Recommendations from our site
“Max Edling restores the Hamiltonian part of the framing story. Most scholars, myself included, have privileged James Madison, who was most concerned about the protection of rights and the proper structure of constitutional government. Edling explains that Alexander Hamilton and a group of other men who had served in the Continental Army, were concerned by the weakness that the American government demonstrated during the revolutionary war and were deeply aware that Great Britain, our former colonial master, was advantaged by having the most efficient state in the Atlantic world. Their view of the dangers that the United States would face as a new republic shaped the framing.” Read more...
The best books on The US Constitution
Jack Rakove, Historian
This book picks up on the story of the Federalist Papers. Hitherto historians had tended to consider Hamilton’s role in framing the US Constitution as subordinate to that of Madison. Edling shows that Hamilton was absolutely central to the process and the final outcome. Where Madison was interested in particular structures and in the protection of individual rights, Hamilton’s concerns were focused more on ensuring the state was strong enough to protect itself. He was instrumental in ensuring that Congress had unlimited powers of taxation and deepened its control over the army, the navy and the militias.
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