Some delegates from states where slavery was illegal or not widely used wanted slavery to be unlawful throughout the nation. Delegates from states where slave labor was important refused. Some delegates wanted the newly settled lands to the West to be states. Others disagreed. The delegates debated four months before reaching a compromise. The constitution provided the framework for the new government. The national government could create money, impose taxes, deal with foreign countries, keep an army, create a postal system, and wage war. To keep the government from becoming too strong, the U.S. Constitution divided it into three equal parts - a legislature (congress), an executive (president), and a judicial system (supreme court). Each part worked to make sure the other parts did not take power that belonged to the others. On September 17, 1787, most of the delegates signed the new constitution. They agreed the constitution would become the law of the United States when nine of the 13 states ratified, or accepted it.