The ideas that formed the Constitution: Jean-Louis DeLolme and “We the People…”
Writers on the Constitution seldom mention the name of Jean-Louis DeLolme. This is unfortunate, because DeLolme’s book on the English political system significantly influenced those who participated in the constitutional debates of 1787–1790. The Constitution’s...
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...
How the Supreme Court Rewrote the Constitution Part VI: Crushing Civil Liberties
The first, second, third, fourth and fifth installments in this series traced how the Supreme Court responded to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s efforts to break constitutional limits and create a powerful federal government. After trying to balance the demands of...