Everyone's heard of the Federalist Papers - Hamilton, Madison, Jay - but the most important Federalist speech in the entire ratification debate didn’t come from any of them. It came from James Wilson - a name most people have never even heard of. His 1787 State House Yard Speech laid the foundation for the entire Federalist playbook. In this episode, we’ll explore why he gave the speech, why it had such a huge impact, and dive into Wilson’s key arguments for the Constitution.

Most of what they teach about the Bill of Rights completely skips over much of the real history. From the reason the Federalists opposed it, to Madison’s flip-flop, and the totally ignored preamble - on this episode, I’ve got 5 key - and mostly hidden - truths about that just might change the way you view the Bill of Rights.

“A nullification of the act is THE rightful remedy.” That’s how Thomas Jefferson said we should respond to any federal act that goes beyond the limits of the Constitution. But here’s the thing - Jefferson wasn’t inventing something new in 1798. He was reminding us of principles that were at the heart of the American Revolution - ideas the people used to resist tyranny. And today, those principles are more important than ever.

Nearly five years before the Declaration of Independence, Samuel Adams wrote an essay urging the people to resist tyranny - not tamely submit and hope for the best. For Adams, it was a moral imperative to stand up for what’s right, even against the most powerful government in history. Unfortunately, his bold call for liberty has been almost entirely forgotten. Today, in commemoration of his birthday, we’re uncovering what Adams warned us about - his message is more urgent than ever.

“Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.” Just after the Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776, a committee of Jefferson, Adams, and Franklin worked to design a great seal for the United States - and it included that powerful phrase on the reverse. While we don’t know who originally wrote it, we can trace its roots to Jonathan Mayhew’s widely read but mostly forgotten 1750 sermon on resisting tyranny. In it, he laid the moral and philosophical foundation for the Revolution - and in this episode, you’re going to learn all about it.

Before the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution, Benjamin Franklin had a bold idea to unite the colonies - an idea most people have never heard of. In 1754, just before the Albany Congress, he published his famous “Join or Die” cartoon, symbolizing his forgotten call for colonial unity. Although it was rejected, Franklin believed this plan could have changed the course of American history.

Government has always been a massive threat to liberty - we can all agree on that. But there’s something even more dangerous, what the founders and old revolutionaries called the doctrine of “passive obedience and non-resistance.”

George Washington warned us - and we ignored him. In his Farewell Address, he gave crucial advice that’s been totally rejected for years, and today we’re paying the price. In this episode, learn about two of his most important warnings - that we can’t afford to ignore any longer.