A radical Change in the “Principles, Opinions, Sentiments and Affection of the People” was the real American Revolution of the 18th century. Are we witnessing the very early beginnings of a new radical change today? Maybe, but as Samuel Adams made clear, it will require our “utmost circumspection, deliberation, fortitude and perseverance.”

Have you ever been attacked as a "statist" because something you support to expand liberty - in a big or small way - doesn’t "go far enough?" Join the club - we’ve heard this kind of thing from a subset of libertarians for years. But their all-or-nothing approach not only rejects the strategy of leading founders like Thomas Jefferson and John Dickinson, it also runs counter to the ideas of Mr. Libertarian himself.

While many warnings from the founding generation might seem prophetic today - they were usually based on an intense study of history and human nature. On this episode, some of the best predictions/warnings, an overview of what the Founders studied, and quotes from federalists and anti-federalists that we should pay close attention to today.

After John Dickinson urged them to take action in response to the Townshend Acts of 1767, James Otis, Jr. and Samuel Adams drafted the Massachusetts Circular Letter, which was sent to the other colonies - and London - on Feb 11, 1768. What transpired before, during and after is a little-known - but incredibly important - part of the march towards independence.

The Founders and Old Revolutionaries told us that liberty would only be safe when the people rejected and resisted usurpations early and often - nip the shoots of arbitrary power in the bud was the maxim. They even provided us with the tools to do so under the Constitution. Yet, many who claim to want to “nullify” the feds today are really just looking for permission to do so from that same federal government.

Published in response to the hated Townshend Acts of 1767, Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania were more popular in the colonies than any other publication until Thomas Paine’s Common Sense in 1776. They asserted the colonial cause against imperial British overreach and helped to lay the groundwork for the U.S. Constitution drafted two decades later. The letters also presented important ideas about resisting usurpation.

Thomas Paine's radical vision and plainspoken style helped inspire the American Revolution, supported individual rights and more. His experience as a privateer and a government tax collector - likely informed his views later in life, which included vehement opposition to war and slavery, and in support of natural rights and the sovereignty of the people.

The number of federal gun control measures that are authorized under the Constitution - is zero. But relying on the feds to limit their own power is a bad strategy. That’s why it’s up to the states to get the job done. On this episode, get an update from 9 states - where there are efforts to protect the 2nd Amendment from federal infringements.

Following the wisdom and advice of the Founders and Old Revolutionaries, we recognize that the federal government is one of limited, delegated powers. When it exceeds those limits, it commits an act of usurpation - which must be rendered “void.” Establishment left and right want us to rely on the federal government to somehow fix itself - they all despise nullification. But that won’t stop supporters of the Constitution and liberty...

As Thomas Jefferson warned us, to take a “single step” beyond the limits of the constitution is to take a “boundless field of power.” He was far from alone. As students of history, leading Founders like John Dickinson and George Washington also recognized that any precedent for more power represented a dangerous expansion. But that’s far from how precedents are treated today.