Constitutional theorist Daniel Dreisbach writes, many Americans “made salient contributions in thought, word, and deed to the construction of America’s republican institutions.” One of them was Hugh Williamson. Few today have heard of him, and almost everyone overlooks this founding father when trying to learn of the “original intent” of the Constitution. That's a mistake. To ignore Williamson (and founders other than the usual five or six historical figures) is an inadequate approach to understand proper originalism.
When bypassing those lesser-known founders, we view the past through a distorted lens. And despite our best efforts, that view will be at best an image with a fuzzy outline that prevents us from seeing otherwise distinguishing and valuable features.
“Original intent,” then, mistakenly becomes nothing other than the opinions of a handful, and we ignore the role of the ratifying conventions and the wisdom of other leading public figures in understanding the process of ratification and the federal underpinnings of our government.
An examination of Hugh Williamson and his ideas sheds more light on the path to understanding “original intent.” Why? He was one of the most active delegates at the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention, and his opinions were respected across America.
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Recognizing a Forgotten N.C. Founder
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