James Madison on the Ignored “Fundamental Principle of the Revolution”
Forget schoolhouse history. James Madison exposed a much deeper truth about the American Revolution. It wasn’t just “taxation without representation.” He argued that the real fight was over fundamental principles: the colonists’ right to local,...
Sovereignty and Agency
In the American political system, the people of the several states are sovereign, meaning they hold final or ultimate authority. Power flows from them to the federal government, which merely serves as their agent. Virginia’s ratification of the Constitution put it...
The American Revolution Was a Rejection of Unlimited, Centralized Power
In school, you probably learned that the American Revolution was about “taxation without representation,” or perhaps standing armies. But this doesn’t tell the whole story, not even close. This becomes clear if we listen to what the Founders and Old...