12/14/2016
The Virginia Plan
• Created by Edmund Randolph & James Madison
• 3 Branches of Government (Executive, Legislative,
Judicial)
• Two Legislative Houses (Congress votes on new laws)
• Proportionate Representation – States will have an
amount of seats in Congress based on how many
people live there
• Big states love this, small states hate it
The New Jersey Plan
Proposed by: William Paterson
-One Legislative Body
-One Vote per state (Equal Rep.)
-Much like AoC
-Large states disagree
The Great Compromise
• Roger Sherman & Oliver Ellsworth
• Bicameral Legislature (two houses)
• House of Representatives - Proportionate Rep. (Virginia
Plan)
• Senate - Upper House Equal Rep. (New Jersey Plan)
Ratifying the Constitution
The 3/5 Compromise
• Anti-Slavery states- Wanted to count only free
inhabitants for representation
• Slave States- Wanted to count all inhabitants including
slaves for rep.
• South would have more power, but . . .
• Counting number of inhabitants also distributes the
amount of federal taxes owed.
• Outcome: Only count 3/5 of the slaves for
representation and taxation.
• Satisfied Northern States
• Gave South slight advantage in the legislature
Alexander Hamilton: Federalist
Wants strong national government
Star in 2016 play, ‘Hamilton’
George Mason: Anti-Federalist
Weak national gov., power to people
Scared of Kings…also spiders
Solution to Battle: Add the Bill of Rights in
order to protect the people from big
government
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