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commerce - but they might impose such heavy burdens that everyone's property
rights and economic liberties would become less secure. Indeed, many state

legislature enap.tfd Igwg \y\\\ devalued iSlG^CVrre.ncy-^trTn^"i rit.Ttn hnrri^, mrmy Stuff

legislatures enacted laws that forgave debts and prevented free trade. This was

exactly the sort of state legislation that the Federalists sought to prevent with the

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central government's strong system of checks and balances.     ?-* i)

THE BELL OE RIGHTS
Despite reservations and objections, the new Constitution was ratified by the
necessary nine states in 1788, and by all 13 states two years later. Yet many
anti-Federalists still feared the national government's power. They demanded that
the Constitution be amended to limit its power to interfere with individual rights or
state laws. A set of proposed amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, was drafted
to protect such rights as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the right to a trial
by jury and freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. After another round
of impassioned debate, the Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791.

As originally enacted, the Bill of Rights limited only the j3ower_ofthe federal
government. The states remained free to regulate the press, establish official

churches, deny jury trials and so on - although some states might be limited to Bills   Sf l

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