The constitution gave the following civil liberties. Congress or the states were not allowed to suspend the writ of habeas corpus. Habeas corpus says that authorities must
say why a person in custody must not be released. The constitution also said Congress or the states could not make an ex post facto law. An ex post facto law makes something a crime after it has occurred. The constitution also said a person had a right to a jury trial. There would be no bill of attainder, which made a person guilty without a trial. The constitution also said no religious test would be required for a person to hold public
office. The federalists thought state constitutions gave people enough rights, but the federalists were willing to add a bill of rights to get the constitution ratified.
Basic Principles of the Constitution Welcome to the section on the basic principles of the constitution.
The constitution said the United States was a republic. In a republic, power is in the hands of people and elected representatives exercise the power of the people. The federal government said each state had a republican form of government too. However, a lot of people could not vote because of the strict qualifications for becoming a voter. The government is divided into three branches. The Congress is the legislative branch that makes the laws. The president, vice president, cabinet and staff are the executive
branch which enforces the laws. The Supreme Court is the 14
