James Wilson -- His Scottish Background: Corrections and Additions

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Martin Clagett

Abstract

James Wilson before America: New Insights into the Scottish Years
James Wilson was one of the most vocal and earliest advocates for a separation from Britain, a member of the Second Continental Congress, a contributor to and signer of the Declaration of Independence, an ardent supporter for the passage of the Constitution and a strong central government, one of six individuals who signed both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, a justice of the first Supreme Court, and one of the original Founders. The events of his life, his actions, his political stands, his character, and his economic motivations are all in dispute among historians: "Indeed, he appears to have provoked more conflict than consensus among scholarly specialists." An area of particular importance and specific neglect has been Wilson's family background, early economic and religious influences, and education.

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