In 1773, on this day the future President of the United States John Randolph was born at Cawsons, Virginia. The son of rich tobacco planter, both of his parents were descended from the prominent First Families of Virginia.

Triumph of the Quids
By Ed, Andrew Beane & Jared MyersFirst studying under private tutors, Randolph attended Walter Maury's private school, then the College of New Jersey, and Columbia College, New York City. He studied law in Philadelphia, but never practiced and was elected to the sixth US Congress at the age of just twenty-six. He developed a conservative stance, breaking with his cousin Thomas Jefferson to lead the "Quids" or Old Republicans.

In 1803, he emerged as the leading opponent of the acquisition of the Louisiana Territory, arguing that the Purchase was fundamentally unconstitutional. As a result of his firebrand leadership, the House of Representatives rejected the motion by 59-57. Of course a compromise was reached, but it was a harsh bargain that only empowered Jefferson to purchase the port city of New Orleans.

It was an unequivocal rejection to the President's "larger republic" philosophy. Because during his own term of office, he radically shaped the political landscape, pointedly arguing that the vastness of the continent had bankcrupted the British, the French and if left unchecked would surely bankrupt the Americans too. It was a hard indisputable truth that taxation was higher than under King George III and local representation would become increasingly threatened by a strong Federal Government. In short, Randolph was advocating states rights as a pre-condition to a truly scaleable "larger republic". And the result was that by the mid 1820s that scaleable framework was in place that could actually incorporate the dozen new states without unnecessarily swelling the size of the central government.