TONA Online

Introduction Among the most revealing artifacts in the long and tangled history of the Titles of Nobility Amendment (TONA) is the Senate Journal entry dated June 8, 1813 — a record that, on its surface, appears to document Connecticut’s rejection of the amendment. But when that entry is analyzed linguistically, contextually, and physically, it becomes … Read more

The Fragile Integrity of Early State Records In 1814, the concept of “archival integrity” barely existed in the United States. States kept their legislative acts and resolutions as handwritten documents — copied, recopied, and certified by clerks working under the direction of the Governor and Secretary of State. There were no printed session journals for … Read more

What “Large Majority” Meant in 1814 In the early 19th century, the phrase “large majority” was widely used in legislative journals, political correspondence, and newspapers to describe the outcome of a vote. While the term remains in use today, its meaning in 1814 reflected the political and linguistic conventions of that period — not a … Read more

By Stanley Ivan Evans Abstract Recent forensic comparison of Connecticut’s 1813 legislative documents concerning the Titles of Nobility Amendment (TONA) reveals material and handwriting anomalies suggesting that the official committee report held today was rewritten on new paper, with the authentic signature of House Clerk William Denison replicated by another hand. This finding bears directly … Read more

A documentary and forensic case study (1813–1818) Thesis The best reading of the federal record is that Connecticut was counted as having ratified the Titles of Nobility Amendment (TONA) in 1813, and that a later executive-side annotation in early 1818—the lone word “Not,” added to an existing endorsement—reversed the appearance of that status in State … Read more

Thesis From 1810–1819—and still today—no statute, constitutional clause, or Supreme Court holding defines whether “three-fourths of the several States” in Article V refers to (i) the number of States when Congress proposed an amendment, (ii) the number of States when ratification was completed, or (iii) some hybrid (e.g., freezing the denominator unless later-admitted States “definitively … Read more

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Researcher Releases Virginia Evidence Packet Showing State-Level Adoption of the Titles of Nobility Amendment (TONA) Virginia’s official volumes state “Amendments to Constitution adopted”; State Department copy marked “C.1.” (Chapter One) confirms publication to federal authorities; Supreme Court precedent supports validity of the state’s assent Oakland, CA — October 13 2025— Researcher Stanley … Read more

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Researcher Releases Evidence Packet Indicating Alterations in 1813 Connecticut Committee Report on Federal Amendment Side-by-side images, signature comparisons, and a contemporaneous federal circular call for an official authentication review Oakland, CA— October 13 2025 — Researcher Stanley Ivan Evans today released an evidence packet suggesting that a key 1813 Connecticut General Assembly committee … Read more