Who is credited with secretly writing the Kentucky Resolutions?

The Kentucky Resolutions, passed in 1798, are primarily attributed to Thomas Jefferson. They were drafted in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts, which many viewed as an infringement on individual liberties and states' rights. Jefferson's writing articulated a principle of states' rights, suggesting that states had the authority to nullify federal laws they deemed unconstitutional. This idea reflected the broader political conflict of the time regarding the balance of power between the federal government and the states. The resolutions were significant in shaping the early discourse around state sovereignty and federal authority. Jefferson's authorship laid foundational ideas that would later influence discussions on civil liberties and states' rights in American political thought.