Final answer:
The Virginia Plan, which proposed a strong national government with proportional representation, was largely the work of James Madison. Though Edmund Randolph presented the plan, Madison's contribution to its development was paramount. Furthermore, the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom was drafted by Thomas Jefferson.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Virginia Plan and Its Architect
The student's question relates to the Virginia Plan, which was presented at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. While Edmund Randolph introduced it, the Virginia Plan is largely credited to James Madison, who is often referred to as the "Father of the Constitution" for his substantial role in drafting the document and his contributions to the Federalist Papers.
The Virginia Plan proposed a strong national government structured into three branches, with a bicameral legislature based on proportional representation, which was favored by larger states. This contrasted with the New Jersey Plan, which called for equal representation regardless of a state's population and was preferred by smaller states. The conflicting views led to the Great Compromise, which established the two-house system of the U.S. Congress that we have today, with proportional representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate.
To clarify the related question, the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom was actually drafted by Thomas Jefferson. This document is a significant precursor to the religious freedom protections later embedded in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.