What was added during the ratification process of the Constitution in 1788?

The Bill of Rights was indeed added during the ratification process of the Constitution in 1788 as a crucial compromise to address concerns about the potential for governmental overreach and to protect individual liberties. Many states were apprehensive about ratifying the Constitution without clear protections for civil rights. To secure the necessary support for ratification, James Madison and other Federalists promised that a Bill of Rights would be added to the Constitution shortly after its completion. This addition, encompassing the first ten amendments, was ratified in 1791, ensuring essential freedoms such as speech, religion, and assembly, thereby reassuring opponents of the Constitution about their rights.

The preamble, which outlines the purpose and guiding principles of the Constitution, was part of the original document and not added during ratification. The system of checks and balances emerged from the original framework of the Constitution designed to prevent any one branch of government from becoming too powerful; it wasn't added later but rather was integral to the structure of the government from its inception. Similarly, while slavery was a significant issue during the period, no amendment explicitly prohibiting slavery was included at the time of ratification; indeed, the Constitution contained provisions that indirectly acknowledged and protected the institution of slavery until it was addressed much later by the