Leading up to the signing of the Constitution by those attending the Constitution Convention were a series of controversies and compromises. Among the controversies were--the presidency and the manner in which the president was to be elected; --the relationship of the states to the national government--the relationship of the national government to the people; and--the relationship of state to state.

Among the compromises was that which gave small states equal representation with large states in the Senate and apportioned members of the House of Representatives according to population. Other compromises concerned the issue of slavery. Each slave was to be considered three-fifths of a person in determining representation and in apportioning direct taxes, and migration and importation of slaves ceased in 1808. Following signing, the Constitution was submitted to the individual states for ratification.