Final answer:
The Virginia Plan was favored by larger states for proposing representation based on population, while smaller states opposed it in favor of the New Jersey Plan that called for equal representation. The debate led to the Great Compromise, creating a bicameral legislature balancing both approaches.
Step-by-step explanation:
Response to the Virginia Plan
The delegates' responses to the Virginia Plan during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 were sharply divided along the lines of state size. Delegates from larger states like Virginia, New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts supported the Virginia Plan because it proposed representation in Congress based on population, which would give them more political power. On the other hand, delegates from smaller states staunchly opposed the Virginia Plan because it would result in their states having fewer representatives and less influence in the new government.
To address this, William Paterson introduced the New Jersey Plan, which proposed a unicameral legislature with equal representation for all states, regardless of size, preserving the power balance that existed under the Articles of Confederation. The debate between supporters of the Virginia and New Jersey Plans ultimately led to the creation of the Great Compromise, which established a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate.