Individual Rights Dbq

204 Words1 Pages
In 1787 delegates from thirteen states drafted the Constitution which set up a form of self-government with a system of checks and balances. However, the document did not include individual rights which proved to be a hindrance to its ratification. The Constitution stated what government could do, but it did not provide provisions for what government could not do. There was a division among the people as to whether or not individual rights should be included in the Constitution. The Anti-Federalist did not want a strong centralized government. Others wanted the guarantee of a written document that protected the freedoms they had fought so hard to earn. The Bill of Rights was designed to protect the right citizens believed belonged to them.