Publishing Revolution

In order to release a reading of the Declaration of Independence in audiobook format, the original founding document written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776 and adopted by the second Continental Congress, it was necessary to also create a short book to go along with it. We felt it was worth the effort—early listeners of our audiobook presentation have been very favorable, so we felt it was a worthy venture.

James Madison and the Virginia Resolution considers Madison's response to a governmental endeavor to expand its scope and authority through the 1798 Alien and Sedition Acts. The acts attempted to limit the public's ability to scrutinize the federal government, and they further unbalanced efforts to find an equilibrium of power in the new republic. In this essay, Madison's Virginia Resolution is examined and analyzed in the context of early American politics. It shows that Madison's position was not a greater threat to the nation's stability than the legislation he was fighting.