I have been a long time reader of the boards and an occasional poster, but is this my first time I have thought up of anything with enough detail to post. I have had this idea for a long time and I finally got time to write part of it down. This is an outline of scenario were the New Jersey Plan is accepted at the Constructional Convention and chaos ensues.
• After much debate in the Constitutional Convention the delegates agree upon the New Jersey Plan by a six to four vote. The New Jersey Plan, introduced by William Paterson, proposed the fallowing
- One legislative body
- States have equal representation in the legislature
- Two executive figures are elected by the legislature, without veto power
• New York, Virginia, North Carolina, and Massachusetts, the states that voted no to the New Jersey Plan, leave the Convention.
• People from Rode Island, hearing of protection of smaller states due to the New Jersey Plan, finally shows up to the convention
• The Constitution is ratified by all members of the Convention with Pennsylvania signing on June 21, 1788. Making it the supreme law of the land.
• The four hold out states unanimously declared that they would not fallow the Constitution is their respective states, they become very unpopular in the states that did ratify the document.
• Due to his raise to popularity from the Constructional Convention, William Paterson was elected by the Congress to be first of Prime Minister of the United States of America.
• Ben Franklin was also chosen as the first President, even though his role was mainly ceremonial due to his age (this became a tradition that the President would be the elder politician of the Congress and more of a figurehead)
• As his first act as PM, Paterson called the four rouge states to ratify the Constitution in one years time or face military action
• Governor of Virginia, Edmund Jennings Randolph, called upon representatives of League of Rouge States, as they liked to be called, to attend a conference in Richmond to address the current situations. The LRS announced The Richmond Declaration which stated:
- They would not ratify the Constitution unless major changes were made to it.
- Any military action against any one league state by the United States would be considered an attack on all of the LRS and would be responded as such with force.
- Any military action against any one league state by the United States would be responded by all LRS members declaring themselves independent from the United States
Any thoughts? Suggestions? Errors? More will be coming soon!