A Book Review of Richard Brookhiser s Alexander Hamilton: American Prepared by Gerard Foley In Partial Completion of the Teaching American History Program Sept. 23, 2010
Wise politicians should march at the head of affairs, not waiting on the event to know what measures to take; but the measures which they have taken, ought to produce the event. ( Brookhiser, p. 43) These words that were once spoken by the great Athenian Demosthenes areadroitly used by Richard Brookhiser to describe the motivations behind Revolutionary patriot and first Treasury Secretary of the United States Alexander Hamilton in his 1999 book, Alexander Hamilton: American. The book, a brief but insightful account of how the bastard brat of a Scottish peddler was able to shape American History through his superior intellect, force of persuasion, and diligent work, argues nothing less than that Alexander Hamilton is the very model of the modern American. While some have attacked the book on the grounds that its conservative author lionizes Hamilton at the expense of Jefferson and more particularly Madison, the tome is an excellent contribution to the scholarship of one of America s most famous, prolific, and tragic figures. While serious readers of American History may end up wanting more detail in this treatment of the first Treasury Secretary, this work provides an excellent introduction to Hamilton and expertly proposes some original ideas about Hamilton s life and work. The ten succinct chapters read as the plot of classic literature with the beginning of Hamilton s life as an impoverished immigrant from the West Indies leading to the rising action with the complication of the American Revolution which caused the climax of Hamilton s life; his role in establishing the Constitution and the financial system of the United States. Finally there is the denouement of Hamilton s actions with his role with Maria Reynolds and his attack on John Adams and the tragic end with his interview on the plains of Weehawken, NJ with Aaron Burr. Brookhiser offers a brief summary of these events but never strays far from his
central theme that these events demonstrate Hamilton s affinity for public service, honor and duty. While the book examines many aspect of Hamilton s life, the reader is struck at how prolific Hamilton was in his writing and in his work. Most especially the reader of this work comes away with an understanding of Hamilton as not just a genius, though he was one of those, but of a man whose work ethic highlights his life from a youthful industry, to his study for law but perhaps most obviously in his work as Treasury Secretary. The Treasury was by far the largest department of the new government with over 500 custom collectors. With regard to the others in Washington s cabinet, Brookhiser said of Hamiton, He worked harder than his colleagues and had more work to do. (Brookhiser, p.83). His First Report on Public Credit brought the focus on establishing the credit of the US. His diligent work on the question of discrimination and assumption were masterful works of logic but perhaps most importantly, Hamilton framed the assumption debate as a moral obligation (Brookhiser, p.84). While Hamilton realized that assumption would lead the United States to have more creditworthiness, the Treasury Secretary s most important arguments, according to Brookhiser, were that individual states were inflating their way out of debt or defaulting and that these actions brought dishonor to all US citizens. While he argued for a National Bank in the 2 nd Report on Public Credit and made a well researched appeal to President Washington to forestall a veto of the National Bank, perhaps his greatest display of industry was involved in his Third Report on Manufactures which was not successful. Brookhiser writes, the rest of government fled the Philadelphia summer. All but Hamilton who stayed in town to work on his third great report (Brookhiser, p.93). Hamilton endured an onslaught from those factions that lined up against him, but at every turn his preparation allowed him to defend his programs convincingly. This preparation exerted itself in
his role at the Constitutional Convention when the rest of the New York delegation was against him, in the drafting of the Federalist Papers and in his eloquent arguments in favor of his plans, especially the Third Report on Manufacturers. While the lesson of preparation is certainly one that teachers may appreciate, perhaps a more enduring lesson from this book is the role that Hamilton assumed as a man with a sense of civic obligation. Brookhiser takes great pain to describe the ideal of public duty as superior to personal gain as the cornerstone of Hamilton s life. He introduces this aspect of Hamilton s life in many instances. Early in the book, the author describes Hamilton s defense of Dr. Cooper, the Anglican head of Kings College. As a group of patriots gathered with the intent of tarring and feathering the older man, Hamilton stalled the mob while Cooper escaped. He performed a similar act for a printer who had published Samuel Seabury s loyalist writings. Brookhiser writes of Hamilton, Historians teach that mobs are a feature of all revolutions He [Hamilton] opposed mobs and revolutionary justice all his life (Brookhiser, p.26). To Hamilton, Brookhiser argues, proper authority lay a duty upon men and this obligation had to be upheld even if it were inconvenient. This point is further explicated at the end of the book when the author introduces us to Hamilton s wife Betty who was being called upon long after Hamilton s death by James Monroe. It is probable that Betty felt that Monroe had been indelicate with regard to Alexander Hamilton s confession that he had an affair with Maria Reynolds and as he asked for a forgive and forget attitude in an attempt to reconcile, Mrs. Hamilton rejected the former President. In life Brookhiser writes, he had insisted on holding himself, and her, to his view of public duties She was upholding their choice now (Brookhiser, p.217).
The author offers other instances where Hamilton put his public duty before his own personal gain such as forgoing his lucrative law career to become Treasury Secretary or his detailing the scandalous affair he had with Maria Reynolds publicly to remove the specter of impropriety in his role of Treasury Secretary. All of these offer a chance to use this book to teach students about public duty and responsibility. An excellent lesson that teachers may try to use with this book would be to have students design a motivational poster similar to the ones that teachers hang on their walls in an effort to inspire. Students would have to use the word Public Service as the character trait to be inspired, find a Hamilton quote from the book that exemplified his public service, and to draw a scene that the quote referenced. On the back of the poster students would be asked to write a paragraph that linked Hamilton thoughts on public service to his role as a Founder. In this way a central theme of Brookhiser s book could be utilized to convey the importance not only of Hamilton, but as Brookhiser would argue, the thing of greatest import in Hamilton s life, the act of public service. One last enduring point of the book for students may be the humanity of Hamilton. Brookhiser recounts how Hamilton in 1797 had been in contact with Scottish relatives and modestly recounted his years to that point spending only two paragraphs on his role as Treasury Secretary (Brookhiser, p183). This modesty is immediately contrasted when Hamilton writes, the gratifications of public service included not only the opportunity of doing good, but also the love of fame (Brookhiser, p.183). Brookhiser does an exceedingly good job of demonstrating that for all of Hamilton s genius, industry and morality, he was also had base motives like all humans. Students will appreciate the capitalist argument that the good of the group is tantamount but that the good of the group may spring from the individual gain.
While Richard Brookhiser s biography of Hamilton is short and in some respects glosses over relevant details with summation, that is precisely what makes it applicable to High School students. His use of primary sources is delicate and timely. His argumentative style (he portrays Jefferson and Madison as less than honorable in their dealings with Hamilton), would easily engage students in the text and encourage them to think about the Founders on several levels. Nonetheless, one cannot read this book and come away thinking that Brookhiser is tearing down the Founders. He is expert at presenting them, warts and all, but also adhering to a heroic view of the Founders, especially Hamilton. While one is certainly left wanting for more information in places, that is hardly a stinging criticism of the book. This is an excellent introduction to Hamilton for any student of American History.
BIBLIOGRAPHY Brookhiser, Richard. ALEXANDER HAMILTON, American. 1st Touchstone Ed ed. New York City: Free Press, 2000. Print.