The Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan were substantially the same
True or False
False.
To find the answer to this question, we can look into the history of the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan, which were two different proposals put forward during the drafting of the United States Constitution in 1787.
The Virginia Plan, also known as the Large-State Plan, was drafted by James Madison and proposed a bicameral legislature with representation based on a state's population. This plan favored larger states as they would have more representatives in Congress.
On the other hand, the New Jersey Plan, also called the Small-State Plan, was proposed by William Paterson. It advocated for a unicameral legislature with equal representation from each state, regardless of its population. This plan aimed to protect the interests of smaller states that feared being dominated by larger ones.
Although both plans aimed to address the issue of representation in the new federal government, they had significant differences. The Virginia Plan favored larger states, while the New Jersey Plan sought to protect the interests of smaller states.
In conclusion, the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan were not substantially the same; they presented divergent approaches to representation in the proposed government. Therefore, the statement "The Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan were substantially the same" is false.