The Writing of the Constitution
A special convention was called, which came to be known as the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Delegates from all of the states except Rhode Island convened in Philadelphia, PA, to create a plan for a more centralized type of government and to revise the Articles of Confederation. Two plans were presented for government�the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan. The Virginia Plan called for a powerful central government, comprised of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Smaller states were concerned that this plan would not be truly representative of their needs and interests. The alternative plan, the New Jersey Plan, would revise and amend the Articles of Confederation to allow Congress to control trade and taxes, but still provide states with much control and autonomy at the local level. The delegates to the convention finally reached a compromise, combining ideas from both plans. A bicameral lawmaking branch was created. While states were to have equal representation in the Senate regardless of state size, the House of Representatives membership was to be based on state population. In addition to this legislative branch, an executive and judicial branch were formed, and it was agreed that no branch would have more power than the other, through a system of checks and balances. This new plan was known as the Great Compromise. As a result of this work, the Constitution was drafted and presented to the American public on September 17, 1787.
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