Destroyer of Liberty: Consolidation
The founders considered consolidation one of the greatest threats to liberty. Both federalist and anti-federalist alike agreed on this political maxim, at least publicly. Their debate was mostly over whether the proposed constitution was creating such a centralized...
Implied vs Expressly Reserved: Patrick Henry’s Anti-Federalist Speeches 5-7
In a series of speeches during the Virginia Ratifying Convention, Patrick Henry warned that despite arguments to the contrary, the federal government wouldn’t act like its powers were only those delegated to it. Instead, it would act like all others before it –...
Anti-Federalist Warnings: Government Power is Forever
During the debates over ratification of the Constitution, Anti-Federalists repeatedly warned about the dangers of too much power. One of their prominent arguments centered around the maxim that once power expands, people with power never seem to voluntarily give it...