“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”
On June 7, 1628 the Petition of Right was ratified by the British Crown in the days preceding the English Civil War. The measure was passed by the Parliament in May and sent to Charles I for his assent, the royal approbation that endowed the writ with force of law. Of...
Three hundred and ninety-five years ago, one of the most important documents in the history of the creation of the United States Constitution became law, though today there are few who have heard it taught. That seminal statute is the Petition of Right of 1628. This...
On June 12, 1788, Patrick Henry spoke during the Virginia Ratifying Convention, reiterating the need for a Bill of Rights in the proposed U.S. Constitution before its adoption. During this speech, he offered a history lesson highlighting the importance of preserving...
Understanding the Constitution requires knowing some English constitutional and legal history. Both the Constitution and Bill of Rights are loaded with words and phrases inherited from England. Indeed, the English inherence has been enormously important in shaping the...