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Rob Natelson 
The 1768 Massachusetts Circular Letter. Some people seem to think the Constitution’s framers simply made the whole thing up. “Why should we pay attention to what 55 dead white guys wrote 239 years ago?” they ask. But the framers did not make it all up. The ideas behind the Constitution had been discussed and tested … Read more
“The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite.”– James Madison, Federalist No. 45 Current controversy over the power of President Trump to send the National Guard into American cities reminds us of perennial questions about … Read more
In his book, “Inventing America,” the liberal scholar Garry Wills argued that the Declaration owed much to previous Anglo-American history. This is correct. English parliamentary bills originated as petitions by the people’s representatives to the king. These petitions listed grievances and requested relief. When the king assented to a petition, it became law. Although by … Read more
I frequently appear on radio talk shows, where I answer constitutional questions from the radio host and from the listening audience. Sometimes listeners who call in to the studio want to know more about the relationship between the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Most of them understand that the Constitution is a statement of positive … Read more
In June 1776, Great Britain and its North American colonies had been fighting for over a year. The Americans desperately needed foreign help, particularly from Great Britain’s principal rival, France. Many members of the Second Continental Congress—the assembly the states had charged with conducting the war—believed France would not help the colonies if their goal … Read more
July 1, 1776, witnessed one of the most consequential debates in American history. The venue was the floor of the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia. The topic was whether America should declare independence. The principal participants were the passionate John Adams of Massachusetts for the affirmative, and the eloquent John Dickinson of Pennsylvania for the negative. In theory, the … Read more
In the years before 1763, the British Empire—although in theory a unified entity—was really a federation. The central government in London controlled foreign affairs and the imperial post office. It also regulated trade with foreign countries and among units of the empire. But otherwise, the 13 future American states were largely self-governing. In each, the … Read more