Question

read the excerpt from the first amendment of the united states constitution.
congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.
at the time it was written, this clause originally applied to
○ state law only.
○ federal law only.
○ state and federal law.
○ local, state, and federal law.

Explanation:

The First Amendment's Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses, as originally written, applied to federal law because "Congress" (the federal legislative body) was the subject of the clause. Initially, the Bill of Rights (including the First Amendment) was interpreted as restricting only federal government action, not state or local governments (this was later changed via incorporation doctrine, but originally, it was federal law only).

Answer:

B. federal law only.