Alexander Hamilton: The Man

One of the most controversial, yet influential leaders of the American Revolution was Alexander Hamilton. Despite criticism from other notable leaders of the era like Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, Hamilton put forth bold, new ideas that remain part of our political system today. Beginning as a lawyer in 1782, he became an influential figure in the interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. In 1786, he proposed a convention of the states by which he hoped to empower the federal government. The Constitutional Convention in 1787 in Philadelphia was the means by which he worked hard with the states for the ratification of the United States. His three most notable contributions to our early political structure include: 1) Creating the Federalist Party; 2) Co-authoring the Federalist papers with John Jay and eventual President James Madison; and 3) developing the Doctrine of Implied Powers. All of Hamilton’s political achievements underscore his desire for a strong national government.

The Federalist Party was the first American political party. Hamilton was able to build-up the Federalist Party by using patronage, networks of elite leaders, and aggressive newspaper editors. He supported the idea of a strong national government. Federalists were nationalists who believed in a strong financial system and a strong military. Hamilton supported the idea of development of manufacturing, which he hoped to build balance economically between agriculture and industry. Federalists believed in a well-educated elite, and thus appealed to bankers, lawyers, merchants, landowners, and industrialists. Most Federalists believed in what John Jay was fond of saying, "The people who own the country ought to govern it", and Alexander Hamilton was no exception. He, also, lobbied religious leaders of the time to join him in his Federalist crusade, which is in direct comparison to the 20th and 21st century Republican Party. In 1789, Hamilton became the Secretary of the Treasury which allowed him to implement most of his economically conservative beliefs. He resigned his Secretary of the Treasury post in 1795 amidst personal financial problems and an increase of opposition in U.S. Congress to him. Despite the criticism from his opponents, Hamilton’s ideas have remained a part of our political process, which is why he is considered to be one of our fore-fathers. Ironically, while Hamilton established the first political party in the history of our country, he was not a true believer in the political party system. By his establishment of the Federalist Party, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, who at the time were political adversaries, formed the Democratic-Republican Party, which evolved into what is now the Republican Party. ( Britannica Biography Collection)

The Federalist Papers, written with John Jay and James Madison, are a series of 85 articles which argue for the ratification of the United States Constitution. They are a primary source for the interpretation of the United States Constitution. They were published serially in New York City beginning in 1787. They outline the philosophy and motivation for proposed system of government for that time. Of the 85 articles that make up the Federalist Papers, Hamilton is believed to have authored 51 of them. Surprisingly, the Federalist Papers are in stark contrast to what later became known as "The Bill of Rights". The idea of adding a bill of rights to the constitution was originally controversial because the constitution, as written, did not specifically enumerate or protect the rights of the people. Alexander Hamilton, the author of Federalist No. 84, feared that such an enumeration, once written down explicitly, would later be interpreted as a list of the only rights that people had. His concern over a bill of rights was far from a universal point of view. He asserted that such a bill unrestrained, could lead to tyranny. Hamilton believed that too many unrestricted personal rights would have a negative influence over the national government. This debate is what led to many disputes between Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson.

The Hamilton-Jefferson dispute led Alexander Hamilton to write what is now referred to as the "Doctrine of Implied Powers". The Doctrine of Implied Powers asserts that the Federal government can loosely interpret the United States Constitution. The dispute between the two began when Hamilton, as Secretary of the Treasury, wanted to establish a national bank. Thomas Jefferson, as Secretary of State, disagreed believing that federal government did not have the power to enact such an institution. The Doctrine of Implied Powers states that the government has implied powers. Those powers that are reasonably suggested by the United States Constitution. The Supreme Court would eventually resolve the issue by upholding the doctrine. The Federalist Party believed in a loose construction of the United States Constitution to allow for some latitude with regards to interpretation of the Constitution. This became commonly known as "The Elastic Clause". While many of the beliefs of Hamilton at the time were argued, during the early 19th Century most of his beliefs were enacted by other people. A national bank was finally established in 1812 by John C. Calhoun.(Wikipedia.com)

In conclusion, not only did Alexander Hamilton propose a lot of different and unique ideas concerning his concept of a strong national government, but many were enacted later by other political figures, including Thomas Jefferson. In 1800, Thomas Jefferson was elected president and his running-mate, Aaron Burr was elected vice-president, ironically Hamilton supported Jefferson’s campaign. He did not support the incumbent president John Adams. When asked why he would support his nemesis, Jefferson, Hamilton explained that, "at least Jefferson is honest". When it became clear that Jefferson did not wish to have Burr run with him for re-election, Burr sought to become the governor of the State of New York, but Hamilton was still no supporter of Burr’s. He campaigned hard for Burr’s opponent Morgan Lewis. Lewis eventually defeated Burr and became the Governor of New York. This led to Hamilton being quoted in a New York newspaper as to having an even more negative opinion of Burr. Burr sensing his honor was being attacked, challenged Hamilton to a duel by pistol. A duel was scheduled for July 11, 1804 at dawn along the Hudson River in Weehawken, New Jersey. Unlike the success of Hamilton enjoyed in his political career, he was not too fortunate in the duel with Burr. Hamilton died of gunshot wounds from Burr from the duel.

*Works Cited:
1 "Alexander Hamilton" by Alexander DeConde, Britannica Biography Collection
2 "Alexander Hamilton" from Wikipedia.com