Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions
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...
A Christmas Gift from James Madison: The Virginia Resolutions of 1798
Resolutions drafted by James Madison and passed by Virginia on Dec. 21 and 24, 1798, answer a timeless question: What do we do when the federal government oversteps its constitutional bounds? All too often, we simply ignore unconstitutional federal overreach. But...