The White House Correspondents’ Association states “We share the belief, held by our country’s Founders and enshrined in the First Amendment, that an independent news media is vital to the health of the republic.” And yet today, the WHCA silences conservative colleagues and tailors coverage of the President to benefit political and corporate elites. *Follow…

The White House Correspondents’ Association states “We share the belief, held by our country’s Founders and enshrined in the First Amendment, that an independent news media is vital to the health of the republic.” And yet today, the WHCA silences conservative colleagues and tailors coverage of the President to benefit political and corporate elites. *Follow…

The White House Correspondents’ Association states “We share the belief, held by our country’s Founders and enshrined in the First Amendment, that an independent news media is vital to the health of the republic.” And yet today, the WHCA silences conservative colleagues and tailors coverage of the President to benefit political and corporate elites. *Follow…

Commentary Historian Forrest McDonald itemized some of George Washington’s constitutional contributions in American National Biography Online: “His role in working out the details of the Constitution was minimal, but Washington was important to the success of the convention withal. His very attendance, together with Benjamin Franklin’s, ensured the convention respectability and public trust … His…

Commentary It’s easy, if not entirely fair, to explain Alexander Hamilton’s relentless search for fame and power as the outcome of a life begun under very unfavorable conditions. He was born on Jan. 11, 1757, an illegitimate child on the Caribbean island of Nevis, then a possession of the British Empire. His father deserted young…

Commentary Let’s get the bad news out of the way first: John Rutledge owned slaves. Moreover, during the Constitutional Convention, he informed his fellow delegates that the three southernmost states would not join the Union if the Constitution immediately abolished the slave trade. Discerning people, however, judge whether a historical figure is great, not by…

Commentary James Madison was the individual with the most influence on the framing (writing) of the Constitution. Some authors rate James Wilson second. I don’t agree with the latter assessment. Wilson’s impact at the Constitutional Convention, while significant, is overrated. But his contribution during the ratification debates (1787–1790) was exceptional. Personal Life James Wilson was…

Commentary Edmund Randolph was born into a family with a tradition of public service. His maternal grandfather had been King’s Attorney (attorney general) in colonial Maryland. His paternal grandfather, father, and uncle all held the same position in colonial Virginia. His uncle, Peyton Randolph, served as president of the First and Second Continental Congresses. Edmund…

Commentary Like James Madison, the subject of the last essay in this series, John Dickinson was one of those Founders about whom it could be said, “Without him, we probably would not have a Constitution.” However, Madison’s contribution is justly renown, while Dickinson’s has been unfairly overlooked. Testifying to the proposition that Dickinson should get…

Commentary Forrest McDonald, perhaps the 20th century’s greatest constitutional historian, observed in his book “Novus Ordo Seclorum” that the framers produced a Constitution very different from the one James Madison sought. Madison did agree with most of his fellow framers on some broad outlines: a two-house Congress, an independent executive, and an independent judiciary. However,…