Posted on 05/15/2016 2:47:48 PM PDT by Kaslin
In a gripping new look at the important relationship between American founders George Washington and Alexander Hamilton, Stephen F. Knott and Tony Williams – authors of the new book Washington and Hamilton: The Alliance That Formed America, tell the story below of the American founding, which would not have been possible without this grand alliance. While many historians focus on the friendship and alliance of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, Washington and Hamilton reminds us why America would truly not be the prosperous country it is today without this special alliance.
Congratulations Stephen & Tony on the paperback release of your new book: Washington and Hamilton: The Alliance That Forged America! Can you give us an overview of the book?
Washington and Hamilton recounts the dramatic story of the most important and fruitful partnership of the American founding. It explores this indispensable relationship in terms of winning the Revolutionary War, creating and ratifying the Constitution, breathing life into the new government, and establishing “a new order of the ages.”
We argue throughout our book that without Washington and Hamilton, the “American experiment” would have failed.
What was your inspiration in writing it?
We were working on the topic independently and decided to combine forces and co-author the book. We were both struck by how central Washington and Hamilton were to the creation of the United States and yet no one had ever written a book about this critical collaboration. It was a glaring omission in the study of the American founding.
What three takeaways would you like readers to leave with after reading your book?
You discuss in your book the rival nature between Washington/Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson/James Madison. Why did this fissure form between them?
The consensus among the leaders of the American Revolution about the principles of liberty and self-government broke down during the political debates of the 1790s.
Jefferson and eventually Madison believed that Hamilton was a monarchist and Washington was his dupe. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Washington and Hamilton wanted to breathe life into the Constitution by governing according to its dictates and the rule of law. They established precedents for a presidency with necessary energy and vigor, and created a strong economy that allowed the nation to defend itself in a world dominated by European imperial powers.
Alexander Hamilton has a very unique story that was popularized recently with the Broadway musical, Hamilton. How did he rise from his humbling beginnings to the influential figure he became?
Hamilton is one of the greatest immigrant success stories in American history. He rose from extremely humble origins through disciplined hard work, native genius, and a great ambition to serve the republic.
Born a poor orphan in the Caribbean, he went on to serve at the highest levels of Washington’s staff, was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, became the driving force behind The Federalist Papers, and served as the nation’s first Secretary of the Treasury. He was at Washington’s side for over two decades of public service, acting as his most trusted advisor.
What is George Washington and Alexander Hamilton’s great legacy?
The unparalleled achievements of this fruitful relationship included winning the Revolutionary War against the greatest military power in the world, creating and ratifying a Constitution that has served as a model for the world, and designing institutions that allowed Americans to thrive and pursue their own happiness in a free society.
“Immigrants. We get the job done...”
From “the world has turned upside down” from The Hamilton musical
Hell yes. Thanks Kaslin. One-time ping to Larry.
I have no love for Hamilton. He’s the reason the big banks own this country now. Too bad Aaron Burr didn’t get him earlier.
He served as an artillery officer and subsequently on the Staff of General Washington. Like the other senior military and political officers of the new country, he risked possible hanging if captured.
Alexander Hamilton lead an assault on a British redoubt at Yorktown.
He resisted the call for a military takeover of the hapless non-government under the Articles of Confederation.
He was a delegate to the Annapolis convention of 1786 and largely responsible for the federal convention the next year.
On June 18th of the convention he launched a strategic assault on the minds of deadlocked delegates. His all day speech in support of a parliamentary system as an alternative to the Randolph and Paterson Plans shocked his fellow delegates into making the decision to dump the Articles of Confederation and design a new plan of government.
As the motive force behind The Federalist, he defended the Constitution, primarily against NY Governor George Clinton, whose state stood to lose lucrative impost revenue.
As Treasury Secretary he steered the nation from the brink of ruin to a sound financial basis.
It is fair to say that absent the efforts of Alexander Hamilton, the Confederation United States would have soon dissolved with nothing to replace it.
Hamilton's curse was that he betrayed the American Revolution. His main political and economical ideas were a combination of dictatorial monarchy, centralized power, imperialism, and economic mercantilism. These were the defining characteristics of the British Empire that the American revolutionaries had waged war against.
It may be in the musical but without Hamilton at Treasury (a one man band for most of his time there under Washington) the country might not have made it through its infancy. He had to have been one of, if not the brightest of those amazing Founders.
Agree. The nation is blessed that Alexander Hamilton was there from the start
Amen! Complete POS!
Well put. Exactly right.
Those founding fathers were all protectionists, especially Washington. A lot of RINO Cheap Labor Express Free Traitors™ will try to tell you differently.
I don’t now a lot about Hamilton but I will say that we can say the rebellion hung by a thread many times and could have failed dozens of times but for divine intervention.
The John Adams story is one that I know well and one could say that it would have failed without him...or Jefferson....or Paul Revere or Samuel Adams..or the swamp fox in South Carolina. Franklin and Adams secured the support of France. That would not have happened if Franklin wasn’t a rock star in France, and without French support, we would have been destroyed by Britian.
I agree to an extent that Washington and Hamilton were the driving force of constitutional America, but Jefferson pretty much single-handed lay gave us our fundamental land ownership and distribution laws before then and it was his idea to ensure all new settlers in the territories could become equal states and thereby preserved the Uinion at the outset from splitters.
Hamilton did such a fantastic job with the Treasury that even after Jefferson, as president, sent Albert Gallatin to find where Hamilton screwed up, he found “no flaws” or corruptions and called Hamilton’s Treasury “perfect.” Gallatin wrote, upon delivering his report, “I think Mr. Jefferson was disappointed.”
Hamilton set up the system that got JEFFERSON out of debt, and if we used it today we would have no debt (a “sinking fund”). Hamilton honorably insisted that ALL debts be paid for the good if the nation’s reputation.
Oh, and your banks? Madison himself wrote an amendment to the constitution that was removed permitting banks and general incorporation laws.p so he agreed with Hamilton.
Ping
“the Confederation United States would have soon dissolved with nothing to replace it. “
Not entirely a bad thing in my mind.
L
So, no Burrsylvania? Thanks LS.
by Stephen F. Knott and Tony Williams
Kindle edition
Paperback
But, ultimately, it does not matter whether Hamilton was a good guy or not. We cannot go back, and we have the system we have, corrupt as it is.
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