Thomas Paine, Abolitionist
As many of us realize, the political establishment of 2022 never passes up an opportunity to describe liberty-oriented ideas as “extreme,” and those who espouse them as “extremists.” Well, in 1774, there was nothing more extreme than a belief in the abolition of...
The 1859 Oberlin Trial: A Victory for the Higher Law
Months prior to John Brown’s infamous 1859 raid on Harper’s Ferry, a trial took place rooted in the same issues of slavery and federal enforcement that, while ultimately inconsequential in shaping future debate, is a historical event worth remembering. The incident...
Today in History: Daniel Webster’s Seventh of March Speech
Today in history, on March 7, 1850, Daniel Webster delivered a famous oratory endorsing the Compromise of 1850, known as the “Seventh of March Speech.” He lauded the settlement as an impressive stride of concession between Whig and Democrat factions within...