The Virginia Plan was so named because it was written primarily by James Madison and introduced to the Constitutional Convention by Edmund Randolph, both Virginians. The resolution provided for three branches of a national government and laid the foundation for what would become the United States Constitution.
Records of the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention, National Archives and Records Administration
Virginia Plan, as Amended, June 13, 1787
Creating a National Government
The newly independent states united to establish a national government under the Articles of Confederation. The Articles made progress difficult because the weak central government depended on unanimous consent of the states and lacked the power to regulate taxes and trade. Meeting from May to September 1787, a convention called to amend the Articles instead drew on other documents and plans of governance to create a stronger framework for union: the United States Constitution.
The Virginia Plan was so named because it was written primarily by James Madison and introduced to the Constitutional Convention by Edmund Randolph, both Virginians. The resolution provided for three branches of a national government and laid the foundation for what would become the United States Constitution.
Records of the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention, National Archives and Records Administration
