History
The Anti-Federalist Views of Elbridge Gerry
Elbridge Gerry opposed the ratification of the Constitution, believing it consolidated power, lacked safeguards for individual liberties, and undermined the reserved powers of the states. He maintained his objections throughout the ratification process, despite fierce...
Resistance, Revolution, and Liberty: The Untold Legacy of John Hancock
“I glory in publicly avowing my eternal enmity to tyranny.” On January 23, 1737, one of Americaโs most important yet often overlooked revolutionaries was born: John Hancock. Though he is widely recognized today for his iconic signature on the Declaration...
Luther Martin’s Warning: The Constitution as a Threat to State Sovereignty
Luther Martin, a prominent Anti-Federalist, warned that the proposed Constitution would destroy state sovereignty by concentrating power in a centralized national government. One of the few opponents of the constitution to attend as a delegate to the Philadelphia...
Federalism and the 10th Amendment: Tench Coxe Explains Delegated and Reserved Powers
“Independent of the control or interference of the federal government.” Thatโs how Tench Coxe described the vast majority of power under the Constitution – reserved to the states and completely off-limits to federal authority. Perhaps better than any...