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.

 

-         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.

 

-         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.

 

-         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.

 

-         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.

 

-         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.

 

-         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.

 

-         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.

 

-         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

 

-         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.

 

-         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.

 

-         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.

 

-         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.

 

-         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.

 

-         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.