Given the understanding that the founding generation cherished freedom and liberty, how could they initially omit a Bill of Rights from the Constitution?

The Anti-Federalists wouldn't support the ratification of the Constitution without a bill of rights added to it because they felt that the Constitution wouldn't list or protect the peoples rights so they wanted their rights clearly listed in the Constitution.

The Federalists didn't think the constitution needed a bill of rights because the people and states kept any power not given to the government as a way to safeguard and ensure that the new nations government would ever become too powerful.