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 “Study history, study history. In history lies all the secrets of statecraft.” 
~ Winston Churchill quotes

“That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons that History has to teach” 
~ Aldous Huxley quotes

The Social Contract and Constitutional Republics

Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes — Laid basis for social contract theory, providing branching point for the theories of constitutionalism and fascism.

Second Treatise on Government, John Locke — Principal proponent of the social contract theory which forms the basis for modern constitutional republican government.

On Liberty, John Stuart Mill — Carries social contract theory beyond Locke.

Representative Government, John Stuart Mill — Carries the theory of constitutional republican government beyond the Framers of the U.S. Constitution.

Summary of Constitutional Rights, Powers and Duties. Discussions of rights are sometimes confused concerning what are and are not rights of the people or powers of government or the duties of each. This is an attempt to summarize the rights, powers, and duties recognized or established in the U.S. Constitution, in Common Law as it existed at the time the U.S. Constitution was adopted, or as implied therein. Not included are certain "internal" rights and powers that pertain to the various elements of government within each level with respect to each other.

"Take the Constitution Test" Twenty-five questions you should be able to answer about the U.S. Constitution

Creating a Government While the form of government adopted by the United States drew heavily on European sources, it was nonetheless distinctly American. The colonists, of course, brought English ideas with them when they crossed the Atlantic, but once here these ideas were slowly but definitely modified to reflect conditions in the New World.

Identifying Defects in the Confederation With the passage of time, weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation became apparent; Congress commanded little respect and no support from state governments anxious to maintain their power. Congress could not raise funds, regulate trade, or conduct foreign policy without the voluntary agreement of the states. Recognizing the need to improve the government, Congress tried to strengthen the Articles, but problems persisted.

Creating a Constitution The Constitutional Convention of 1787 was called to revise the ailing Articles of Confederation. However, the Convention soon abandoned the Articles, drafting a new Constitution with a much stronger national government. Nine states had to approve the Constitution before it could go into effect. After a long and often bitter debate, eleven states ratified the Constitution, which instituted a new form of government for the United States.

The Continental Congress Broadside Collection (253 titles) and the Constitutional Convention Broadside Collection (21 titles) contain 274 documents relating to the work of Congress and the drafting and ratification of the Constitution. Items include extracts of the journals of Congress, resolutions, proclamations, committee reports, treaties, and early printed versions of the United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Most Broadsides are one page in length, others range from 1 to 28 pages.

To a New Nation time line covering 1784 thru 1790

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