Thursday, March 21, 2013

James Madison: The Virginia Plan

The Virginia Plan was presented to the Constitutional Convention by Edmund Randolph on May 29, 1787. It was mostly written by James Madison in Philadelphia while he waited for enough delegates to assemble. The plan went beyond the Convention's instructions to revise the Articles of Confederation. Madison knew revising the Articles was not going to work. He believed a completely new government would have to be constructed.
The Virginia Plan contained the ideas of a three part government consisting of executive, legislative and judicial branches, with a two house legislature. Madison's plan was submitted as soon as the Convention met and it guided the discussion from then on.
The Virginia Plan was submitted to the Constitutional Convention by Edmund Randolph, another delegate from Virginia. The Virginia Plan is also known as the Randolph Plan or the Large State plan.

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