| John Taylor |
John Taylor of Caroline (1753-1824) was one of the
foremost philosophers of the States’ rights Jeffersonians of
the early national period. Educated at the College of
William and Mary, Taylor then studied law under his uncle
Edmund Pendleton. During the Revolutionary War, Taylor
rose to the rank of major in the Continental Army. After
the war he practiced law in Virginia, served in the Virginia
House of Delegates and was elected to the U.S. Senate on a
number of occasions. In keeping with his lifelong mission as
a “minority man,” John Taylor wrote Tyranny Unmasked
not only to assault the protective tariff and the mercantilist
policies of the times but also “to examine general principles
in relation to commerce, political economy, and a free
government.” It was originally published in 1822. As an
early discussion of the principles of governmental power
and their relationship to political economy and liberty,
Tyranny Unmasked is an important primary source in the
study of American history and political thought.
foremost philosophers of the States’ rights Jeffersonians of
the early national period. Educated at the College of
William and Mary, Taylor then studied law under his uncle
Edmund Pendleton. During the Revolutionary War, Taylor
rose to the rank of major in the Continental Army. After
the war he practiced law in Virginia, served in the Virginia
House of Delegates and was elected to the U.S. Senate on a
number of occasions. In keeping with his lifelong mission as
a “minority man,” John Taylor wrote Tyranny Unmasked
not only to assault the protective tariff and the mercantilist
policies of the times but also “to examine general principles
in relation to commerce, political economy, and a free
government.” It was originally published in 1822. As an
early discussion of the principles of governmental power
and their relationship to political economy and liberty,
Tyranny Unmasked is an important primary source in the
study of American history and political thought.