Episode 2544: Marcus Alexander Gadson on the History of Sedition in the United States

According to the legal scholar Marcus Alexander Gadson, violence is central to the constitutional history of the United States. As American, in fact, as apple pie. In his new book Sedition, Gadson argues that America's revolutionary foundations established a precedent for political violence. Examining six 19th-century constitutional crises including the Buckshot War, Brooks-Baxter War, and Bleeding Kansas, Gadson explores how disputed elections, fraud allegations, and violent responses shaped American democracy. Gadson expresses concern about current threats to constitutional order, particularly the January 6th Capitol attack and subsequent pardons, warning that inadequate consequences may encourage future attempts to overturn elections through violence.

Five Key Takeaways

* Revolutionary Origins Create Precedent: America's birth through violent revolution against Britain established a template that future groups would invoke to justify political violence and rebellion.

* Constitutional Crises Are Underappreciated: Gadson argues that violent constitutional crises have been more fundamental to American development than commonly recognized, with disputed elections frequently leading to armed conflict.

* 19th Century Pattern: Six major incidents show recurring themes of election disputes, fraud allegations, militia involvement, and federal intervention, demonstrating fragility of democratic institutions.

* January 6th Parallels: The Capitol attack fits historical patterns of insurrection, but the subsequent pardons set a dangerous precedent by failing to impose consequences.

* Current Constitutional Danger: Gadson warns we may be in a constitutional crisis, citing concerns about election integrity, court order compliance, and the normalization of political violence.