▁the ▁pres ervation ▁of ▁the ▁Union ." ▁The ▁proposal ▁might ▁take ▁effect ▁when ▁approved ▁by ▁Congress ▁and ▁the ▁states . ▁ ▁History ▁▁ 1 7 8 7 ▁draft ing ▁▁ ▁On ▁the ▁appointed ▁day , ▁May ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 1 7 8 7 , ▁only ▁the ▁Virginia ▁and ▁Pennsylvania ▁deleg ations ▁were ▁present , ▁and ▁so ▁the ▁convention ' s ▁opening ▁meeting ▁was ▁post pon ed ▁for ▁lack ▁of ▁a ▁qu orum . ▁A ▁qu orum ▁of ▁seven ▁states ▁met ▁and ▁deliber ations ▁began ▁on ▁May ▁ 2 5 . ▁Event ually ▁twelve ▁states ▁were ▁represented ; ▁ 7 4 ▁deleg ates ▁were ▁named , ▁ 5 5 ▁attended ▁and ▁ 3 9 ▁signed . ▁The ▁deleg ates ▁were ▁generally ▁convinced ▁that ▁an ▁effective ▁central ▁government ▁with ▁a ▁wide ▁range ▁of ▁en force able ▁powers ▁must ▁replace ▁the ▁we aker ▁Congress ▁established ▁by ▁the ▁Articles ▁of ▁Confeder ation . ▁ ▁Two ▁plans ▁for ▁struct uring ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁arose ▁at ▁the ▁convention ' s ▁out set : ▁ ▁The ▁Virginia ▁Plan ▁( also ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Lar ge ▁State ▁Plan ▁or ▁the ▁Rand olph ▁Plan ) ▁proposed ▁that ▁the ▁legisl ative ▁department ▁of ▁the ▁national ▁government ▁be ▁composed ▁of ▁a ▁B ic amer al ▁Congress , ▁with ▁both ▁ch amb ers ▁elected ▁with ▁app ort ion ment ▁according ▁to ▁population . ▁Gener ally ▁favor ing ▁the ▁most ▁highly ▁populated ▁states , ▁it ▁used ▁the ▁philosophy ▁of ▁John ▁Lock e ▁to ▁rely ▁on ▁consent ▁of ▁the ▁govern ed , ▁Mont es qu