Editing Constitutional Convention (section)

== Franklin's Closing Remarks ==

The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by thirty-nine of the forty-two delegates present. Benjamin Franklin, too weak to deliver speeches himself, had a colleague read his remarks urging unanimous support despite reservations any delegate might harbor. Franklin observed that during the long debates he had often looked at the carving of a sun on the back of Washington's chair, wondering whether it was rising or setting: "But now at length I have the happiness to know that it is a rising and not a setting Sun." This image of the rising sun became one of the most famous anecdotes of American history, symbolizing the hope invested in the new government.<ref name="isaacson">{{cite book |last=Isaacson |first=Walter |title=Benjamin Franklin: An American Life |year=2003 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |location=New York}}</ref>

Three delegates present—Edmund Randolph, George Mason of Virginia, and Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts—refused to sign, objecting to various provisions including the absence of a bill of rights. Their objections foreshadowed the ratification debates to come. The Constitution required approval by conventions in nine of the thirteen states to take effect, a process that would prove contentious and consequential. The Federalist Papers, written by Hamilton, Madison, and John Jay, defended the Constitution against its critics, while Anti-Federalists raised concerns about centralized power and individual rights. The promise to add a bill of rights helped secure ratification in key states, and the first ten amendments were adopted in 1791.<ref name="beeman"/>