What was the Virginia Plan?

The Virginia Plan was a significant proposal presented during the Constitutional Convention of 1787, advocating for a new framework for the United States government. It called for a bicameral legislative branch, meaning it would consist of two separate chambers. The key aspect of this plan was its emphasis on representation based on population, which aimed to ensure that states with larger populations would have more representatives than smaller states. This approach was designed to make the legislative process more reflective of the population distribution across the states, thereby enhancing the democratic principle of representation.

The Virginia Plan was foundational in shaping discussions around representation and the structure of the legislative branch, ultimately leading to compromises that factored in the concerns of both populous and less populous states. In contrast, other proposals, such as the New Jersey Plan, suggested equal representation for each state, regardless of population, highlighting the contentious nature of representation at the time. The Virginia Plan's focus on population-based representation was central to the creation of the modern Congress as established in the U.S. Constitution.