State Ratifying Conventions
Anti-Federalist vs Federalist CLASH: Montesquieu and Separation of Powers
Liberty is doomed where power is united – consolidated in the same hands. That’s the warning Montesquieu gave us about separation of powers. This was one of the biggest battles between Federalists and Anti-Federalists But here’s the twist: both sides used the...
Forgotten Founder Tench Coxe: The “Other” Federalist Papers Revealed
His writings had far more influence on the debates over the Constitution than the Federalist Papers we hear so much about today. In this episode, learn his top-4 arguments for ratification, including a clear line in the sand on delegated and reserved powers, the true...
Patrick Henry vs the Constitution: Ignored Anti-Federalist Warnings
This government “will swallow the liberties of the people, without giving them previous notice.” That’s the stark warning Patrick Henry gave us in 1788. In a series of fiery speeches, he laid out some of the most powerful anti-Federalist arguments against the...
Cato vs the Constitution: Forgotten Anti-Federalist Arguments
“A vile and arbitrary aristocracy or monarchy” – that’s what the Anti-Federalist writer Cato warned we’d get. In a series of seven essays, he laid out his strongest arguments against ratification of the Constitution, predicting all kinds...