New Constitution of USA in 1787

The US new constitution was drafted in 1787 at a convention held in Philadelphia. The constitutional convention comprised of 55 delegates who were given the responsibility to revise some articles of the congress confederation.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on New Constitution of USA in 1787 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, instead of amending specific articles, the delegation decided to adopt Edmund Randolph proposal to write a completely new constitution. In the process of drafting the new constitution, two different proposals plans emerged. One plan was called the Virginia plan while the other one was called the New Jersey plan. This paper compares and contrasts the two proposed constitutional plans. Virginia vs. New Jersey Constitutional Plans The Virginia plan called for a government with three separate arms including the legislature, executive, and the judiciary. The national congress was to comprise of two houses namely: the senate and the House of Representatives. Furthermore, the plan proposed that representation in both chambers was to depend on the population of each state. According to this plan, members of the House of Representatives were to be elected directly by the voters of each state. Later, they would select the members of the senate from the lists of people nominated by the state legislatures. In terms of congregational power, the Virginian plan provided that the congress would retain its earlier powers, but on top of it add the power to make laws for the states, override state laws, and coerce states to obey national laws in all circumstances. The congress was also accorded powers to select members of the judiciary and the president, who would stay in power for a term equal to seven years. Finally, it provided that both the executive and the judiciary would have the power to veto, subject to override. On the other hand, the New Jersey plan advocated for a govern ment with three branches just like the Virginia plan. It gave the central government power to enforce national laws, raise taxes, and regulate trade. According to this plan, the laws set by the congress were to be more powerful than state laws. Contrary to the Virginia plan, the New Jersey plan called for equal state representation in the congress regardless of the size of the state. The congress was to have one house consisting of members elected by the state legislature. In addition, the congress would choose the federal executive which, in turn, would choose the federal judiciary. In summary, the two plans differed in structure, congregational representation, and congress power as highlighted above.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Benefits of each Plan Each plan appealed for representation in the congress as well as advocated for a powerful central government. This is beneficial because initially, representation was biased and the congress lacked enough powers to control the affairs of each state and make powerful national laws. Alexander Hamilton vs. Thomas Jefferson Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson are important features in the history of the US government and economy. They both concurred that the government needed major changes. However, they deferred ideologically on matters pertaining to governance and the economy. Hamilton advocated for a strong central government, a federal bank, and a stable financial system. On the contrary, Jefferson called for a weak central government and an agrarian economy. Jefferson’s views were democratic because he held that the commoners be given more opportunities in the government while Hamilton’s views were undemocratic because he held that the commoners were ignorant, and thus were incapable of supporting self-governance. Hamilton would support the New Jersey plan because it called for the minority government while Jefferson would support the Virginia plan because it called for the government of the majority. How the Finished Constitution Impacted Slavery The final constitution weakened the institution of slavery. The northerners wished to abolish the slave trade, but the southerners were against the claim because the trade was their source of income. However, after the new constitution was implemented the congress took at least 20 years to abolish the trade because the congress held that it was inhuman. My Opinion As a citizen of the new American republic in 1790, Jefferson’s view would be better because it honoured the commoners and supported democracy. In addition, Virginia constitutional plan would be selected over the new jersey plan because it advocated for democracy and equitable representation. This essay on New Constitution of USA in 1787 was written and submitted by user Caitlyn Byrd to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.