Constitution
Tench Coxe: Forgotten Federalist who Helped Influence Ratification of the Constitution
Tench Coxe may be the most influential founding father that people have never heard of. For most people, discussions about the meaning of the Constitution begin and end with the Federalist Papers. These essays enjoy immense popularity today mostly due to the fame of...
States vs. Feds: The 10th Amendment Battle Over Conscription in the War of 1812
“The last of all oppressions” That’s how Thomas Jefferson described the military draft. Because of widespread opposition to it, the federal government didn’t actively draft men into the military until the Civil War. But, during the War of 1812, it tried – and...
Kentucky Resolutions of 1798: Jefferson on the Constitution’s Structure and How to Defend It
“A nullification of the act is the rightful remedy.” That’s how Thomas Jefferson put it in his draft Resolutions against the Alien and Sedition Acts. On November 10, 1798, the Kentucky house passed resolutions based on his principles. They not only...
George Mason’s Anti-Federalist Arguments Against the Constitution
“A monarchy, or a corrupt tyrannical aristocracy.” That’s what George Mason predicted the Constitution would produce. And his objections to ratification were some of the most influential anti-federalist writings during the debates. Mason didn’t initially oppose the...