1 8 , ▁and ▁Connecticut ▁on ▁April ▁ 1 9 . ▁Connecticut ▁and ▁Georgia ▁would ▁also ▁later ▁rat ify ▁Article ▁Two , ▁on ▁May ▁ 1 3 , ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁and ▁February ▁ 2 , ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁respectively . ▁ ▁Application ▁and ▁text ▁The ▁Bill ▁of ▁Rights ▁had ▁little ▁jud icial ▁impact ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁ 1 5 0 ▁years ▁of ▁its ▁existence ; ▁in ▁the ▁words ▁of ▁Gordon ▁S . ▁Wood , ▁" After ▁rat ification , ▁most ▁Americans ▁prompt ly ▁forgot ▁about ▁the ▁first ▁ten ▁am end ments ▁to ▁the ▁Constitution ." ▁The ▁Court ▁made ▁no ▁important ▁dec isions ▁protect ing ▁free ▁speech ▁rights , ▁for ▁example , ▁until ▁ 1 9 3 1 . ▁Histor ian ▁Richard ▁Lab un ski ▁attributes ▁the ▁Bill ' s ▁long ▁legal ▁d orm ancy ▁to ▁three ▁factors : ▁first , ▁it ▁took ▁time ▁for ▁a ▁" c ulture ▁of ▁toler ance " ▁to ▁develop ▁that ▁would ▁support ▁the ▁Bill ' s ▁prov isions ▁with ▁jud icial ▁and ▁popular ▁will ; ▁second , ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁spent ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁focused ▁on ▁issues ▁rel ating ▁to ▁inter g overn ment al ▁bal ances ▁of ▁power ; ▁and ▁third , ▁the ▁Bill ▁initially ▁only ▁applied ▁to ▁the ▁federal ▁government , ▁a ▁restriction ▁aff ir med ▁by ▁Bar ron ▁v . ▁Baltimore ▁( 1 8 3 3 ). ▁In ▁the ▁tw enti eth ▁century , ▁however , ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁Bill ' s ▁prov isions ▁were