that New York had taxed the market boats of New Jersey and Connecticut. They knew that Connecticut and New Jersey had refused to send wood, eggs, butter, and vegetables to New York City. They also knew that New York City needed these things if the people were to live well. The members knew that if one State refused to trade with other States, other quarrels would occur. They had to organize a Central Government with authority to settle the quarrels among the States. They knew that people in Massachusetts were making war against their own State government. They feared that the war might spread to the other States. About that time Spain had closed the Mississippi River. She had taken the boats and goods of American traders. North and South Carolina and Virginia could not force Spain to open the river. They needed the help of all the States. No single State was safe if a foreign country should attack it. No State alone could protect the trade of its citizens on the high seas. No single State could defend her people with success against the Indian attacks. The delegates agreed that the old plan of government had not worked well. George Washington asked the other delegates what the Convention should do. All agreed that they should plan the best possible government. They agreed to write a new constitution to take the place of the Articles of Confederation. THE COMPROMISES It was not easy to write a new constitution. The delegates would approve a plan. Then they could not agree on how the plan should be worded or carried out. For example, the delegates decided that the Congress should be made up of two Houses. The large States said that equal numbers of people should have equal numbers of representatives in the two Houses. The small States said that since all the States were equal they should have the same number of representatives. A middle way or compromise was accepted. It was agreed that each State should have two representatives in one House. But the number of representatives in the other House should depend upon population. The two Houses had to agree in order to pass a law. Only a few questions were raised on which the delegates did not divide into groups. The North was against the South. The slave States did not trust the free States. The States with factories did not want the farming States to buy foreign-made goods. At times it seemed as though the Convention would break up and not finish the work. But the Convention had to plan a stronger Central Government. The Convention wanted to prove to other nations that the Union would last. The delegates worked hard to make compromises. The compromises made possible the Constitution. THE CONSTITUTION IS SIGNED The delegates worked hard during the whole summer. → On September 17, 1787,3 the Constitution was ready for the delegates to sign. The final form had been written by Gouverneur Morris. Every delegate listened with care as it was read. As 39 of the 55 delegates signed the Constitution, Benjamin Franklin rose. He looked at a figure of a half sun which was painted on Washington's chair. Then he said: "I have often and often in the course of the session looked at that sun without being able to tell whether it was rising or setting; but now at length, I am happy to know that it is a rising and not a setting sun." WHERE THE DELEGATES GOT THEIR IDEAS Many of the ideas in the Constitution were not new. The delegates had examples from the past to study and to follow. They had studied the plans of government in England, in the colonies, and in the States. Englishmen had 3 On February 29, 1952, the President signed a Joint Resolution passed by both Houses of the Congress, designating September 17 of each year as "Citizenship Day" in commemoration of the formation and signing, on September 17, 1787. of the Constitution of the United States, and in recognition of all who, by coming of age or by naturalization, have attained the full status of citizenship. 7 J J j brought to America the English idea of the right to set up their own government. The State constitutions declared in favor of that right. They declared that the citizens should have the right to control those who make the laws. The Fathers of the new Constitution liked the thought and copied it. The State constitutions contained many ideas on how a government should be organized. For example, all of the State constitutions divided the authority to govern among three branches-the legislative, executive, and judicial. All of the authority to govern was not placed in the hands → of one branch. The legislative branch made the laws. The executive branch carried out the laws. The judicial branch decided quarrels which came up in the law cases. The Fathers of the Constitution copied this plan. They planned for a Congress to make the laws, for a President to enforce them, and for courts to settle quarrels as to the meaning of the laws. The delegates got some help from the Declaration of Independence. It had listed some of the purposes of government in a democracy. These purposes were copied into the opening sentences of the new Constitution. They also learned much from the Articles of Confederation. They had studied the Articles with care. They knew that the plan had not worked well. Experience under the Articles caused the delegates to give the Central Government the authority to tax and to regulate trade among the States. Experience also caused them to give the Central Government authority to enforce the Constitution, the laws of the Congress, and the treaties. THINGS TO DO Choose the word or group of words that will make each of the following a correct statement: 1. The Articles of Confederation were (a) a plan for strong Central Government. (b) a plan for State governments. (c) an early plan of government for the 13 free States. Co b Ρ 2. One of the hard questions that the delegates to the Constitutional Convention had to answer was (a) how to take authority away from the Central Government. (b) how the large and the small States should be represented in the Congress. (c) how to spend the money of the States. 3. The Constitution of the United States was signed by (a) all members of the Constitutional Convention. (b) the delegates from the large States only. (c) 39 members of the Convention. 4. Experience under the Articles of Confederation proved that the thirteen States needed to (a) a Central Government with more authority over (b) a Central Government with less authority. 5. The purpose of the Constitutional Convention was (a) talk over the war they had won against England. (b) agree to a treaty of peace with England. (c) change the plan of government for the Union. 6. The Constitutional Convention met in the city of(a) Boston. (b) Philadelphia. Questions to ask and answer in your study group: 1. Why was it hard for the Fathers of the Constitution to decide on a plan of government that the thirteen States would accept? 2. Name one of the compromises agreed upon by the Constitutional Convention that were written into the Constitution of the United States. Can you find examples in |