The Bill of Rights was needed to ratify the Constitution because there was significant debate between Federalists and Anti-Federalists during the ratification process. The Anti-Federalists were concerned that the Constitution did not adequately protect individual liberties and wanted stronger protections for things like freedom of speech and religion. New York narrowly ratified the Constitution, but the Anti-Federalists succeeded in having the first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, added to address civil liberties.