New Jersey Plan

At the 1787 Constitutional Convention, where delegates debated the structure of U.S. government, the more populous states supported the Virginia Plan. When it seemed like the plan would be approved by a narrow margin, the less populous states feared that their voices in the national government would be drowned out. So what did they do? They proposed their own plan!

This article discusses who proposed the New Jersey Plan, what it resolved to do, the significance of the New Jersey Plan, and which elements were adopted as part of the Constitution of the United States.

The U.S. ConstitutionSource: Wikimedia Commons

The New Jersey Plan Definition

The New Jersey Plan was an alternative plan for the drafting of the constitution. It was also known as “The Small State Plan” or “The Paterson Plan.” It was introduced to the Constitutional Convention on June 15, 1787. The New Jersey Plan stood in contrast to the Virginia Plan, which advocated for a centralized government, a bicameral legislature, state representation based on population, and a completely new constitution. The New Jersey Plan proposed a unicameral (single chamber) legislature with equal representation, and would have revised the Articles of Confederation to keep more power in the hands of the states instead of a centralized government.

The New Jersey Plan Summary

The New Jersey Plan was written and presented to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 by William Paterson. William Paterson and his family emigrated to the United States from Ireland in 1747. At fourteen, he studied at Princeton, then known as the University of New Jersey. After graduating, he pursued a career in law. Once he was admitted to the Bar, he opened his own law practice and became one of the most successful lawyers in New Jersey. While he was not involved in politics early on in his life, he became a spokesperson for American independence after the events at Lexington and Concord.

Portrait of William Paterson, Office of the Attorney General of New Jersey, Wikimedia Commons.

The New Jersey Plan had nine resolutions that were presented to the Constitutional Convention of 1787.

Resolution 1: The Articles of Confederation should be amended and enlarged so the Federal Constitution meets the demands of government and is able to preserve the Union.

Resolution 2: Congress is authorized to pass laws in order to raise revenue, impose duties on foreign goods, and regulate interstate commerce and international trade. Violations of these laws are to be heard and determined by the State judiciary. Appeals are to be heard by the State’s superior court and final appeals are to be heard by the national judiciary.

Resolution 3: Congress is authorized to seek requisitions according to a State’s number of white and free citizens as well as three-fifths of all others. It also authorized the national government to direct collection in the case of states that don’t comply.

Resolution 4: Congress is authorized to elect a federal executive that is removable by Congress through the request of a majority of State executives. The Executive shall appoint federal officers and direct military operations but not as a member of the armed forces on the field.

Resolution 5: A Federal judiciary is to be created with a supreme tribunal of judges appointed by the Executive. This judiciary has the power to hear and determine the impeachments of federal officers as well as appeals on matters involving ambassador’s rights, the capture of enemies, instances of piracy and felonies on the high seas, cases dealing with foreign litigants, treaties, acts of trade regulation, and the collection of federal revenue.

Resolution 6: Acts created and passed by Congress are the supreme law of the land. If any State or organization within a State opposes or prevents the execution of a law, the Executive is authorized to use force for compliance.

Resolution 7: There are to be provisions for the admission of new States into the Union.

Resolution 8: The rule for the naturalization of individuals is the same for every State.

Resolution 9: If a citizen of one State commits a crime in another state, the State can prosecute the citizen as if they lived in the State.

Significance of the New Jersey Plan

The New Jersey Plan was significant because it directly opposed the Virginia Plan and helped force a compromise in forming the U.S. Constitution. Less populous states were worried that the proportional representation suggested by the Virginia Plan would give the more populous states more power and ultimately oppress the smaller states in the national government. Therefore, Paterson proposed that instead of a bicameral legislature based on population, the Union should have a unicameral legislature with equal representation. The New Jersey Plan also sought to revise the Articles of Confederation to keep power in the hands of the states instead of a centralized government.

Differences between the New Jersey Plan and the Virginia Plan

There are several key differences between the New Jersey Plan and the Virginia Plan. These are expressed in the table below.

The New Jersey Plan was rejected by a 7-3 vote at the Constitutional Convention. The larger, more populous states opposed the New Jersey Plan because they feared it would reduce their influence in the national government.

When the New Jersey Plan was rejected, many of the smaller, less populous states in the Union threatened to leave. Fortunately, the delegates from Connecticut saw the benefits of each plan and decided to come up with a compromise. Thus “The Great Compromise of 1787” or the “Connecticut Compromise” was introduced to the Constitutional Convention. In the compromise, the bicameral legislature featured in the Virginia Plan was kept, however, to please the smaller states, the House of Representatives would be chosen by proportional representation and the Senate would be chosen by equal representation.

Constitutional Convention of 1787 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Wikimedia Commons.

While more of the provisions of the Virginia Plan were written into the Constitution, some provisions of the New Jersey Plan did influence the drafting of the Constitution. Writers were forced to include equal representation in the creation of the U.S. Senate. The guarantee that state and individual rights would remain protected was a major point of concern for Anti-federalists and sentiments regarding the threat of government overreach compelled James Madison to write the Bill of Rights.