Essays on Alexander Hamilton

The following primary documents include two antifederalist essays and three federalist essays that were published in newspapers three to six months following the Constitutional Convention. The antifederalists aimed to convince the states that the new constitution would not work while the federalists hoped to gain support and ratification of the new constitution. In 1787 and 1788, when the essays were written, the new country was struggling. The Articles of Confederation were not sufficient, and the fears that resulted in the Revolutionary War were still very fresh in the minds of everyone.

SUMMARY OF THE ESSAYS

THE ANTIFEDERALIST NO. 18-20 WHAT DOES HISTORY TEACH? ( ...

The musical Hamilton has been critically acclaimed by critics and fans alike. The work tells the story of Alexander Hamilton, one of the most important people in the early history of the United States. However, what makes this musical truly unique is Lin-Manuel Miranda, the star, writer, and composer incorporates modern hip-hop music style into the musical genre, something that had not been done as successfully. Rather than just classical musical numbers or dialogue, this production uses rap and lyrical composition very effectively. Hamilton employs hip-hop music throughout because it is able to bring in groups that do not ...

Slavery was a controversial issue for the Founding Fathers of the USA. For the sake of building an independent country, they preferred to ignore the problems of inequality and injustice that slavery brought into the American society. Moreover, the majority of the Founders owned slaves themselves. There were only 7 Founding Fathers that were not slave owners: Roger Sherman, Thomas Paine, Robert Treat Paine, Alexander Hamilton, Oliver Ellsworth, Samuel Adams and John Adams (Laccarino). They came from Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York or Pennsylvania and had to take into account conservative attitudes of the other Founding Fathers some of whom ...

Arrogance and ignorance may be called the twin causes of the American Revolution. Trace and discuss the ways in which the British lost their American colonies. Why were the British unable to retain the colonists’ loyalty in the period leading up to the Revolutionary War? The rapid economic growth of the colonies encouraged them to free themselves from the constraints posed by England in the fields of trade, industry and land use. Colonies wanted to get rid of the taxes imposed by the British government. Despite all this, in the 60’s of the 18th century colonial oppression increased. ...

Trace the development of political parties in the U.S. from

There were major developments of political parties in the U.S.A during the period that the first three presidents were sworn into office after the ratification of the United States Constitution. George Washington was the first president of the United States who was unanimously elected in the first two national elections, serving from 1789 to 1797. George Washington was a non-partisan. He lacked affiliation with any political party. In his first inaugural address, George warned people and the congress against the formation of local and party partisanship. He said that ...

. The early history of the United States from the founding of the Republic after the Constitutional Convention to the Civil War was greatly influenced by the changing face of the so-called party system. The main points which all of the parties in the different eras of Early American history before the Civil War concentrated primarily on what the role and size of the federal government should be and how it should work to deal with the major issues of the day. One of the most significant issues surrounding the early federal government related to its place and stance as ...

At the termination of the American Revolution, Alexander Hamilton firmly believed in a strong centralized government. He had worked as a major in the American army during this era of revolution, where he noted detrimental consequences of a weak federal authority. However, the majority of the Americans were skeptical and doubted the increased centralization of government due to various reasons. Hamilton’s structure did not consider democracy; instead, it held that the United States’ government should be modeled on the British method of governance where voters could not be given any power to take part in the decision-making process ...

According to Lance Stell’s 1979 publication dubbed “Dueling and the Right to Life”, the legal definition of dueling refers to it as an “act of fighting with deadly weapons between two persons in pursuance of a previous agreement” (p.7). Apparently, in the case of a dispute, the opposing individuals take it upon themselves to deal with their disparities without the interference of a third party, especially the law. Hence, “Dueling as Politics” by Joanne Freeman promptly informs readers that duelists were often victims of matters beyond their control, “haunted by private demons” (1996, p.290). Thus, upon the issuing ...

The Articles of Confederation became the first official constitution of the USA. The document functioned from the 1781 to 1789 when the existing Constitution was ratified. The last document created stronger centralized government and marked the start of the separation of Democrats and Republicans. Moderate Republicanism became the main political system of the USA in the 19th century. Members of this movement agreed with Lincoln’s ideas about the restoration of the Union with seceded states, but on Congress plans. Moderate republicans could be called a “light version” of ordinary or radical Republicans. I think the Moderate Republicanism (or ...

Adam Smith:

Adam Smith was born in Scotland June 16, 1723. He is one of the most revered personalities in the history of the United States (Hanley 40). After the age of 15, he joined Glasgow University where he commenced his philosophy studies. Adam Smith later attended Oxford’s Balliol College in the 1740s. After graduating, he traveled extensively across Scotland, lecturing the public on his economic philosophy. He was a strong believer in the free market economy, which he considered as a system of natural liberty. The Wealth of Nations remains one of the Smith’s most famous works in ...

Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Father of the United States was born on January 11, 1755, in Nevis, British West Indies. He was an immigrant to America, an outsider, an orphan, scholarship boy and a genius. Hamilton was also a bastard, an illegitimate and was prohibited from attending a Christian school and had no rights of inheritance. At the age of ten Hamilton and his family moved to St. Croix, where hundreds of plantations worked by slaves, produced sugar and coffee for export. James Hamilton abandoned the family and Alexander never got to see his father again. When ...

The book, "Revolutionary Characters: What Made the Founders Different" of 2006, is an essay collection, authored by the award-winning Gordon Wood from Brown University. He gives thoughtful discussions about the Founders and talks about their backgrounds, achievements, and even thoughts. Wood succeeds in supporting his argument that the Founders used their good characters in leadership and tells us why it has been hard for subsequent leaders to imitate which is “the growth of egalitarian democracy” (Wood, 29). “Why don’t we have such leaders today?” he asks (Wood, 4). Wood is bewildered by the fact that an equal society ...

For many years, the policy has been and remains the most important source and mechanism of the joint life of the organization of people. It is a powerful tool for targeted reforms in individual countries, as well as the life of the human community as a whole. However, it is still perhaps the most mysterious and multifaceted phenomenon, many paradoxes and contradictions that man was unable to spell over many thousands of years of history. Briefly summarize the arguments used by the revolutionary generation to justify succession from the British Empire.  How did those same arguments undermine the legitimacy ...

The Constitutional Convention, also referred to as the Grand or Federalist Convention, that took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from May to September 1787 is touted as one of the most memorable, monumental and important events in the United States history after gaining independence from Britain. This is mainly because it revised and updated the initial Articles of Confederation, which formed the precursor to the modern liberal and lofty Constitution of the United States of America. The major aim of the Convention was to revise the Articles of Confederation and to create a new strong form, structure of system of ...

The United States of America officially gained its independence in 1776. The new country needed to create own governing system. It was a difficult decision, because former colonies wanted to have the central government, but did not want to loose their sovereignty. These contradictions became a basis for the Articles of Confederation, which preceded the American Constitution of 1787. It restored main weaknesses of the Articles, but there were many arguments before all states accepted the new document. Constitution’s content stimulated the creation of political parties.

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

The Articles of Confederation were created with the great support of Whigs. ...

Enumerated powers entail the list of legal items defined under Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution that establish the authoritative threshold of the Congress. It cites that the congress may operate within the powers granted by the constitution which are restricted explicitly by the Bills of Rights and other constitutional protections. Under article 1, the Necessary and Proper clause cites that “to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers”. This clause for proper implementation should be read and understood in a broad sense, an opinion held by many ...

In order to compare and contrast both documents, it is important to discuss how the nullification crisis demonstrates a growing sectionalism between the North and the South. The disparities between the viewpoints of these opposing groups can be understood through the way in which these documents are drafted and the language that has been incorporated into them. These two documents demonstrate the fundamentally differing ideologies that the two parts of the nation had in regards to nullification. The position that each side had, and their essentially opposing viewpoints is represented within these documents. The South Carolina Ordinance of Nullification ...

It was just before 1500 that the Europeans discovered the New World or the American continent conquering and dwelling in new lands. It is these settlements that led to the transformation of the physical and cultural landscape of America (Vile 78). The main entrants into America were the Spanish, Portuguese, French, English and Danish. These European powers divided America amongst themselves, displacing the native red Indians as they settled in various areas. The colonization led rise to new civilizations, cultures and later on states that translated to the merging of the European traditions and Native American institutions and people. ...

Categorically, in Alexander Hamilton's Report on Manufactures, he believes the government has a responsibility in the economy. Hamilton asserts that in order to protect the independence of the US, the government ought to possess a sound policy with a role in encouraging the growth and development manufacturing industry (Hamilton n.p.). Hamilton explains that through the mentioned government role, everlasting feature of the US economic system would get secured. Prevalently, Hamilton had two major proposals. The cited proposals got based on tariffs and provision of subsidies to the US industries. Hamilton’s proposal on tariffs was that the tariff ought to get ...

In the federalist 70, Hamilton argues that pluralism is detrimental to union of Americans i.e. it is better for Americans to remain in one united government than to have multiple sovereign governments in the America. Hamilton claims that, the executive power is very critical in running of the government. He states that “energy in the executive is a leading character in the definition of a good government” (Alexander Hamilton, March 18, 1788). For this reason, therefore, the quality of executives determines whether the government is good or not. If the executive is feeble, it shall lead to bad executions of its ...

The United States constitution is considered as one of the most crucial historical documents ever drafted in the history of the nation. The constitution was written after the gaining of independence by the American nation from the British colonialists. The main purpose of this important document was to set forth the laws and regulations that would govern the newly independent country. The constitution established the national government’s form and structure and defined the liberties and rights of all American citizens. The constitution was also to serve the purpose of listing the government’s aims and objectives as well ...

Hamilton Alexander one of America’s founding fathers was born on 11th January, 1757 in Charlestown on the island of Nevis, British West Indies. Thereafter, he migrated to the United States in 1772 where he received educational training in the schools of Elizabethtown, N.J and King’s College. He later on joined the Continental Army in New York in 1776 where he served as a captain of artillery until 1st March 1777 when he was appointed aide-de-camp to General Washington where he served until 16th February 1781 in that capacity. Hamilton’s life was surrounded by extraordinary events that ...

In 1790, Alexander Hamilton was in the middle of a financial dilemma that would impact the then fragile state of the United States. Then US President George Washington and the newly formed federal government was facing flak from a lot of unhappy settlers in the Newfoundland of America. Alexander Hamilton’s problem was that he was faced with growing national and state debts and his desire was to consolidate and pay-off all these debts at the soonest possible time but the federal government had not money. The US government at that time gained revenues only from import duties so Alexander Hamilton ...

The ratification or enactment of the American constitution was the pinnacle of defining authority lines between state and federal governments. Over the years the Supreme Court and political developments have redefined the historical relationship between federal and state governments. Federalism, as a principle of governance in the US has been misunderstood by many as it encompasses a system based on sharing and overlapping among all governmental levels (Gerston, 2007). Under this system the government powers are divided between the federal or central government and the states. In the central government the authority is further distributed among various arms of government. The ...

The Bill of Rights Who Needs It?

Akhil Reed Amar, (1998), a leading constitutional scholar reminds us that states rights were an issue of our national politics “older than the Union itself.” The separate and distinct English colonies in the New World laid the foundation for the argument for states’ rights that in turn set the stage for the creation of the Bill of Rights. But in the 1780s no states yet existed and the power of individuals was heard the Constitutional Conventions held in each colony. Here it is argued that the Bill of Rights was necessary as an amendment to the Constitution in order to ...

What factors led the US to follow Hamilton's vision of a market based economy over Jefferson's vision of an agrarian based society? Thomas Jefferson who was born in 1743 always favoured a strong agrarian approach in his politics. The third President of the United States is also remembered as the mastermind who negotiated the Louisiana Purchase and was also the chief author of the Declaration of Independence. While Thomas Jefferson sought about sending Lewis and Clarke on their expedition to explore the new west, Alexander Hamilton foresaw the problems with the new Confederation and saw the necessity for centralization. In ...

The exact birth date of Alexander Hamilton is not clearly known. However, it is believed that he was born either on January 11 1755 or 1757 in Charlestown, which is located the Nevis Island that was a part of the West Indies islands. He was a founder of the United States. In 1773, Hamilton joined the King's College in New York. He was appointed in a literary society known as Philolexian Society, as a member. The initial take on between the forces of British and those of America took place in the year 1775, in Boston. This actuated the American Revolution. Immediately, ...

Alexander Hamilton was the leading architect of the federalist model of government, which asserted the need for a strong centralized national system. As such, he stood in opposition to the likes of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, who espoused the doctrine of states’ rights. Hamilton’s brilliant legal mind produced some of the most important interpretations of the U.S. Constitution, a document the writing and ratification of which was spearheaded by Hamilton. Hamilton also wrote more than half of the Federalist Papers, the book that provides the philosophical basis for the Constitution. Hamilton insisted on the need for foundational institutions including a strong executive ...

The Federalist papers were a collection of documents written by James Madison, John Jay, and Alexander Hamilton. They wrote The Federalist No. 51 in 1787 seeking to discuss the issue over the distribution of power. Initially, they had intended the papers to be read by the merchants of New York, whose support they essentially needed to defeat the upstate Antifederalists, but ultimately, The Federalist papers were read all over the United States (Peacock). The executive, legislative, and judiciary were the three branches of government that were formed under the constitution. Although the three branches were independent and served their own ...

During the Early American Republic from the 1790s to the 1830s, the first two political party systems were divided along regional, ethnics and social class lines, particularly the commercial and industrial interests led by the Federalists and Whigs in the Northeast versus the Southern planters who controlled the Democratic Party. Both parties competed for the allegiance of the majority of white small farmers and the new Western states in what was increasingly becoming a more democratic political system, at least for white males. This rivalry between slaveholding property, small landowners and nascent capitalists existed even when the Constitution was being ...

The Whiskey Rebellion, which began on March 3, 1791, happens to be one of the topmost events within the early history of America (Humphrey, 2003). It took place when the U.S. Congress within Philadelphia approved a federal excise tax amounting to seven cents per gallon on whiskey in an attempt of paying off debts suffered by the Revolutionary War. Although, at that time, the majority of Americans felt negatively concerning taxation, the Western Pennsylvania’s intrepid farmers proved outright unreceptive to the idea (Humphrey, 2003). In 1790, the United State’s new national government was making an attempt of ...

Interest groups and factions have existed since the beginning of the United States, as James Madison recognized, and political parties throughout American history have been coalitions of interest groups. Corporations and lobbyists representing the upper classes and various big business interests have always been a major influence on Congress and the entire political system, particularly since the nation began to industrialize after the Civil War. They have been well-represented by the Federalist, Whig and Republican Parties for over 200 years, while in the past the Democratic Party was led by the Southern slaveholding interests and also claimed to represent lower-class ...

Introduction

America was torn in two during the years 1861 and 1865. This was right after President Abraham Lincoln was elected. The conflict really rooted from the conflict between the free North and the South that supported slavery. 1There were eleven states from the south that did not seem to like the idea of America being united as a single nation; they turned their backs from the Union. Lincoln was only in presidency for six weeks before he declared the acts of secession committed by the south illegal. The first states to secede from the Union were South Carolina, Mississippi and ...

Which political program do you think was more effective during the early Republic--that of the Federalists or that of the Jeffersonians? Like other normal days in United Kingdom, 4th of July 1776 was also just an ordinary day but the fact is that this date turned out to be one of the most important dates of the world history. America emerged as a new and sovereign country on the globe. Americans were freedom loving people and rebuffing foreigner’s rule they opted for a democratic ruling system of their own in their country. In democratic system political parties are one ...

Alexander Hamilton in his duel with Aaron Burr didn’t intend to kill Burr as per my opinion. From the history, wherein we find detailed circumstances leading to the duel and the events of the day of duel, I have arrived at this decision. The innumerous evidences which form the foundation of this opinion would be discussed at length in the paper. The major evidence is the bullet which was fired by Hamilton and was found wedged in tree at the back of Burr. The location of the bullet is explained by the witnesses present at the location ...

Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton were both great leaders in American history who contributed immensely to America’s political, social and economic development. President George Washington had appointed Alexander Hamilton America’s first secretary of the treasury while Thomas Jefferson was named the secretary of state. Both these leaders were independent minded and visionary, with great ideas for the nation. When Hamilton came into power, he focused most of his time and energy on the creation of government institutions that would make America a world power. Thomas Jefferson, on the other hand, had a vision intended for the people. He pursued ...