Research Links

• John Locke’s The Second Treatise of Government — 1690 - Read the man who’s philosophy profoundly influenced the thinking of the founders of our country.
  The Founders Documents - Important documents that provide valuable insight into the formularizing process of the founding of this country.
• Anti-Federalist Papers - The arguments of those who disfavored the adoption of the current Constitution, representing it as a danger to the liberties of the people.
• Federalist Papers - The arguments of those who championed, and succeeded in bringing to life, a stronger central government to replace the Confederacy of the United States. Of particular interest is Federalist Paper #46, on The Advantage of Being Armed.
• Tennessee Constitution - The authorizing document of our current state government.
• United States Constitution - The authorizing document of our current federal government. Provided for dramatically more power for the central government. In spite of the increased power of the federal government, the Constitution was intended to be a check on unbridled power of the federal government.
• Bill of Rights - The Bill of Rights was agreed to and implemented in response to the complaints of opponents of the new Constitution, since they viewed it as granting too much power to the federal government.
• Why the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is Important to You - A powerful article that provides important historical confirmation on our individual right to keep and bear arms, while making it clear this right is just as essential today as it has ever been.