It was the famous plan, drafted by James Madison (1751–1836), put forth by the Virginia delegates to the Constitutional Convention, which convened on May 25, 1787. After taking a few days to set the ground rules and elect officers, on May 29 the delegation from Virginia, led by Edmund Jennings Randolph (1753–1813), proposed a plan to write an all-new constitution rather than attempting to revise and correct the weak Articles of Confederation. There was opposition (sometimes called the New Jersey Plan) and the issue was debated for weeks. Eventually, a majority vote approved the Virginia Plan and the delegates began work drafting a document that would provide a strong national government for the United States.