CHAPTER TWo • FoRGiNG A NEW GovERNmENT: THE CoNsTiTuTioN 31
Bicameral Legislature
A legislature made up of
two parts, called chambers.
The U.S. Congress,
composed of the House
of Representatives and
the Senate, is a bicameral
legislature.lican nationalists wanted a central
government founded on popular
support.
Other factions included a
group of delegates who were
totally against a national author-
ity. Two of the three delegates
from New York quit the conven-
tion when they saw the national-
ist direction of its proceedings.Politicking and
Compromises
The debates at the convention
started on the first day. James
Madison had spent months
reviewing European political the-
ory. When his Virginia delegation
arrived ahead of most of the oth-
ers, it got to work immediately.
By the time George Washington
opened the convention, Governor
Edmund Randolph of Virginia was
prepared to present fifteen reso-
lutions proposing fundamental
changes in the nation’s govern-
ment. In retrospect, this was a
masterful stroke on the part of the
Virginia delegation. It set the agenda for the remainder of the convention—even though, in
principle, the delegates had been sent to Philadelphia for the sole purpose of amending the
Articles of Confederation.The virginia Plan. Randolph’s fifteen resolutions proposed an entirely new national
government under a constitution. Basically, the plan called for the following:n A bicameral (two-chamber) legislature, with the lower chamber chosen by the
people and the smaller upper chamber chosen by the lower chamber from nominees
selected by state legislatures. The number of representatives would be proportional to
a state’s population, thus favoring the large states, including Virginia. The legislature
could void any state laws.
n The creation of an unspecified national executive, elected by the legislature.
n The creation of a national judiciary, appointed by the legislature.It did not take long for the smaller states to realize they would fare poorly under the
Virginia Plan, which would enable Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia to form a
majority in the national legislature. The debate on the plan dragged on for a number of
weeks. It was time for the small states to come up with their own plan.The New Jersey Plan. On June 15, William Paterson of New Jersey offered an alterna-
tive plan. After all, argued Paterson, under the Articles of Confederation all states hadGeorge Washington, who would become the nation’s first president,
presided over the Constitutional Convention of 1787. It formally opened in the East Room
of the Pennsylvania State House (later named Independence Hall) on May 25. Only Rhode
Island did not send any delegates. (Picture History/Newscom)Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
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