The United States Constitution has become the most important document ever created in American history. The delegates who met in Philadelphia in 1787 were given the arduous task of creating a government that firmly guaranteed freedom, liberty, and justice. Learn more and engage students with our premade activities and lesson plans!
Why would you think it is fair for your small states to have the same amount of power as my large state?!
The Virginia Plan
My plan will bring equality to our Congress. States with a higher population should have more power!
The Virginia Plan
The Great Compromise
The SenateTwo Senators Per State
House of RepresentativesBased off of Population
The New Jersey Plan was drafted by William Paterson. This plan created a one-house or unicameral legislative body. States would receive the same amount of representatives regardless of their population.
The Virginia Plan was drafted by James Madison. According to the Virginia Plan, the legislative body would be a two-house or bicameral legislature. For each house in the Virginia Plan, the number of representatives for each state would be determined by their population.
The Great Compromise was the name given to the agreement in the creation of the Legislative Branch in the Constitutional Convention. According to the compromise, Congress would have two houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate would give equal amounts of Senators to each state and the House of Representatives would determine the number of representatives based on of the population of the state.