On the surface, the Constitu- tional Convention had been con- vened simply with an eye toward revising the Articles of Confed- eration. With the introduction of the Virginia Plan, however, the entire tenor of the convention changed. Among other things, the Virginia Plan sought to give the federal government the ability to veto state laws, and its introduc- tion changed the subject of de- bate from how to revise the Ar- ticles of Confederation to a fight over doing away with them and framing a new government. As a result, the Virginia Plan high- lighted a rift that existed between nationalist delegates, like James Madison, who favored a strong federal government, and states’
During the Constitutional Conven- tion, William Paterson was re- sponsible for proposing what has become known as the New Jersey Plan, which called for the Con- stitution to provide the states with equal representation in Congress.
rights delegates, like William Paterson, who wanted the states to retain their sovereignty.
William Paterson and delegates from a number of smaller states, like New Jersey, quickly countered the Virginia Plan with a proposal of their own. Their plan, called the New Jersey Plan, proposed that the Articles of Confederation simply be rewritten to help give the federal government sources of revenue and allow it to oversee commercial matters in the United States. The New Jersey Plan was
Elks Offer Copies of America’s Founding Documents F
OR STUDENTS of US history, including those in school and those whose love of their country has inspired them to further study, there is no substitute for reading the US Constitution and other important writings that laid the foundations of the country’s freedom. For this reason, the Grand Lodge has made available Heritage Corner Kits containing attractive reproductions of important US documents and texts. The kits are suitable for display in local lodges and can be donated to schools, public libraries, and other public institutions. Each Heritage Corner Kit consists of ten large pages. Eight of these pages consist of reproductions of different documents including the Decla- ration of Independence, the US Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Monroe Doctrine, the Gettysburg Address, and the original lyrics to “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Each kit also contains two one-page patriotic resolutions that were adopted by the BPO Elks during the twentieth century—the Elks Resolution on Law and Order (adopted in 1970) and the Elks Declaration of American Principles (adopted in 1961). Heritage Corner Kits ($5.75) can be ordered from the Grand Lodge by sending an e-mail to
shipping@elks.org and using order code 571400.
—TS T H E E L K S M A G A Z I N E 49
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