The New Jersey and Virginia plans of the 1780s were each meant to

The Jamestown settlement in the Colony of Virginia was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. It was located on the east bank of the Powhatan (James) River about 2.5 mi (4 km) southwest of the center of modern Williamsburg. William Kelso writes that Jamestown "is where the British Empire began". It was established by the Virginia Company of London as "James Fort" on May 4, 1607 O. S.; (May 14, 1607 N. S.), and was considered permanent after brief abandonment in 1610. It followed several failed attempts, including the Lost Colony of Roanoke, established in 1585 on Roanoke Island. Jamestown served as the capital of the colony of Virginia for 83 years, from 1616 until 1699.

The New Jersey and Virginia plans of the 1780s were each meant to organize the newly legislative branch that was going to be created as a result of the creation of the Constitution of the United States in 1787, which organized the country under a presidentialist system.

The Virginia Plan favored the rights of the most populous states, by establishing a bicameral legislature with proportional representation under the population of each state.

In turn, the New Jersey Plan favored smaller states, by proposing an equal representation for each state.

Finally, the Constitution took parts of each plan, by establishing a bicameral Congress, with one chamber organized under the Virginia Plan (House of Representatives), and other organized under the New Jersey Plan (Senate).