Defend the Guard: A Constitutional Check on Unrestricted War Powers
Presidential administrations come and go but the war machine churns relentlessly on. “Defend the Guard” legislation can throw a monkey wrench in its cogs. Defend the Guard is a state-level bill that would stop the deployment of a state’s National Guard units unless...
Luther Martin vs. Landholder: Anti-Federalist Warnings on Consolidation and Tyranny
In a heated war of words, Luther Martin responded to a series of essays penned by Oliver Ellsworth under the pseudonym Landholder, defending his colleague Elbridge Gerry against Federalist attacks and reinforcing key Anti-Federalist warnings about consolidation and...
The Anti-Federalist Views of Elbridge Gerry
Elbridge Gerry opposed the ratification of the Constitution, believing it consolidated power, lacked safeguards for individual liberties, and undermined the reserved powers of the states. He maintained his objections throughout the ratification process, despite fierce...