Amarica's Constitution Remember the Alamo Heights
Apr 29, 2026
Sarah Isgur, author and legal commentator, returns to discuss her book Last Branch Standing and the Supreme Court. Short takes cover the Ten Commandments case, how individual justices write separate opinions, and how nomination politics and clerk networks shape judicial thinking. She also outlines reform ideas for confirmations and debates chief justice selection.
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Cuius Regio Eius Religio Shaped Religious Federalism
- The Peace of Augsburg/Westphalia settled religious conflict with cuius regio, eius religio: the prince's religion governed his territory.
- Amar emphasizes this local-option model reduced empire-wide religious wars and influenced early American federalism on religion.
Henry IV's Pragmatic Conversion and Edict of Nantes
- Amar recounts Henry IV of France converting to Catholicism to secure Paris and issuing the Edict of Nantes as an act of toleration.
- He notes Henry's assassination by a Catholic zealot and later revocation of toleration under Louis XIV, prompting Huguenot flight.
Persecution Drove Transatlantic Religious Migration
- Amar ties revocation of the Edict of Nantes and persecution to Huguenot migration to America, shaping American demographic and religious makeup.
- He highlights how European religious repression made parts of America seen as comparatively tolerant.
