History
Federalist Papers or Anti-Federalist Papers: Which Is the Most Reliable Source for Interpreting the Constitution?
When composing the list of books that incoming freshmen should have read before beginning their studies at the University of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison included The Federalist Papers. Their list was compiled in 1825, evidence that The Federalist...
Top Warnings from the Antifederalist Brutus
In his series of essays during the ratification debates, the Anti-federalist writer Brutus repeatedly warned about the dangers of centralized power, predicting the proposed federal government would end up exercising “infinite” and “incomprehensible” power. Like...
This Week at the Constitutional Convention of 1787: First Draft of Constitution Presented to Delegates
This was a big week in 1787. The delegates at the Constitutional Convention gathered in Philadelphia finally received printed copies of the first draft of what would become the new Constitution of the United States. John Rutledge of South Carolina, chairman of the...
Today in History: Fairfax Resolves Condemning British Constitutional Violations Adopted
On July 18, 1774, a committee led by George Washington in Fairfax County, Virginia, voted to adopt the Fairfax Resolves condemning British actions against the colonies, and calling for an embargo on British imports and exports. It represented growing colonial...