Wanderlust World Wanderlust World William Paterson's New Jersey Plan was the small-state answer to Virginia's population-weighted proposal. It aimed to preserve state equality and limit federal power. Here's a breakdown of its core arguments—and why it ultimately lost to the Great Compromise.
A unicameral Congress where each state gets one vote—regardless of population. This protected Delaware, New Jersey, and other small states from domination by Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.
A single legislative chamber with defined, limited powers. No complex bicameral negotiations, no executive veto, no independent judiciary initially. Appeals to those fearing centralized tyranny.
States retain control over taxation, commerce regulation, and internal affairs. The federal government can't coerce states—it requisitions funds from them.
Essentially a tweaked Articles of Confederation. Delegates comfortable with the existing system saw this as a pragmatic fix, not a revolution.
One vote per state means a citizen in Delaware (pop. ~59,000) had vastly more influence than one in Virginia (pop. ~747,000). Large-state delegates called this unjust.
No independent executive, no federal judiciary, no power to regulate interstate commerce or tax directly. The Confederation's failures (Shays' Rebellion, trade wars, diplomatic impotence) proved this structure unworkable.
A unicameral body with equal votes = deadlock city. No vice president to break ties, no upper chamber for cooling-off. Interstate disputes would stall indefinitely.
Focused on structure, not solutions. Didn't address debt, revenue, western lands, or commercial policy—issues demanding immediate action.
The Connecticut Compromise (Great Compromise) merged the plans: House by population (Virginia), Senate by state equality (New Jersey). The New Jersey Plan's legacy lives in the Senate—and in every small-state protection since.