In this episode of Liberty! 250, Dave Bowman joins Bill Mick to explore one of Jefferson’s fiercest grievances: the King’s repeated dissolution of colonial legislatures. From Massachusetts in 1768 to Virginia in 1774, governors slammed the doors on the people’s assemblies, only to find that free men would meet anyway in taverns, churches, and town halls.

Dave reveals how this “manly firmness” became the muscle of self-government, the moment when Americans discovered that power could return to the people. The conversation traces how unity was born from defiance, as colonial voices refused to be silenced.

Drawing sharp parallels to our own age of political paralysis and government shutdowns, the discussion reminds us that representation is never granted. It must be claimed. The King’s voice is long gone, but his lesson remains. When power fails above, it awakens below.