Supported by smaller states

Supported by Smaller States

The New Jersey Plan was strongly supported by the smaller states during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Contrary to the Virginia Plan, also known as the "large state plan," the New Jersey Plan advocated for a unicameral legislature with equal representation for each state. This would ensure that smaller states had the same legislative power as larger ones.

Larger states preferred the Virginia Plan, which proposed a bicameral legislature with representation based on population, giving them more influence. To resolve this conflict, the Connecticut Compromise, also known as the Great Compromise, was proposed, incorporating elements of both plans by establishing a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate.