Key Debates at the Constitutional Convention

The New Nation
Written By Tom Hand

On May 29, 1787, Edmund Randolph from Virginia introduced fifteen resolutions to the Constitutional Convention. Known as the Virginia Resolves or the Virginia Plan, Randolph’s proposal outlined an entirely new national government, including a strong executive, a two-house legislature, and an independent judiciary. It would be the basis for discussion at the convention for the rest of the summer.

Tom Hand, creator and publisher of Americana Corner, explores the key debates at the Constitutional Convention, and why it still matters today.

Images courtesy of The New York Public Library, National Archives, Library of Congress, National Portrait Gallery - Smithsonian Institution, Library Company of Philadelphia, Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center at the Boston Public Library, National Gallery of Art, Wikipedia.

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On May 29, 1787, Edmund Randolph, Governor of Virginia, rose and introduced fifteen resolutions to the Federal Convention. Known to history as the Virginia Resolves or the Virginia Plan, Randolph’s proposal, which was probably drafted by James Madison, was an outline for an entirely new national government. It called for a national executive, a two-house national legislature, and a national judiciary.

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Tom Hand
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