Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions
Today in History: Sedition Act of 1798 Goes Into Effect
On this date in 1798, the Sedition Act went into effect. The law sparked fierce resistance and led to formal resolutions supporting nullification and interposition, penned by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, respectively. The Sedition Act was the last of four laws...
New Evidence: The Kentucky Resolutions of 1798 Were All About Nullification
Nullification skeptics will often argue that the Kentucky Resolutions of 1798 weren’t actually proposing nullification. They base their argument on the fact that John Breckinridge removed specific references to nullification from Jefferson’s draft before...
Today in History: Kentucky Resolutions of 1798 Passed
Today in history, on Nov. 10. 1798, the Kentucky legislature took a bold stand against federal overreach with the passage of resolutions penned by Thomas Jefferson. It’s one thing to claim the Constitution limits the federal government to its specific list of...
Marshall and Madison on Immigration Power
I’ve now had time to read and think about John Marshall’s comments on Congress’ power over immigration (or, strictly speaking, the comments in the 1799 report of the minority of the Virginia Legislature, attributed to Marshall), recommended by Kurt...