Which plan was designed to address the concerns of smaller states regarding representation?

The New Jersey Plan was specifically designed to address the concerns of smaller states regarding representation in the newly proposed government structure. Introduced at the Constitutional Convention in 1787, this plan advocated for a unicameral legislature in which each state would have an equal vote, thus ensuring that smaller states would not be overshadowed by larger states with greater populations. This was in direct contrast to the Virginia Plan, which proposed representation based on population and would have favored larger states. The New Jersey Plan aimed to maintain a level of equality among states to ensure that smaller states had a voice in the legislative process.

The Connecticut Plan, also known as the Great Compromise, did ultimately create a bicameral legislature combining elements of both the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan, but the New Jersey Plan was the initial proposal that directly sought to protect the interests of smaller states. The Massachusetts Plan does not pertain to this issue of representation directly in the context of the Constitutional Convention.