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Declaration of Independence (Grievance 10): The King’s Officials Abuse the Colonists, Part Two Jul 16, 2026

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This is the eighth episode in a podcast series celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence by exploring the colonies’ grievances against King George III. This episode further explores the Declaration’s tenth grievance by examining how the King’s officials allegedly deprived the colonists of their rights as Englishmen in their efforts to enforce the Navigation Acts. These experiences, which included the crown’s prosecution of John Hancock, resulted in the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition against warrantless searches, the Fifth Amendment’s right to indictment by a grand jury, and other protections for criminal defendants under the Constitution.

Declaration of Independence (Grievance 10): The King’s Officials Abuse the Colonists, Part One Jul 14, 2026

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This is the seventh episode in a podcast series celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence by exploring the colonies’ grievances against King George III. This episode addresses the Declaration’s tenth grievance that British customs officers and other royal officials often acted arbitrarily or used their powers to harass and abuse colonists. Among other things, the episode examines colonist James Otis’s argument that British law allowing warrantless searches in the colonies should be void because such searches violate natural rights and rights protected by the British constitution. While Otis lost his case, his argument is reflected in the Constitution’s recognition of two tiers of law—the Constitution and laws Congress adopts pursuant to the Constitution. As a consequence, laws that would override the Constitution, including the fundamental rights enshrined in it, can only be adopted by amending the Constitution.

Declaration of Independence (Grievance 9): The King Exerts Power over Colonial Judges Jul 09, 2026

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This is the sixth episode in a podcast series celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence by exploring the colonies’ grievances against King George III. Grievance 9 in the Declaration blames the King for making colonial judges “dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.” This episode discusses the relationship between the King and colonial judges and how the founding Americans sought to protect judicial independence in the new United States.

Declaration of Independence (Grievance 8): The King Blocks Colonial Courts Jul 07, 2026

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This is the fifth episode in a podcast series celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence by exploring the colonies’ grievances against King George III. This episode addresses the Declaration’s eighth grievance that King George III refused his assent to laws that provided for colonial courts. The episode discusses how colonial courts evolved, including how disagreement between King George III and North Carolina over foreign attachment led to North Carolina being without courts for several years. The episode further discusses how these experiences later influenced the Constitution.

Declaration of Independence (Grievance 7): The King Prevents the Colonies from Growing Jun 30, 2026

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This is the fourth episode in a podcast series celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence by exploring the colonies’ grievances against King George III. This episode addresses the Declaration’s seventh grievance that King George III prohibited the colonies from growing in population and territory. The episode examines how the colonies departed from English restrictions on naturalization, immigration, and territorial growth, and it discusses how these experiences later influenced the Constitution.

Declaration of Independence (Grievances 1 & 2): The King Blocks Colonial Laws Jun 30, 2026

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This is the first episode in a podcast series celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence by exploring the colonies’ grievances against King George III and how these grievances shaped the Constitution. Grievances 1 and 2 address the King’s power to negative (or veto) colonial laws or suspend such laws pending a decision on whether to approve them.

In addition to providing background on the grievances, the episode examines how the grievances informed the Framers of the Constitution during the Convention. In particular, the episode explores the Framers’ consideration of whether to allow Congress a similar power to negative state laws; the development of the Supremacy Clause as an alternative to a congressional negative; and the President’s power to veto laws passed by Congress.

Declaration of Independence (Grievances 3 & 4): The King Interferes with Colonial Legislatures Jun 30, 2026

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This is the second episode in a podcast series celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence by exploring the colonies’ grievances against King George III. Grievances 3 and 4 address the King’s interference with colonial legislatures’ ability to create legislative districts to accommodate new settlers and the King’s convening of colonial assemblies in unusual places as a means of coercing them to comply with his orders

In addition to providing background on the grievances, the episode examines how they may have influenced the Framers when they drafted the Constitution at the Federal Convention in 1787. In particular, the episode considers how the Framers sought to prevent the federal government from interfering with state legislatures’ work and discusses how the Framers attempted to prevent the President from interfering with Congress’s work.

Declaration of Independence (Grievances 5 & 6): The King Dissolves Colonial Legislatures Jun 30, 2026

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This is the third episode in a podcast series celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence by exploring the colonies’ grievances against King George III. Grievances 5 and 6 address the King’s dissolution of colonial assemblies and his refusal to cause new assemblies to be elected.

In addition to providing background on the grievances, the episode examines how they may have influenced the Framers when they drafted the Constitution at the Federal Convention in 1787. In particular, the episode considers how the Framers sought to prevent the federal government from interfering with state legislatures’ work and sought to prevent the President from interfering with Congress’s work.

The Eighteenth Amendment and Prohibition Part I Jul 16, 2025

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From January 1920 to December 1933, the Eighteenth Amendment prohibited the manufacture, sale, or transportation of alcoholic beverages within the United States. Studying nationwide Prohibition can inform an understanding of how the Supreme Court has interpreted the scope of Congress’s power to regulate commerce over time; how difficult it can be for the federal government to regulate individual social habits and moral choices; and how the Supreme Court’s Fourth Amendment jurisprudence evolved in response to enforcement techniques that federal or state authorities employed to investigate violations of Prohibition, such as warrantless wiretapping of telephone lines.

Part I of this two-part series discusses historical events leading up to the Eighteenth Amendment’s proposal in Congress, including the temperance movement and early state prohibition laws.

The Eighteenth Amendment and Prohibition Part II Jul 16, 2025

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Part II of this two-part series examines congressional debates over the Eighteenth Amendment, relevant Supreme Court decisions, and the Twenty-First Amendment’s repeal of Prohibition.

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