“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”
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...
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...