The Bill of Rights was written for the American people for two reasons. The first was to pacify the Anti-Federalist’s fears of an overwhelmingly powerful central government provided by the Constitution and the second was, in fact, to protect the freedoms secured by the Americans after their war for independence. Once the Constitution had been proposed for ratification two societal factions immediately rose up the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. The Federalists were for the ratification of the new central government proposed by the Constitution while the Anitfederalists were against it. One of the key reasons for this opposition was the absence of a Bill of Rights in the Constitution. Without a Bill of Rights they feared that the government would have the power to oppress and to control everything and nothing could protect home.
A bill of rights was the only thing that would give them that protection. The people of this new republic had already experienced the unrelenting taxation and loss of freedom brought about by King George III. In all of these cases they were coerced to act against their will and would be punished severely if they did not. Embodied in this Constitution were those very powers the power to coerce one to act and the power of taxation and control of commerce.
