Final answer:
One specific historical argument used to oppose ratifying the Constitution in the 1780s was the fear of centralized power and lack of protection for individual rights. The opposition was partly overcome by the promise of adding a bill of rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
One specific historical argument used to oppose ratifying the Constitution in the 1780s was the fear that the new federal government would consolidate all power and undermine the rights and liberties of the states and ordinary citizens. The opponents of the Constitution, known as Anti-Federalists, argued that it resembled the centralized British regime that had oppressed the colonies. They also criticized the Constitution for not including a bill of rights to protect individual rights. The opposition was partly overcome by the promise to add a bill of rights to the Constitution.