The Great Bypass: How the Constitution Was Built to Sideline the States
By: Michael Boldin “This Constitution does not attempt to coerce sovereign bodies, states, in their political capacity.” With that one sentence, future Chief Justice Oliver Ellsworth identified the single most ...
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The National Bank That Breached the Articles of Confederation
By: Mike Maharrey Despite having no express authority to do so, Congress created a national bank under the Articles of Confederation by invoking an invented doctrine of “inherent sovereign authority.” ...
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The Treaty of Paris: How the War for Independence Almost Didn’t End
By: Michael Boldin Signed on Sept 3, 1783 – the Treaty of Paris has long been called the formal end to the War for Independence. But the war didn’t officially ...
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Northwest Ordinance: Landmark 1787 Law Set the Foundation
By: Mike Maharrey On July 13, 1787, the Confederation Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance, one of the most important and influential acts of the early republic. It established a ...
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Early Americans Would Have Rejected the U.S. Government of Today
By: Jacob Hornberger Even though most Americans are obviously unhappy with the federal government, many of them don’t question the structure of the government itself. Their ire is directed toward ...
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