Final answer:
Post-1776 state constitutions had written documents establishing legislatures, executives, and judiciaries, incorporating bills of rights, and emphasizing republican governance based on the consent of the governed, deviating from the British royal authority tradition.
Step-by-step explanation:
After 1776, the state constitutions created by the newly independent American states had several distinguishing features from the British constitutional tradition. Unlike the flexible, unwritten nature of British constitutional practices, the American state constitutions were written documents. Each constitution structured government to include a legislature, a chief executive, and a judiciary—reflecting the separation of powers philosophy influenced by Montesquieu. Emphasizing the Enlightenment ideals of representative government and the protection of individual liberties, these constitutions also incorporated bills of rights at the beginning to articulate the inherent rights of the people and limit state power.
The emphasis was on creating republican governments rooted in the consent of the governed, a direct contrast to the British system of royal authority and hereditary privilege. Most state constitutions called for mixed governments with extensive powers given to legislative bodies, whether unicameral or bicameral, and a governor who acted more as an administrator than a legislator. Revolutionary ideals also led to measures against corruption through equal representation, a regular rotation of officeholders, and, in some cases, property qualifications for office. Debates over legislative structure and voter qualifications underscored the evolving political thought and influenced the eventual creation of a national constitution.