Patrick Henry and other Anti-Federalists were concerned about too much power winding up in the hands of the federal government and its executive branch, thus allowing a small number of national elites to control the affairs of the USA. They feared this also would diminish the rights and freedoms of individual citizens. They wanted a Bill of Rights in the Constitution to assure that rights and freedoms would not be compromised in any way.
The Bill of Rights, laid out in the first ten amendments to the Constitution, provided reassurance to Anti-Federalists after the fight over ratification. The US Constitution was ratified in 1788. The Bill of Rights was created in 1789 and ratified in 1791.
The Bill of Rights protects rights and freedoms such as:
... and more!
