Why Did Georgia Support the New Jersey Plan During the Constitutional Convention?
Georgia's Support for the New Jersey Plan
Less populous States, such as Delaware, Rhode Island, Georgia, New Hampshire, and New Jersey, would have supported the New Jersey Plan. With each State equally represented in Congress, small States would have equal votes and equal power with large States.
Explanation:
The New Jersey Plan was a proposal presented during the Constitutional Convention of 1787, which aimed to create a more equal representation of states in the new government. It proposed that each state would have an equal vote in Congress, regardless of population size. Georgia, being a smaller state at the time, supported the New Jersey Plan as it would ensure that their interests would not be overshadowed by larger states.
The New Jersey Plan and the state of Georgia had different positions during the drafting of the United States Constitution in 1787. The New Jersey Plan was actually proposed by William Paterson of New Jersey as an alternative to the Virginia Plan, put forward by Edmund Randolph of Virginia. These two plans represented different views on the structure of the new federal government.
The New Jersey Plan advocated for a unicameral (single-chamber) legislature with equal representation for each state, regardless of its population size. This plan was favored by smaller states like New Jersey, which feared that the Virginia Plan, which called for a bicameral legislature with representation based on population, would give larger states too much power.
Georgia, on the other hand, was a larger state and was more inclined to support the Virginia Plan or other proposals that would give it more influence in the new federal government. Ultimately, compromises were reached during the Constitutional Convention, leading to the creation of a bicameral legislature with the House of Representatives based on population and the Senate with equal representation for each state. This compromise is often referred to as the "Great Compromise" and helped secure Georgia's support for the Constitution.
Therefore, in summary, Georgia did not support the New Jersey Plan; it was more aligned with the Virginia Plan and ultimately played a role in shaping the compromise that led to the Constitution's adoption.
Why did Georgia support the New Jersey Plan during the Constitutional Convention? Georgia supported the New Jersey Plan during the Constitutional Convention because, as a smaller state in terms of population, it favored the plan's provision for equal representation for all states in Congress. This ensured that Georgia had as much influence as larger states.