Pinckney plan

The "Pinckney plan" refers to proposals for the framework of the United States government, primarily associated with Charles Pinckney, presented at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. While the original draft is lost, it influenced the Constitution, advocating for a strong central government with executive, legislative, and judicial branches. This plan, sometimes called the Large-State Plan, proposed a bicameral legislature based on proportional representation. It was a significant, though not the sole, foundation for the U.S. Constitution, with elements incorporated after debates and compromises, such as the Great Compromise.12

It is important to distinguish this from "Pinckney's Treaty" (1795), negotiated by Thomas Pinckney, which established the U.S. southern boundary and granted navigation rights on the Mississippi River.3