ The Senate and House
as constituted today retain these original principles forged through compromise
in 1787.
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Significance for Federalism
The Great Compromise also
affirmed federalist principles of shared power between the national and state
governments that are built into Congress. ⚖️ This helped balance
centralized versus localized authority to get all states onboard.
FAQs
What were the main differences between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey
Plan?
The Virginia Plan proposed a
strong federal government with a bicameral legislature determined by
proportional state population, favoring large states. The New Jersey Plan
focused on revising the Articles of Confederation with a unicameral Congress
and equal state representation, favoring small states.
Why was the Great Compromise necessary?
The Great Compromise was needed
to resolve the dispute over legislative representation. Large states wanted
proportional representation based on population but small states wanted equal
representation. This deadlock threatened to derail the Constitutional
Convention.
How did the Great Compromise incorporate ideas from each plan?
The compromise included a House
of Representatives with proportional representation from the Virginia Plan and
a Senate with equal state representation from the New Jersey Plan, combining
the structures into a two-house Congress.
Which states supported the Virginia Plan?
Larger and more populous states
like Virginia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Georgia supported the Virginia
Plan because it gave them greater representation and influence based on their
population sizes.
Which states preferred the New Jersey Plan?
Smaller states like New Jersey,
Delaware, Connecticut, and Maryland preferred the New Jersey Plan because it
guaranteed them equal representation in Congress regardless of their
populations.
How did the Great Compromise ensure ratification of the Constitution?
By giving larger states
proportional representation in the House and smaller states equal Senate
representation, it enabled broad enough support across all thirteen states to
achieve the nine votes needed to ratify.
Why was the Great Compromise significant?
The Great Compromise broke the
deadlock over representation at the Constitutional Convention, allowing the
delegates to move forward in drafting the Constitution. It established the
foundations of Congress that still remain today.
What part of Congress does the Virginia Plan most influence today?
The House of Representatives,
with its proportional number of seats based on state population, most closely
embodies the Virginia Plan's vision of representation determined by a state's population
size.
How did the Great Compromise protect small state interests?
Small states were protected
through equal representation in the Senate, where every state gets two senators
regardless of population. This prevented small states from being marginalized.
What role did Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth play?
As delegates from Connecticut,
Sherman and Ellsworth crafted and proposed the Great Compromise that integrated
proportional and equal representation across the two houses of Congress.