The Virginia Plan was a proposal presented at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. It aimed to create a strong national government with three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The plan suggested that representation in the legislative branch should be based on a state's population, favoring larger states. This plan was drafted by James Madison and served as a foundation for discussions on the structure of the new government. It ultimately led to the creation of a bicameral legislature, which combined elements from both the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan to balance the interests of both large and small states.