Reclaiming the American Revolution: The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions and Their Legacy (Hardcover)

by William Watkins (Author) "The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, written over two decades after the colonies declared independence from Great Britain, represent a reaffirmation of the spirit of 1776..." (more)
Key Phrases: United States, South Carolina, Virginia Resolutions (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"With historical knowledge that one can only wish more could possess, Watkins has brought our attention back to Jefferson's and Madison's constitutional commentary in the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions of 1798-1800 and their illuminating relation to American history."--Clyde N. Wilson, Professor of History, University of South Carolina
"With Reclaiming the American Revolution, we have a thorough, thoughtful, and important study of a significant subject that has been too long neglected."--Joyce O. Appleby, Professor of History, UCLA; past president of Organization of American Historians and American Historical Association
"William Watkins' important book, Reclaiming the American Revolution, is intriguing and controversial: it is based on much research, and it is full of interest for the questions it raises about federal-state relations."--Robert L. Middlekauf, Preston Hotchkiss Professor of American History, University of California, Berkeley
-- Review

Review

"With historical knowledge that one can only wish more could possess, Watkins has brought our attention back to Jefferson's and Madison's constitutional commentary in the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions of 1798-1800 and their illuminating relation to American history."--Clyde N. Wilson, Professor of History, University of South Carolina
"With Reclaiming the American Revolution, we have a thorough, thoughtful, and important study of a significant subject that has been too long neglected."--Joyce O. Appleby, Professor of History, UCLA; past president of Organization of American Historians and American Historical Association
"William Watkins' important book, Reclaiming the American Revolution, is intriguing and controversial: it is based on much research, and it is full of interest for the questions it raises about federal-state relations."--Robert L. Middlekauf, Preston Hotchkiss Professor of American History, University of California, Berkeley

See all Editorial Reviews

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Product Details Hardcover: 264 pages Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan; 1st edition (January 17, 2004) Language: English ISBN-10: 1403963037 ISBN-13: 978-1403963031 Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches Shipping Weight: 14.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #620,897 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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First Sentence:
The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, written over two decades after the colonies declared independence from Great Britain, represent a reaffirmation of the spirit of 1776. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
United States, South Carolina, Virginia Resolutions, Great Britain, New York, President Adams, Kentucky Resolutions, New England, Commerce Clause, House of Representatives, French Revolution, Alexander Hamilton, South Carolinians, Negro Seamen Act, Alien Friends Act, James Madison, Justice Johnson, Kentucky Resolves, North Carolina, President Washington, Tenth Amendment, Alien Enemies Act, Force Bill, John Marshall, President Jefferson

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 73 books:

• The Articles of Confederation by Applewood Books on 4 pages
• The Federalist Papers (Signet Classics) by Alexander Hamilton on page 3, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
• On Reading the Constitution by Laurence H. Tribe in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
• British Government: A Reader in Policy-making by Simon James in Front Matter, and Back Matter
• The Federalist Papers (Dodo Press) by James Madison on page 3, and Back Matter

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Books on Related Topics (learn more)

History of the United States of America During the Administrations of Thomas Jefferson by Henry Adams

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5 Reviews 5 star:  (4) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.6 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 19 of 20 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Study, April 27, 2004 By  G. F Gori "Jeffersonian libertarian" (Manteca, ca United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    William Watkins "Reclaiming the American Revolution" is a great study of the Alien and Sedition Acts and Jefferson and Madison's Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions. Watkins traces the conflict between the Federalist monocrats and the Jeffersonian republicans during the 1790's. Jefferson and Madison are shown in their true glory as liberatian defenders of the principles of the American Revolution, the "spirit of 1776" as Jefferson put it. As the Federalist Party began to institute tyrannical measures like the Sedition Act and Alien bill to cripple the Jeffersonians, Jefferson and Madison conceived of measures to defended the rights of the states and the people. Watkins also goes into detail about the nature of the Federal government, the original intent of it's framers and the effect the Virginia and Kentucy Resolutions had on the Nullification dispute between South Carolina and the Federal government in 1832. Anyone interested in the principles of liberty, and the American founding will love this book. 15 of 17 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Legally & Historically Accurate Masterpiece, August 4, 2005 By  ZXZXZX "ZXZXZX" (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews It's difficult in the modern era, even with the internet and all the literature available, to gain an accurate and honest understanding of the early history of what would become the American Republic. As a product of the public school system, I had to work extra hard to unlearn all the nonsense I'd been taught in what I now see as government run indoctrination camps(the schools "teach" enough info to the kids to prevent them from someday thinking critically about the structure of their government). The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America (1776) essentially declared (aside from the slavery issue) that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. People have an unalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and the people can throw off governments which become destructive of these ends and form new governments based on these principles. Essentially, the people are the "ultimate sovereigns" (in the words of Watkins), and elected respesentatives hold only legislative sovereignty. THESE ARE THE CORE PRINCIPLES OF SELF-GOVERNMENT. The Principles of the Resolutions essentially answer a question which I believe is more relevant today than ever... what defense do the people have against a central government which doesn't abide by it's rules or by restraints and limitations on it's powers? The Answer, according to Jefferson primarily, was for the State houses to interpose between the Federal government and citizens and to declare Federal usurpations of power which overstep the enumerated powers outlined in Article I Section VIII as void and of no force (nullification). Watkins does a remarkable job of clearly explaining the events of the period, explaining the principles of the resolutions, providing detailed citations for every source of information (so you can check them yourself), explaining the motives behind the words and actions of people like Jefferson, Madison, and Hamilton, explaining how the structure of American Federalism became corrupted, and what can be done to bring the Constitution back to life... and the answers can be found in the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions of 1798. My ONLY complaint is that Watkins, during his discussion of Judicial usurpations, only briefly mentions how the Bill of Rights (a shield erected by the States against the Federal government) became a weapon the Federal Courts would use against the States and the principles of Self-Government. He only mentions the "incorporation doctrine" once, but Watkins does include a quotation in this brief analysis which acknowledges that the incorporation of the Bill of Rights was the most egregious act of usurpation in the court's history, where the court essentially rewrote the meaning of the Bill of Rights. I just wish Watkins had gone into more detail on this topic, but at least he did mention Barron v. City of Baltimore (1833) where John Marshall briefly states in a concise opinion the meaning of the First 10 Amendments of the Constitution and how they can only be applied against actions of the Federal Governemnt. Kudos to William Watkins Jr. and his masterpiece. It's a crime that this text has received next to no publicity that I'm aware of. 12 of 15 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars American Liberty 101, October 12, 2005 By  MARTYN BABITZ (Cherry Hill, NJ USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    Mr. Watkins' outstanding work details with precise scholarship the forgotten essential truth inherent in our Constitution, that neither the Supreme Court nor any branch of the federal government is the ultimate arbiter of the Constitution's meaning or the boundaries of power it draws between the limited delegated powers of the federal government and those reserved to the states and their people. Rather, the states and their people have a co-equal right to make that determination, and further, as the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions rightly provide, our state governments have the authority and duty to protest, resist, and nullify those laws, rulings and actions of the federal government that encroach upon the reserved sovereign rights of the states and their people to make decisions within the scope of their reserved powers exclusively through their elected state legislatures. If you want to know what Thomas Jefferson would say about the unconstitutionally overgrown state of our dictatorial federal government and the solution for restoring a Constitutional, limited federal government, then Mr. Watkins' book is a must. Martyn Babitz, Esquire, Author of THE ILLUSION OF FREEDOM: How To Restore The True Constitution And Reclaim Liberty Now		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 3.0 out of 5 stars Dicta but nothing more. William Watkins has written an excellent book that is long on history and short on compelling logic. Read more Published 21 months ago by greg taylor 5.0 out of 5 stars Reclaiming the American Revolution Rarely do you hear about the critical importance of the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions. Read more Published on June 29, 2005 by Aaron J. Baker Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan; 1st edition (January 17, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1403963037
• ISBN-13: 978-1403963031
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #620,897 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Study, April 27, 2004

By	G. F Gori "Jeffersonian libertarian" (Manteca, ca United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

William Watkins "Reclaiming the American Revolution" is a great study of the Alien and Sedition Acts and Jefferson and Madison's Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions. Watkins traces the conflict between the Federalist monocrats and the Jeffersonian republicans during the 1790's. Jefferson and Madison are shown in their true glory as liberatian defenders of the principles of the American Revolution, the "spirit of 1776" as Jefferson put it. As the Federalist Party began to institute tyrannical measures like the Sedition Act and Alien bill to cripple the Jeffersonians, Jefferson and Madison conceived of measures to defended the rights of the states and the people.

Watkins also goes into detail about the nature of the Federal government, the original intent of it's framers and the effect the Virginia and Kentucy Resolutions had on the Nullification dispute between South Carolina and the Federal government in 1832. Anyone interested in the principles of liberty, and the American founding will love this book.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Legally & Historically Accurate Masterpiece, August 4, 2005

By	ZXZXZX "ZXZXZX" (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews

It's difficult in the modern era, even with the internet and all the literature available, to gain an accurate and honest understanding of the early history of what would become the American Republic. As a product of the public school system, I had to work extra hard to unlearn all the nonsense I'd been taught in what I now see as government run indoctrination camps(the schools "teach" enough info to the kids to prevent them from someday thinking critically about the structure of their government).

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America (1776) essentially declared (aside from the slavery issue) that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. People have an unalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and the people can throw off governments which become destructive of these ends and form new governments based on these principles. Essentially, the people are the "ultimate sovereigns" (in the words of Watkins), and elected respesentatives hold only legislative sovereignty. THESE ARE THE CORE PRINCIPLES OF SELF-GOVERNMENT.

The Principles of the Resolutions essentially answer a question which I believe is more relevant today than ever... what defense do the people have against a central government which doesn't abide by it's rules or by restraints and limitations on it's powers? The Answer, according to Jefferson primarily, was for the State houses to interpose between the Federal government and citizens and to declare Federal usurpations of power which overstep the enumerated powers outlined in Article I Section VIII as void and of no force (nullification).

Watkins does a remarkable job of clearly explaining the events of the period, explaining the principles of the resolutions, providing detailed citations for every source of information (so you can check them yourself), explaining the motives behind the words and actions of people like Jefferson, Madison, and Hamilton, explaining how the structure of American Federalism became corrupted, and what can be done to bring the Constitution back to life... and the answers can be found in the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions of 1798.

My ONLY complaint is that Watkins, during his discussion of Judicial usurpations, only briefly mentions how the Bill of Rights (a shield erected by the States against the Federal government) became a weapon the Federal Courts would use against the States and the principles of Self-Government. He only mentions the "incorporation doctrine" once, but Watkins does include a quotation in this brief analysis which acknowledges that the incorporation of the Bill of Rights was the most egregious act of usurpation in the court's history, where the court essentially rewrote the meaning of the Bill of Rights. I just wish Watkins had gone into more detail on this topic, but at least he did mention Barron v. City of Baltimore (1833) where John Marshall briefly states in a concise opinion the meaning of the First 10 Amendments of the Constitution and how they can only be applied against actions of the Federal Governemnt.

Kudos to William Watkins Jr. and his masterpiece. It's a crime that this text has received next to no publicity that I'm aware of.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars American Liberty 101, October 12, 2005

By	MARTYN BABITZ (Cherry Hill, NJ USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Mr. Watkins' outstanding work details with precise scholarship the forgotten essential truth inherent in our Constitution, that neither the Supreme Court nor any branch of the federal government is the ultimate arbiter of the Constitution's meaning or the boundaries of power it draws between the limited delegated powers of the federal government and those reserved to the states and their people. Rather, the states and their people have a co-equal right to make that determination, and further, as the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions rightly provide, our state governments have the authority and duty to protest, resist, and nullify those laws, rulings and actions of the federal government that encroach upon the reserved sovereign rights of the states and their people to make decisions within the scope of their reserved powers exclusively through their elected state legislatures. If you want to know what Thomas Jefferson would say about the unconstitutionally overgrown state of our dictatorial federal government and the solution for restoring a Constitutional, limited federal government, then Mr. Watkins' book is a must.

Martyn Babitz, Esquire, Author of THE ILLUSION OF FREEDOM: How To Restore The True Constitution And Reclaim Liberty Now