Final answer:
The statement that the original Constitution did not specify protected rights until the Bill of Rights was adopted is true. The Bill of Rights was added in 1791 and included the first ten amendments, which safeguarded personal freedoms.
Step-by-step explanation:
The original Constitution did not specify any protected rights until the Bill of Rights was adopted. This statement is true. The Federalists followed through on their promise to add such a bill in 1789 when Virginia Representative James Madison introduced what would become the Bill of Rights. These first ten amendments to the Constitution were adopted in 1791 and outlined many of the personal rights that state constitutions already guaranteed. Before its adoption, some Federalists believed that the Constitution as written adequately protected rights through its structure and provisions like habeas corpus. However, Anti-Federalists were concerned about protecting individual liberties from potential government excesses and demanded the inclusion of a Bill of Rights as a condition for ratification. The process of selectively incorporating these amendments into state law has expanded the influence of the Bill of Rights over time, ensuring that states must also uphold these essential liberties.