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Abstract
James Wilson's life is an entry point into the events of the latter half of the 18th century and the impact of the Scottish Enlightenment on American society, discourse, and government. Previous research has focused, primarily, on his tenure as a member of the first Supreme Court of the United States and his time teaching law at the University of Pennsylvania. This work is not an attempt to present a complete biography, instead, it examines several key points in his life and afterwards. The year 1768 is pivotal to any reassessment of James Wilsons contributions. He worked with William White on The Visitant. This series provides insights into the literature culture of 1760s Philadelphia and how it fits within the larger framework of the Enlightenment. In the latter half of 1768, Wilson wrote, "Considerations on the Nature and Extent of the Legislative Authority of the British Parliament." Though groundbreaking, it was not published until 1774. This hesitation will be explained within the broader context of his career and social relations.His contributions to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and time as a Supreme Court Justice will be examined. As a federal justice riding circuit, Wilson and his colleagues were the face of the new federal government for many Americans.In the early years of the twentieth century, James Wilsons ideas were resurrected by leaders, particularly President Theodore Roosevelt and industrialist Andrew Carnegie, to justify expansion of federal powers. The attention garnered by the movement of Wilson's remains from Edenton to Philadelphia in November of 1906 is singularly unique for a founding father and demands further attention. Further, a new Wilson/Roosevelt Doctrine of interpretation of the Constitution appeared in legal and political science textbooks until the New Deal. James Wilsons story had no Hollywood ending. His is a very human story of a Scottish immigrant who experienced success and acclaim for his public activities, but in his personal affairs, and particularly financial life, he experienced great successes and deep lows worthy of a Greek tragedy. His quest for financial security led to land speculation, debt, and pursuit by his creditors.