The right of nullification has always been a hot topic. Back in November 1765, Parliament rolled out the Stamp Act, slapping a direct tax on printed stuff, which had to be on paper made in England. This hit every corner of Colonial American life and seriously ticked off the colonists. They weren’t buying that Parliament could just push whatever laws it wanted on them, so they said only their local assemblies could tax them. This belief, they said, went all the way back to the Magna Carta of 1215. Like today’s Constitutional originalists, the colonists argued the Stamp Act was against the British Constitution and was therefore null and void. The Massachusetts legislature even called restricting taxation to local legislatures “one of the main pillars of the British Constitution.” To get folks on board with nullification, a group called the “Loyal Nine,” led by Samuel Adams, rallied people to burn an effigy of Andrew Oliver, the guy enforcing the Stamp Act, and got him booted from office. These gutsy moves forced everyday colonists to choose: ignore the act or stop all business to avoid breaking the “law.” Most surprised the British loyalists by choosing to defy the illegal act.
In the present day, it is asserted that Congress possesses nearly limitless authority, attributed to the commerce, general welfare, and supremacy clauses. In earlier times, loyalists contended that Parliament held supreme power and could act as it pleased within the colonies. They maintained that the colonists had representation through merchants engaged in colonial trade who were part of the House of Commons. However, when the colonists proclaimed “no taxation without representation,” they were asserting that taxes should not be imposed unless the legislators were directly accountable to those being taxed. Loyalists advocated for reform and opposed the perceived “anarchy” of nullification, claiming that oppression was nonexistent since Parliament was influenced by the “conscience of public opinion.” The Founders recognized that liberty was frequently undermined by what was termed “public opinion.” Resolutions passed in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia declared that only local assemblies, directly accountable to the populace, had the authority to impose taxes. The colonists undertook significant actions, such as property destruction and tarring and feathering, which may appear extreme by today’s standards, but were essential for upholding the laws of nature and nature’s God against a legislative body that disregarded its own regulations.
Inspired men like Samuel Adams and others knew what it took to bring liberty back to British subjects and used their influence, no matter how small, to restore people’s freedom. Remember, the “Sons of Liberty” started as the “Loyal Nine.” If it feels like not enough people are standing for liberty against potential tyrants, learn from the Founding Fathers: do what’s right and build your local teams to support the cause of freedom.
Please check out our free Educational Resources section and our Liberty Boot Camp to learn more about these important principles and how to apply them. You should also read, “What Degree of Madness” by Dr. Joe Wolverton.
Check out these miracles that occurred in the lives of these patriots that practiced nullification.
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