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, addressed actions of Congress (the federal legislative body). At the time of its writing, the Bill of Rights (including the First Amendment) initially applied to the federal government, so this clause was about federal law. Later, through incorporation (e.g., via the Fourteenth Amendment), these rights were applied to state and local governments, but originally it was federal law only.

Answer:

B. federal law only.