Tuesday, January 10, 2012

DISCUSSION OUTLINE RE ALEXANDER HAMILTON BIOGRAPHY BY RON CHERNOW

DISCUSSION OUTLINE RE ALEXANDER HAMILTON BIOGRAPHY BY RON CHERNOW

July 12, 2004

1.  Why did Hamilton feel so strongly about promoting mercantilism
(e.g., Is it the "lever of the riches" or an emulation of England)?

2.  How would the government and business environment of the United
States
differ today if Hamilton had not caught Washington's attention in
1777?

3.   Other than the sawbuck, what is the most enduring monument to
Hamilton (e.g., the Fed, the political party, the army)?

4.  What defined Hamilton's consciousness (e.g., outsider who becomes
war hero, Fed Ex deliveryman, workaholic Wall Street lawyer) ?

5.  Was Hamilton the original Democrat or Republican (current parties)?
  Does either party label fit?  Would Dewey, James or Holmes think of
Hamilton as "like-minded"?

6.  Is Ron Chernow a good biographer, and if so what are his weaknesses?

7.  For extra credit, who is the man without qualities in this book?

8. Why was Hamilton silent during the Constitutional Convention
(after his "monarchy" speech)?

9. Why was Hamilton so eager to become Washington's number two
again during the Quasi War with France of 1799?

10. What were some of the principal reasons Hamilton's political
judgment became so poor/sour in his 40's?

11. Was the duel with Burr avoidable/inevitable?

12. Did Burr kill Hamilton on purpose and if so, why?

13. Did Hamilton and Angelica Church make love?  Is the proposition
that they did not because of the close relations among  Alexander, Angelica and
Eliza persuasive?



AND THANKS TO DAVID LAVERTY
14.  Would Hamilton be considered one of the important founders based
largely on his role as the key cabinet member under Washington? Without
this role, would he make the cut based on his Revolutionary War exploits
and his role as prime mover of the Federalist Papers? Given Hamilton's
relatively detached involvement at the Constitutional Convention, and
the relatively limited direct impact of the Papers on the ratification
of the Constitution, do you question his achievement with the Papers
(apart from his ability to explain and promote the work of others)?

No comments:

Post a Comment