Unlimited, Centralized Power: “In All Cases Whatsoever”
Of all the Acts of Parliament that angered the American colonists and led to the Revolutionary War, the Declaratory Act is possibly one of the most important, but probably the least-known. It attempted to affirm unlimited, centralized power over the colonies, and...
Nullification Wasn’t Invented by Thomas Jefferson
While some people may believe that Thomas Jefferson invented the doctrine of nullification – because he called it the “rightful remedy” for acts outside the Constitution – he was merely reiterating long-held views on the limits of government power, and...
The Peoples’ Nullification of the Stamp Act
A combination of protests, declarations, disobedience, local resolutions, support from merchants, and non-enforcement by sheriffs and other local officials created a climate where the Stamp Act was unenforceable. Parliament ended up repealing it even though they...