Some people say that when the Founders wrote "we the people," they did mean all the people. These were idealistic men. But they were also practical. They knew that some citizens of the new United States weren't prepared to do things that had never been done before. They weren't prepared to accept women as citizens. They weren't prepared to give up property when that property was a slave. And they weren't prepared to be fair to the Indians in the rivalry over land. But they were ready to make a start, and the Founders believed that those three small words, "we the people," would keep pushing the nation to one day include all peoples. James Wilson of Pennsylvania was proud of his involvement. He said, "It gives me great pleasure that so much was done.... I consider this as laying the foundation for banishing slavery out of this country."

Finally, on September 17, 1787, it was done; the Constitution was finished and ready to be signed . As eighty-one year-old Benjamin Franklin put his signature on the parchment, tears streamed down his cheeks. Not long before he had said, "It ... astonishes me ... to find this system approaching so near to perfection; I think it will astonish our enemies."

When Franklin came out of the Pennsylvania State House that September day, his friend Elizabeth Powel, the wife of the mayor of Philadelphia, was waiting for him. She asked what kind of government the new nation would have. Franklin answered, "A republic, madam. If you can keep it ."

The Constitution the framers made isn't a rigid, unbending document. They came up with a way to keep it growing and adapting to new times and new ideas—the amendment process. And right away there were demands for changes. The Constitution didn't spell out some rights clearly enough. So ten amendments would soon be added. Madison would write them . They would make up what would be called a bill of rights, which guaranteed freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press. And they would become the essence of Americanism .