The First Salvo in the Ratification Debates: James Wilson’s State House Speech
While most people today think of the Federalist Papers as the leading defense of the Constitution’s original meaning, it was actually a speech by James Wilson that had a far greater impact on ratification. On September 17, 1787, the Philadelphia Convention,...
Judicial Supremacy: Alexander Hamilton’s Weak Arguments
This is the fifth and final article in a series on “The Struggle for Ratification: Advocates and Opponents Debate Judicial Review.” You can read Part 1 HERE, Part 2 HERE, Part 3 HERE, and Part 4 HERE. In Federalist #78 and Federalist #81, Alexander Hamilton sought to...
Did the Constitution Establish Judicial Supremacy?
This is the fourth article in a series on “The Struggle for Ratification: Advocates and Opponents Debate Judicial Review.” You can read Part 1 HERE, Part 2 HERE, and Part 3 HERE. In Federalist #78 and Federalist #81, Alexander Hamilton sought to provide a...