Path to Liberty

Years before the Declaration of Independence, James Otis Jr. laid the intellectual foundation for the American Revolution – championing natural rights, property rights, and the necessity of resisting…

Even Alexander Hamilton – no opponent of big, centralized government – held a far more restrictive view of executive power on “recess appointments” than most politicians and judges today. That tells …

The “customary weapon” to destroy freedom. That’s how George Washington described the danger of turning a blind eye to violations of the Constitution – and he wasn’t alone. The Founders warned us tha…

When government violates your right to keep and bear arms, the Founders called it an invasion of liberty. But they didn’t just complain – they gave us a strategy to resist and defeat those invaders o…

Elbridge Gerry warned that “the existence of their liberties will soon be terminated” under the Constitution without significant amendments. As one of the most active delegates at the Philadelphia Co…

An act against the Constitution is no law at all – it’s void. This principle, rooted in the American Revolution and the debates over the Constitution’s ratification, was central to President Thomas J…

Luther Martin, the Anti-Federalist firebrand, predicted that the Constitution would lead to a national system of consolidated power that could never secure liberty. He argued this was an intentional …

Civil asset forfeiture is theft. Despite the fact that a growing number of states are limiting or even ending this practice, there’s a massive loophole. A federal program called “equitable sharing” n…

“Independent of the control or interference of the federal government.” That’s how Tench Coxe described the vast majority of power under the Constitution – reserved to the states and completely off-l…

January 10, 1776: Thomas Paine didn’t hold back in Common Sense. Far more than just a call for independence from Britain, it was a bold and uncompromising attack on unlimited, centralized power. In t…

The 10th Amendment, peace, cutting spending and debt, and eliminating taxes – these are just a few of the key principles Thomas Jefferson outlined in his first inaugural address. Easily one of the mo…

We’re diving into one of the Founders’ most critical lessons: the dangers of factions and party spirit. To truly understand their warnings, we’ll explore the ideas that inspired them – especially the…

Today – like every day – is a perfect time to revisit the timeless wisdom of his Poor Richard’s Almanack. First published on December 28, 1732, it became a cultural sensation over the next 25 years, …

The states are “duty bound to interpose.” That’s how James Madison put it in his Virginia Resolutions, passed Dec 21 and 24, 1798, against the Alien and Sedition acts. They answer a timeless question…

One of the most influential Anti-Federalist essays against the Constitution didn’t come from a single writer. It came from a group of delegates at the Pennsylvania ratifying convention. Their warning…

With those unforgettable words, Thomas Paine lit a fire in the hearts of patriots during one of the darkest moments of the American Revolution. First published on December 19, 1776, The American Cris…

The natural right of self defence is one of our most essential rights, part of the first law of nature. But that hasn’t stopped governments from violating it. So the founders told us over and over th…

“Tyrants care nothing for discussions that are to end only in discussion.” Lysander Spooner didn’t pull any punches. He knew that words without action were meaningless in the fight against tyranny. I…

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 an…

Rights don’t come from a constitution, a bill of rights, or any document at all. Your natural rights – come from your creator – and you have them by the nature of your humanity. Even civil rights – a…