Path to Liberty

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 you just how far things have gone off the rails. In this episode, we’re breaking down one of the most misunderstood parts of the Constitution - the Recess Appointments Clause. We’ll cover how the Found...

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 that every overstep, every excuse, and every precedent sets us on the dangerous path to tyranny. In this episode, we’ll dive into their long-forgotten warnings about power, precedent, and the slippery slo...

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 of our most essential rights. In this episode, I’ll share their warnings and solutions, both of which have been ignored for far too long. The post 2nd Amendment: Founders Ignored Strategy to Stop Invasi...

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 Convention, Gerry ultimately refused to sign the final document. Shortly after, he wrote a letter outlining his objections to ratification, which became a highly influential Anti-Federalist essay. In thi...

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 Jefferson’s response to the Sedition Act of 1798. In this episode, we explore how Jefferson’s adherence to his oath to the Constitution led him to treat this attack on freedom of speech as null and void...

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 conspiracy - a deliberate plan at the Philadelphia Convention to undermine federalism and state sovereignty. In this episode, we’ll uncover Martin’s fiery objections, his claims of a calculated scheme,...

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” not only allows state and local law enforcement to bypass these restrictions but actively encourages it. In this episode, learn what it is and what states can do to bring it to an end. The post Federal...

"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-limits to the federal government. In this episode, we’re diving into his powerful insights: specific powers reserved to the states and the limits placed on federal power. Living under the largest govern...

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 this episode, we explore some of Paine’s top principles from Common Sense - timeless lessons that remain as relevant and important today as they were over two centuries ago during the early stages of th...

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 most important presidential speeches in American history, Jefferson’s inaugural laid out a bold and clear vision: a blueprint for liberty, unity, and strictly limited government under the Constitution. I...

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 sharp insights of Thomas Gordon and John Trenchard, authors of Cato’s Letters and Gordon’s Works of Sallust. Their words, written nearly 300 years ago, reveal truths about political division that rema...

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, blending sharp wit, practical advice, and lessons most people ignore today. In this episode, we’ll explore some of Franklin’s best wisdom that’s just as critical now as it was back then. The post Benja...

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: What should be done when the federal government oversteps its constitutional bounds? In this episode, learn 6 essential principles that make up Madison’s plan to stop federal tyranny. The post James...

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 warnings - about centralization of power, corruption, and more - might sound eerily familiar today. And make sure to stick around, because at the end, we’ll dive into what they considered federalist dirty tri...

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 Crisis was more than just an essay - it was a rallying cry that turned despair into victory. And it was filled with timeless wisdom that we can all find inspiration from today. The post These Are the Times...

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 that it’s up to us - the people of the states - to protect and defend our own constitution and our own liberty - whether the government likes it, or not. In this episode, we’re applying their principles...

"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. In this episode, we’ll dive into some of his most radical and powerful takes on the Constitution - his ideas matter now more than ever. The post Lysander Spooner: Radical Truths on Tyranny and the Const...

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 and Anti-Federalists But here’s the twist: both sides used the exact same words to support opposite arguments. In this episode, we’re diving into this critical debate over the ideas of the most-cited pol...

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 - are built on the foundation of natural rights. These were widely-held views from the founders and old revolutionaries. The post Rights Are Not Gifts from Government: The Founders’ View appeared fi...

Division of power, precedent, the right to resist, and more - essential - and totally forgotten - principles that fueled the American Revolution. They’re all drawn from John Dickinson’s 1767 Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania. Totally forgotten and ignored today, but they were the most widely-read writings on American liberty prior to the War for Independence. The post 4 Forgotten Principles Th...

The founders knew that an armed society was essential to preserving liberty - because they lived it first hand. In fact, this was one of the most critical lessons they passed down to us. In this episode, learn some powerful views from leading founders and old revolutionaries on the right to keep and bear arms as a natural right, on the role of the militia as a defence against both foreign and dome...

The Founders warned us - over and over again - that power always expands, no matter who holds it. So, you can’t trust anyone with power, no matter how much you like them or what they do, because that same power will eventually fall into the hands of someone hell-bent on destroying your liberty. In this episode, you’ll learn some of the most powerful warnings from the Founders about the dangers of...

His writings had far more influence on the debates over the Constitution than the Federalist Papers we hear so much about today. In this episode, learn his top-4 arguments for ratification, including a clear line in the sand on delegated and reserved powers, the true source of government power, the militia, and much more. The post Forgotten Founder Tench Coxe: The “Other” Federalist Pa...

“I would wish the debt paid tomorrow; he wishes it never to be paid, but always to be a thing wherewith to corrupt and manage the legislature.” This slapback from Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson was aimed squarely at Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton. These two - along with Edmund Randolph and Henry Knox - made up Washington’s first cabinet, a group filled with some major ideologica...

"We cannot be happy without being FREE." Those words come from John Dickinson, who saw LIBERTY as the foundation of everything else. Once almost as famous as Benjamin Franklin, Dickinson is almost totally forgotten today. Known as the “Penman of the Revolution,” he was a fierce defender of natural rights, the father of the Articles of Confederation, a leading opponent of the Stamp Act, a supporter...