James Wilson

I am James Wilson, immigrant, lawyer and signer not just of one finding document, but two. I was born in Casker, new Scotland, in 1742. A family like many Scots, knew where it meant to be ruled by the English. But after I crossed the Atlantic, I vowed history would not repeat itself. Some family traditions must be broken. After I fell under the spell of the Scottish Enlightenment, I arrived in the colonies and studied law under John Dickinson. I soon earned a reputation not just for eloquence, but for courage. In 1774, I published a pamphlet that shaped the very logic of independence, where I wrote, all men are by nature equal and free. The following year, I entered Congress. In 1776, I cast my vote and signed my name for American independence, where I was no, none. By 1787, many of us, including Washington, Hamilton, Madison and myself, knew the Articles of Confederation were broken. I was chosen for the Constitutional Convention. I spoke more than 140 times. I defended popular sovereignty, advocated for a single executive, helped devise the electoral college. I even argued that senators should be elected by the people, not appointed by legislators. That fight were lost, but others were won. Some called me the best red lawyer on the run. And what I gave for that one. What we gave was a government built not on bloodline or conquest, but consent. I was born in a kingdom. I helped found a republic. That is the journey of America and mine as well.