What is the difference between the Constitution and the Bill of Rights?

The United States Constitution is the document that emerged from the Philadelphia Convention in the summer of 1787. It established the basic structure and the functions of each of the three branches of government, set up the system of federalism that governed relations between the states and the federal government, and allotted certain powers to the federal government. It established the central government as supreme over the states and established a foundation for relations between each of these states. In short, it established the federal government. What it did not do is provide specific protections for individual rights. The Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the Constitution, does that. These amendments were added to the Constitution as a result of demands made by Anti-Federalists during the process of ratifying the document. They became official in 1791 and include amendments that protect speech, religious practices, the right to assembly, due process rights, and many other specific liberties. They also refine the relationship between the states and the federal government by reserving all rights not specifically delegated to the national government to the states.