Why were early Americans, who were so eager for a unified legal system, reluctant to establish the ultimate legal authority in the federal government?

The early Americans feared concentrating too much authority in the federal government, especially in a single branch. They wanted a unified legal system but were wary of giving one part of the national government final control over the law. So the best answer is “They did not want so much power in one branch.”

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.