Question

section summary
drafting a new constitution
on may 25, 1787, 12 of the 13 states—rhode island chose not to participate—met in philadelphia to revise the articles of confederation—a task that would soon change to designing an entirely new government. delegates kept all meeting proceedings confidential. each state received one vote and only a simple majority was required for any decisions. almost all of the attendees had some form of government experience, and many had served in the continental army. george washington served as president of the convention. james madison—now known as father of the constitution—played a key role in planning the convention and calling for a new government. today, all delegates at the convention are called framers of the constitution.

did large states have more voting power than small states at the convention? explain.

rival plans
only days into the convention, it became clear to delegates that the articles of confederation would need to be replaced with a plan for a stronger government. two plans were proposed shortly thereafter.

the virginia plan called for a strong central government divided into three branches—legislative, executive, and judicial—each with the power to check the others, and included a bicameral legislature in which membership would be based on a state’s population. members of the lower house would be elected by the people, and members of the upper house would be selected by the state legislatures. the national government would be given several strong powers, including those to make laws, control interstate commerce, and override state laws. the new jersey plan called for a strong central government divided into three branches, and included a unicameral legislature in which each state would get one vote. large states preferred the virginia plan, and small states preferred the new jersey plan.

what was the main difference between the virginia and new jersey plans?

Explanation:

First Question (Did large states...):

The convention initially had each state with one vote (simple majority for decisions). But the Virginia Plan (favored by large states) proposed legislative representation based on population, which would give large states more voting power (as they have more people). The New Jersey Plan (favored by small states) kept equal state votes. So, under the Virginia Plan (part of the convention's discussions), large states would have more power, but initially, each state had one vote. For the question's context (convention proceedings), initially, each state had one vote (equal power), but the proposed Virginia Plan would change that. However, the question is about "at the convention" (proceedings). Wait, the convention's initial voting (for decisions) was one state, one vote. But the Virginia Plan's legislative proposal would give large states more power. But the question is "Did large states have more voting power than small states at the convention?" (the meeting's proceedings). The text says "Each state received one vote and only a simple majority was required for any decisions." So initially, in the convention's own voting (for proceedings), each state had one vote (equal). But the plans proposed (Virginia vs New Jersey) differed. But the question is about "at the convention" (the meeting's voting, not the proposed plans). Wait, the text: "Each state received one vote and only a simple majority was required for any decisions." So in the convention's decision - making (voting on proceedings), each state had one vote, so large and small states had equal voting power in the convention's internal voting. But the Virginia Plan (proposed during the convention) would give large states more power in the legislature. But the question is about "at the convention" (the meeting's voting). So the answer is: No, initially, at the convention (for its own proceedings), each state had one vote, so equal power. But the Virginia Plan (proposed) would have given large states more power in the new government's legislature. But the question is about "at the convention" (the meeting's voting). So based on the text: "Each state received one vote and only a simple majority was required for any decisions." So in the convention's voting (for their own actions), large and small states had equal voting power (one vote per state).

The Virginia Plan called for a bicameral legislature with representation based on a state’s population (so large states have more representatives, more power), and a strong central government with three branches. The New Jersey Plan called for a unicameral legislature with each state having one vote (equal representation, regardless of population), and also a strong central government with three branches. So the main difference is the legislature: Virginia Plan - bicameral, population - based representation; New Jersey Plan - unicameral, equal state representation (one vote per state).

Answer:

No. At the convention, each state received one vote for decisions, so large and small states had equal voting power in the convention's internal decision - making. However, the Virginia Plan (proposed during the convention) would have given large states more voting power in the new government's legislature (based on population), while the New Jersey Plan would have kept equal state votes.

Second Question (What was the main difference...):