4. The Classical Liberal States’ Rights Tradition

Tags: Political Theory, U.S. History

06/07/2006 Thomas J. DiLorenzo

States’ Rights have been ignored or misrepresented. Thomas Jefferson was an originator of States’ Rights. Citizens of a state ought to have sovereignty – dual sovereignty. Government was merely to protect the lives, liberty and property of citizens.

The central government was always considered the biggest threat to freedom. The Alien and Sedition Act was a censorship law. The Kentucky Resolve, and later the Virginia Resolve, declared that citizens should have some control over their central government. When government has a monopoly of power, people cannot be free.

Lecture 4 of 10 from the Steven Berger Seminar: Thomas DiLorenzo on Liberty and American Civilization.

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