Final answer:
The New Jersey and Virginia Plans were proposed plans for the structure and representation of the national government during the Constitutional Convention. The New Jersey Plan called for equal representation for each state, while the Virginia Plan proposed representation based on a state's population. These plans ultimately led to the creation of the bicameral legislature through the Great Compromise.
Step-by-step explanation:
The New Jersey and Virginia Plans were two proposed plans for the structure and representation of the national government in the United States during the Constitutional Convention. The New Jersey Plan, introduced by William Paterson, called for a one-house national legislature where each state would have an equal vote, regardless of population. On the other hand, the Virginia Plan, introduced by James Madison, proposed a two-house legislature with representation based on a state's population.
These plans were important in shaping the debate and negotiations during the Constitutional Convention, as they highlighted the differing interests of the smaller states, which favored the New Jersey Plan for equal representation, and the larger states, which supported the Virginia Plan for proportional representation.
In the end, a compromise known as the Great Compromise or Connecticut Compromise was reached, which combined elements of both plans. This compromise created a bicameral legislature with the House of Representatives having proportional representation and the Senate having equal representation for each state.
Learn more about New Jersey and Virginia Plans