Following the writing of the Constitution, the document had to be ratified to become law. Many people thought the document as written would open the door to the same government overreach that had originally brought so many people into the revolutionary cause. As a result, the amendments were drafted that enshrined specific rights granted to citizens to prevent just such a turn of events. These amendments came to be known as the Bill of Rights as they listed the rights of citizens and residents of the newly formed nation. The addition of these first ten amendments opened the door for the ratification of the Constitution and the establishment of the United States' system of government.