Mr. PATTERSON observed to the Convention, that it was the wish of several Deputations, particularly that of New Jersey, that further time might be allowed them to contemplate the plan reported from the Committee of the Whole, and to digest one purely federal, and contradistinguished from the reported plan. He said, they hoped to have such an one ready by to-morrow to be laid before the Convention: and the Convention adjourned that leisure might be given for the purpose.
Introduction
In February 1787, the Confederation Congress authorized a convention of state delegations “for the sole and express purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation…” When delegates gathered in Philadelphia several months later, few anticipated that the meeting would last 88 days. As delegates discussed the post-war challenges facing the young nation, it quickly became apparent that simply revising the Articles of Confederation would not adequately address these challenges. Over the course of the proceedings, 55 delegates from twelve states (all except Rhode Island) contended with questions about the structure and authority of the national government while balancing their respective state interests. Through a series of debates that revealed important agreements and disagreements, and produced a handful of crucial compromises, the Convention ultimately created an unprecedented framework for “republican” government. The Constitution was signed by 39 delegates on September 17, 1787.
Debate over the Virginia Plan continued for weeks as delegates struggled to agree on state representation in the legislature. On June 11, 1787, Roger Sherman of Connecticut (1721–1793) proposed a compromise offering proportional representation in the House and equal representation for each state in the Senate. Though initially rejected, Sherman’s idea influenced delegations from New Jersey, Connecticut, New York, and Delaware, and Maryland’s Luther Martin (1748–1826) to propose the New Jersey Plan. Their plan preserved the structure of the Congress under the Articles of Confederation by upholding equal state representation while slightly expanding its powers, as well as creating executive and judiciary branches. Often viewed as an expression of small-state resistance to the Virginia Plan, the New Jersey Plan drew support from delegates who wanted to strengthen the national government while preserving the status quo of equal representation for each state.
On June 14th, New Jersey was granted a delay on the vote for the Virginia Plan to allow time to draft and introduce a “purely federal” system of government.
-Michelle Alderfer
Document
Source
James Madison. Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787. ed. Gordon Lloyd (Ashbrook Press: 2014). https://teachingamericanhistory.org/product/debates-in-the-federal-convention-of-1787/.
