The Virginia Plan and the Great Compromise: Shaping the US Constitution

Explanation: The Virginia Plan was crafted by James Madison and introduced by Edmund Randolph at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. It proposed the establishment of a strong national government that could override state laws. Central to the Virginia Plan was a bicameral legislature, consisting of two separate chambers, an upper and a lower house. The lower house would be elected by the people, its representation based proportionally on the state's population. The upper house would be selected by the lower house from nominees provided by state legislatures, and its representation would also be based on population. This plan benefited more populous states and included an independent executive and judiciary to be chosen by the legislature.

The Debate and the Great Compromise

The proposal emphasized proportional representation, which favored larger states like Virginia, thereby causing alarm among representatives from smaller states. This led to the introduction of the New Jersey Plan by William Paterson, which suggested equal representation for all states in a unicameral legislature.

The debate between the two plans eventually resulted in the Great Compromise, which formed the current structure of Congress with two houses: one with proportional representation (the House of Representatives) and one with equal representation (the Senate).