Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions
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...
This Week in History: Virginia Passes James Madison’s Resolutions of 1798
This article is featured in is today’s Tenther newsletter, which everyone in the nullification movement gets daily or weekly. Be one of them – and Become a member here to support the TAC. On Christmas Eve, 1798, the Virginia Senate gave final approval to a proposal...
Today in History: Kentucky Resolutions Signed on Nov. 16, 1798
Would the proposed Constitution create the limited federal government promised? That was the central question facing the ratifying conventions as America considered adopting the new Constitution. Those in favor of ratification swore it would. But many remained...
Nullification: Defending Liberty from Federal Tyranny
In 1798, when President John Adams and the Federalist Congress passed the Alien and Sedition Acts, many believed them to be a violation of the federal government’s clearly defined powers outlined in the U.S. Constitution. Shortly after its passage, several private...