William Findley

Constitution by Last Best Hope of EarthMarch 20, 2016March 20, 2016

Constitution Sunday: Reply to Wilson’s Speech: “An Officer of the Late Continental Army”

Reply to Wilson’s Speech: “An Officer of the Late Continental Army” Independent Gazetteer (Philadelphia), November 6, 1787 Following are excerpts from an article with an unknown author, published in response to James Wilson’s speech: “That of the senate is so small that it renders its extensive powers extremely dangerous: it is to consist only of 26 […]

The Revolution by Last Best Hope of EarthFebruary 15, 2016February 9, 2016

The Scum Will Rise

The social structure of America was being turned upside down during the Revolution. As James Otis warned in 1776: “When the pot boils, the scum will rise.” John Eliot to Jeremy Belknap, Jan. 12, 1777, Belknap Papers, 104.

Early Republic by Last Best Hope of EarthOctober 5, 2015October 5, 2015

The Somewhat Representative Democracy

William Findley, a man of Irish descent who came to play a powerful role in Pennsylvanian politics, had an idea about what a politician should be. He said that politicians should be able to advocate for their own cause when they take the floor, that politicians should openly support their interests. Gordon Wood, Empire of Liberty, […]