Madison's View of a "Convention for Proposing Amendments" (4)

Part 4 of our multi-part series examining the view with which James Madison, considered the father of the Constitution, regarded the State amending convention provision in Article V.

Various interpretations of Madison's views have been presented over many years, in support of multiple positions in regard to the utility, and even the safety, of the Article V provision to the States to hold a "convention for proposing amendments".  We are going to walk through this man's life, through his written record, to construct his position, and the continued consistency of his position, and provide the most accurate representation we can of his thoughts.  We're going to take as many episodes as necessary to thoroughly flesh out his view.

Today, we'll just introduce the historical context of the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798, which led Madison to write the Virginia Resolution (and Jefferson the Kentucky Resolution).  We'll especially remind ourselves how even our founders, such as John Adams, can easily forget the freedom and form of government for which they fought only 10-20 years earlier.

As always, we'll present the latest news in the Convention of the States.  And, we'll allow time for your phone calls.