Cleveland Buck;1002164 wrote:Burr didn't get to him soon enough. He pushed for a central bank for the main reason of tying big business together with big government, laying the groundwork for the fascist state we have today. When they were writing the Constitution he wanted the president to appoint the governors of the states. The guy was despicable and we would be much better off if he had nothing to do with founding of this country. Read anything by Tom Woods about the time period if you want to know about Hamilton and the other founders.

Congratulations you read a book by a loon. The guy was on the right side on the issue of slavery as an early member of the New York Manumission Society. He was a military hero. His program supported by George Washington gave the early nation protection and economic stablity. The decentralizing and pacifistic policies of the Jefferson-Madison administration wrecked the economy and left us largely defenseless in the War of 1812. After Madison saw these destructive effects he adopted much of his partner in the Federalist Papers program in the Post War era including the resurrection of the Bank of the United States.

I just finished the book. I admire Hamilton. I don't agree with everything he stood for. He did support the Alien and Sedition Act which was dispicable. But so did many other leaders at the time, including Jefferson who had people prosecuted under it. The press was venemous then in a way that we are not used to - although this doesn't excuse it.

Anyway, Hamilton was a brilliant guy who stood out in a group of generally brilliant men. His ideas were often cast in the extreme because of the viscious partisan politics that played out at the time. He did have misgivings about a pure democracy. However it can be argued that the financial system he established for the US is what allowed the country's economy to develop the way it did. He also was a leading proponent for the union - something that was tenuous in those early days.

He was a political animal, no doubt a bout it. However he made no bones about where he stood on any point. The same cannot be said for Thomas Jefferson. Hamilton was a self-made man who came from extremely humble orgins to become a leading figure in his day.

Overarall, a great book.