On June 15, 1787 the U.S government gathered together and held the constitutional convention in Philadelphia to draft a new plan, this plan benefitted large states and gave disadvantages to other states that were smaller. However, William Patterson proposed a plan that would benefit small states (Ex: Virginia) and not keep them in fear of large states taking over the government. His plan substituted and “retained the purely federal character of the Articles of Confederation” (Levy, Leonard, 2000, pg. 46-54). Patterson’s proposal gave each state an equal representation in the national legislature, allowing each state to have a single vote in a unicameral congress. This benefitted small states because representation was not only going to be based
