The Real, Forgotten Enforcement Mechanism of the Constitution
“A refusal to cooperate with officers of the Union.” That was James Madison’s answer to federal overreach – a strategy rooted in the very principles that founded the American republic. But you won’t hear about Madison’s enforcement strategy in...
South Carolina Declares “Tariff of Abominations” Null and Void
On Nov. 24, 1832, a South Carolina state convention passed an Ordinance of Nullification, declaring the tariffs of 1828 of 1832 “null and void” within the state borders. While conventional history teaches that the nullifiers were quickly stopped by federal...
Kentucky Resolutions of 1798: Jefferson on the Constitution’s Structure and How to Defend It
“A nullification of the act is the rightful remedy.” That’s how Thomas Jefferson put it in his draft Resolutions against the Alien and Sedition Acts. On November 10, 1798, the Kentucky house passed resolutions based on his principles. They not only...