The Blog
Constitutional Context
Plain-language guides to the constitutional terms that shape public debate about power, accountability, and the rule of law.
Guide
Constitutional Definition of Treason: What Article III Says
A plain-language guide to the narrow constitutional definition of treason, the evidence requirement, and the difference between political language and a legal charge.
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Guide
18 U.S.C. § 2381: What the Federal Treason Law Says
A plain-language guide to the federal treason statute, its constitutional limits, the proof rule, and why a serious legal claim needs more than a label.
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Guide
Corruption of Blood: What the Constitution Prohibits
A plain-language guide to the Constitution's ban on inherited punishment for treason, what the old phrase means, and why the limit still matters.
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Guide
Aid and Comfort to the Enemy: What It Means
A plain-language guide to the constitutional phrase, the difference between adherence and mere sympathy, and the proof a treason case requires.
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Guide
What Must Be Proven to Convict Someone of Treason?
A plain-language guide to the constitutional elements, overt-act rule, and two-witness safeguard that govern a treason conviction.
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Guide
Who Has Been Convicted of Treason in the United States?
A source-led guide to the small number of U.S. treason convictions, why the record is complicated, and why famous names do not tell the whole story.
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Guide
What Is High Treason in U.S. Law?
A plain-language guide to the historical phrase “high treason,” what the Constitution actually calls treason, and why the distinction matters.
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Guide
Is There a Statute of Limitations on Treason?
A plain-language guide to the federal timing rule for treason, the usual five-year rule, and why neither replaces constitutional proof.
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Guide
Treason vs. Sedition: How U.S. Law Draws the Line
A plain-language guide to the difference between treason and seditious conspiracy, the role of force, and why serious legal terms are not interchangeable.
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Guide
Treason vs. Espionage: What Is the Difference?
A plain-language guide to the difference between treason and espionage under U.S. law, including the constitutional limits and proof questions that keep the terms distinct.
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Guide
Treason vs. Insurrection: What U.S. Law Says
A plain-language guide to the difference between treason and insurrection, the constitutional limits on each term, and why serious claims need precise evidence.
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Guide
What Is the Punishment for Treason in America?
A plain-language guide to the federal penalties for treason, the constitutional limits on punishment, and why a statutory maximum is not a verdict.
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Guide
Two Witnesses for Treason: What Article III Requires
A plain-language guide to the Constitution’s two-witness rule, the meaning of the same overt act, and why the safeguard still matters.
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Guide
Levying War Against the U.S.: What Treason Means
A plain-language guide to the Constitution’s “levying war” language, the actual-assembly rule, and why a grave accusation requires exact facts.
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Guide
Aaron Burr’s Treason Trial: What Happened in 1807
A source-led guide to the Aaron Burr treason trial, the constitutional question before the court, and why the acquittal still matters.
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Guide
Cramer v. United States: Why the Treason Case Matters
A source-led guide to the 1945 Supreme Court decision, the overt-act rule, and why serious claims require proof tied to a specific act.
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Guide
Haupt v. United States: What the Treason Case Decided
A source-led guide to the 1947 Supreme Court decision, the overt acts at issue, and why context cannot replace Article III’s proof rule.
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