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Explain the difference between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan. What compromise did the delegates reach between the two plans?

The Virginia Plan proposed a two-house legislature with representation based on population. The New Jersey Plan proposed a single-house legislature with equal representation for each state. The delegates reached a compromise between the two plans, known as the Great Compromise, which established a bicameral legislature with a House of Representatives based on population and a Senate with equal representation for each state.

Did you know?

Did you know that during the Constitutional Convention in 1787, the delegates had to grapple with the contrasting proposals of the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan? The Virginia Plan, put forward by James Madison, favored a strong national government with representation based on population, while the New Jersey Plan, proposed by William Paterson, supported a more decentralized government with equal representation for each state. In order to bridge this divide, the delegates agreed on the Great Compromise, which established a bicameral legislature: the House of Representatives with representation based on population and the Senate with equal representation for each state. This compromise struck a delicate balance between large and small states, and became a cornerstone of the United States Constitution.