Author Archives: jakerainwater

About jakerainwater

Dickinson College Student

Gayle v. Browder (1956) and the Montgomery Bus Boycott

In From Jim Crow to Civil Rights (Oxford, 2004), Michael Klarman argues the direct and indirect effects of Brown v. Board of Education (1954) and debates its impact and connection with the Montgomery bus boycott. The boycott marked the first … Continue reading

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Giles v. Harris (1903)

In From Jim Crow to Civil Rights (Oxford, 2004), Michael Klarman highlights the Supreme Court decision in Giles v. Harris (2003) as an extraordinary example where the court admitted to being powerless in stopping disfranchisement methods, even if these devices created by state legislatures … Continue reading

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The Necessity of a Bill of Rights? Federalist vs. Antifederalist No. 84

Five states had already ratified the Constitution before Massachusetts debated the matter in January 1788. In what became precedent in the ratifying conventions of the major states like Virginia and New York, ratification would only come with the Federalist concession … Continue reading

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William Paterson: Guiding Voice of the Small States

One of the biggest advocates for the “small states” during the Constitutional Convention, William Paterson is most remembered for his stern opposition of Edmund Randolph’s proposed Virginia Plan which called for proportional representation in the “national” legislature. Born in Ireland, … Continue reading

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