What were some of the challenges facing the constitutional convention?

The United States Constitution was ratified in 1789, but not without considerable debate. During the Constitutional Convention, delegates debated major issues such as the makeup of the legislature and the effect of slavery on representation.

One of the major compromises in the Constitutional Convention was between the small states and big states. The small states wanted each state to have the same number of representatives in Congress. The big states wanted representation based on population.

The Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia met between May and September of 1787 to address the problems of the weak central government that existed under the Articles of Confederation.

When the delegates to the Philadelphia Convention convened in May of 1787 to recommend amendments to the Articles of Confederation, one of the first issues they addressed was the plan for representation in Congress.