Final answer:
The Bill of Rights was a pivotal issue between Federalists, who saw it as unnecessary, and Anti-Federalists, who demanded explicit protection for individual freedoms. Its adoption was crucial in addressing the concerns about government overreach.
Step-by-step explanation:
The debate over whether a Bill of Rights was necessary was central to the ideological disagreement between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. Federalists argued that a Bill of Rights was unnecessary and potentially dangerous by suggesting any unlisted rights were not protected. On the other side, Anti-Federalists were concerned about the potential for government overreach and insisted on the explicit protection of individual liberties. The adoption of the Bill of Rights eventually tempered opposition and provided the necessary reassurances to those wary of a strong centralized government.