Who was Blackstone?

Sir William Blackstone (1723-1780) was a contemporary of the framers of the U.S. Constitution. An English judge who went on to become the first Vinerian professor of law at Oxford University, Blackstone is best known for his Commentaries on the Laws of England, the original foundation for legal education in America.

In these Commentaries, Blackstone explained that the basis upon which English Common Law sits is a higher law, the law written by God and found in His scriptures. Because of this, man has no authority to write a law that contradicts God’s law. In fact, this was the basic premise of the Declaration of Independence: the King had violated rights granted to man by God.

Click here to read more about Sir William Blackstone from the ADF website.

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