The Kentucky Resolutions as the South’s Shield Against Federal Tyranny
Jefferson’s Defiant Stand
Jefferson’s Defiant Stand
The Kentucky Resolutions of 1798, authored by Thomas Jefferson, articulate a series of Principles rooted in a States’ Rights perspective, emphasizing the limited nature of federal authority and the Sovereignty of Individual States within the United States. These principles, crafted in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts, reflect a Southern commitment to self-governance and resistance to centralized power.
The resolutions assert that the United States is not founded on the Principle of unlimited submission to the federal government. Instead, the States are united through a Compact, a Treaty we call the Constitution and its amendments, which establishes a general government with specific, delegated powers.
Each State retains the “residuary mass of rights” for its own self-governance, underscoring the principle that the federal government’s authority is narrowly defined, and all other powers remain with the States. This Principle reflects a Southern belief in the primacy of State Autonomy, particularly to protect regional interests within the various cultures of the different States.
Jefferson argues that any federal action exceeding the powers explicitly delegated by…