AntiFederalists
Three Pillars of Power: Luther Martin’s Anti-Federalist Warnings
Luther Martin warned that the Constitution would create a centralized national government with few real restraints – one that would steadily erode state sovereignty, override local control, and impose its will under the guise of law. In his essay Genuine...
Luther Martin’s Warning: Executive Power, Unequal Representation, and the Illusion of Impeachment
Luther Martin feared that the Constitution was not a blueprint for liberty, but rather a framework for centralized control that threatened state sovereignty. He hammered this point home in Genuine Information, criticizing unequal representation in Congress, condemning...
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...