The Constitution: The Virginia Plan

American History, The Story of Liberty! America's Heritage Through the Reagan Revolution is John De Gree's new book (2025). The following is an excerpt. 

The American founding fathers were not all of one mind. Those who favored a stronger federal government were called the Federalists. Those who favored stronger state governments were called the Anti-Federalists. Because of the Federalists, America has a Constitution. Because of the Anti-Federalists, it also has a Bill of Rights that guarantees individuals and states rights. The arguments that took place during the writing of the Constitution are still part of the American political scene. Right at its beginning, Americans argued over the size of the American government.
 
In four summer months of 1787, Americans wrote what would become the world’s oldest working Constitution. They met in a locked room, with windows nailed shut, in what has been described as “oppressively hot” weather. The founders met in secrecy, because they believed if some Americans knew what they were doing, their meeting would be disrupted or destroyed. State legislatures appointed delegates, and 12/13 states were represented. Rhode Island wanted none of it. Patrick Henry refused to go and stated, “I smell a rat.” 

The Heritage of the American Constitution
American founding fathers were keenly aware of history, of governments and people of the past, and their goal was to take this knowledge and create a republican government for the American people that would last. The early chapters of this book focus on this history. The historical path towards the liberty established in the U.S. Constitution begins in the early civilizations of the Fertile Crescent, travel through the civilizations of Ancient Greece and the Roman Republic, and continue through medieval and early modern Europe, especially England. The religious beliefs and practices of Judaism and Christianity played significant roles in creating the world’s first modern republic, and the virtues these religions teach and foster were key to establishing a strong and good republic.
 
The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution
The Constitution puts into effect the ideals of the Declaration of Independence, and the founding fathers saw these two documents as linked. When a territory applied as new state, it had to first adopt the Declaration of Independence. The ideals of the Declaration of Independence, “All men are created equal,” and, “They are endowed by a Creator with certain unalienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” are codified in the structure of the Constitution. This belief in one God, and the rights of the individual were to always take precedence over any government.
 
The Convention
The Constitutional Convention was reportedly called not to create a new governing document, but to revise the Articles of Confederation. However, the delegates of Virginia, including James Madison, George Washington, and Governor Randolph introduced a plan so radical that all realized if they continued with the discussions, the Articles would be abolished and a new form of government would be established.
 
Thomas Jefferson was in Paris during the convention, but after reading a list of names of those present declared the meeting to be “an assembly of demi-gods.” Delegates included George Washington, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, Roger Sherman, and many other prominent Americans. At least one third had been officers in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. Franklin was the leading scientist, publisher, inventor, and abolitionist of his time period. King George III called George Washington the “greatest man on Earth.”
Some Patriots chose not to come, because they protested the idea that a stronger government would be created. Many founding fathers were against writing the constitution, including Richard Henry Lee, James Monroe, Patrick Henry, Aaron Burr, George Clinton, and Sam Adams. These men believed the convention would take away states’ and individuals’ rights and wrongly believed that by not attending the convention they would hurt the chances of a new government forming. These soon became the Anti-Federalists.

Opening Proposal: The Virginia Plan
Probably no other delegate had thought and studied more about the weakness of the United States of America and its government than James Madison. He believed that the new country was going the way of most new countries: into complete disarray and disintegration. Great Britain did not respect America, keeping soldiers on American soil in the west and attacking American merchant ships. State politicians argued with each other over taxes and tariffs. And, there was no army to put down insurrections like Shay’s Rebellion.
 
To counter what Madison saw as a country in decline, he began the Constitutional Convention by having Virginia Governor Randolph propose a completely new form of government. The Virginia Plan called for a government where power was separated into three branches, an executive, legislative, and judicial branch. The new plan called for a much stronger government than the Articles of Confederation created. With power divided into three branches, Madison believed tyranny would not rule the new country. Each branch would have its own work to do, and each branch would make sure the other two branches would not become too powerful. From this original plan delegates debated over key features, but basically, Madison had created the framework of the world’s oldest living republic.

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