Final answer:
Ratification of the US Constitution required the approval from ratification conventions in nine states. Each state needed to hold a convention and vote to formally approve the document, ensuring its adoption was both likely and expedient. The subsequent Bill of Rights addressed Anti-Federalist concerns about individual liberties.
Step-by-step explanation:
To ratify something, such as the US Constitution, means to formally approve it, which is often accomplished through a voting process. Ratification defines the confirmation and acceptance of the Constitution's provisions by state conventions, and it is how the document becomes a part of the laws governing a country.
In the case of the US Constitution, according to Article VII, ratification required the approval from the conventions of nine states to begin the establishment of the government. Therefore, a 'principal' (in this context, each state) must hold a ratification convention and vote to approve the Constitution. The Framers lowered the requirement from all thirteen to nine states to ensure a more likely and expedient adoption.
Furthermore, the successful ratification of the Constitution led to the well-known 'Bill of Rights', which addressed the concerns of the Anti-Federalists and ensured that the new form of government respected individual liberties and constrained its powers.