Patrick Henry: Jury Trials Are the “Last and Best Privilege”
During the Virginia ratifying convention on June 20, 1789, Patrick Henry warned that the power bestowed to the Supreme Court would undermine the right to trial by jury. Henry was a strong opponent of ratification throughout the convention. He was deeply wary of the...
A Dangerous Strategy
The impulse from many – left, right, libertarian, and the rest – to give the federal government more power to βprotect libertyβ from state and local governments might seem like a good idea on the surface.Β But stop and consider what theyβre really doing β...
Patrick Henry Warns of “Dangerous and Destructive” Treaty Powers
Anti-Federalists generally worried that the Constitution would give the general government too much power. One area that caused concern was the power to make treaties. Patrick Henry addressed this issue in speeches during the Virginia ratifying convention. Under the...