James Wilson
The Founders and the Constitution: James Wilson
James Madison was the individual with the most influence on the framing (writing) of the Constitution. Some authors rate James Wilson second. I don’t agree with the latter assessment. Wilson’s impact at the Constitutional Convention, while significant, is overrated....
Today in History: Pennsylvania Ratifies the Constitution
Today in 1787, Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify the United States Constitution. The event was the culmination of a bitter fight in Philadelphia between delegates both for and against ratification in the state. James Wilson, who had represented the state...
Today in History: James Wilson Delivers “State House Yard Speech” in Favor of the Constitution
On October 6, 1787, eminent Pennsylvanian James Wilson delivered his famous “State House Yard Speech” in support of the Constitution in Philadelphia. On the dawn of the first true test for the Constitution’s palatability, Wilson intended to explain how the...
Of the Natural Rights of Individuals
Do people exist for the sake of government? Or is it the other way around? That’s the question James Wilson attempts to answer in his 1790 work, “Of the Natural Rights of Individuals.” A signer of the Declaration of Independence and member of the...