Live at the National Constitution Center The Lost Founder: James Wilson and the Forgotten Fight for a People’s Constitution
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Jan 28, 2026 William Ewald, a legal scholar at Penn who unearthed James Wilson’s constitutional role, and Jesse Wegman, author of The Lost Founder, discuss Wilson’s central contributions to the Constitution. They trace his Committee of Detail work, ties between the Declaration and the Constitution, Scottish Enlightenment influences, the Fort Wilson riot, and how his ideas about popular sovereignty resonate today.
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Forgotten Champion Of Popular Sovereignty
- James Wilson was the most democratic and influential founder few people know about.
- He championed popular sovereignty and shaped core founding ideas despite later being forgotten.
Architect Of The Presidency
- Wilson was central to shaping the presidency and led support for a single, elected president.
- By summer's end, the convention adopted the presidential structure he advocated.
Committee Of Detail's Hidden Influence
- The Committee of Detail, meeting during the convention recess, drafted many constitutional provisions.
- Manuscripts in Wilson's hand show he masterminded key clauses like supremacy and necessary-and-proper.
