about liberty and the right to set up their own government. They knew 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 power to settle quarrels among the States. They knew that people in Massachusetts were making war against their own State government. They feared that this kind of 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 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 kind of 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. But 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 delegates from the large States said that their states should have more

representatives in the two Houses. The delegates from 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 goods made in foreign countries.

At times it seemed that the Convention would break up and not finish its work. But the Convention had to plan a stronger Central Government. The Convention wanted to prove to other nations that the new 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,* 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, in effect: "I have 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.'

* 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.

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