Section 1 – Identification and Evaluation of Sources This investigation will explore the question: What was the effect of the Reynolds Affair on Alexander Hamilton’s political and personal life? The Reynolds Affair, which occurred in 1791 between Alexander Hamilton and Maria Reynolds with her husband’s knowledge, was revealed to the public in 1797 by Hamilton himself to clear his name of speculation. One source that this investigation will be using and evaluating is referred to as “The Reynolds Pamphlet,” and has its origins as a defensive document written by Alexander Hamilton in 1797. Its purpose was to refute a charge of speculation that James Callender had levelled at Hamilton and thus its contents include descriptions of the affair, proof that Hamilton was innocent of speculation, and declarations of blackmail. The pamphlet is valuable in that it was written by Hamilton himself less than a decade after the incident, thus showing his views and providing a first-hand account of the affair which can be compared to the reactions it …show more content…
Was Lodge simply practicing selection in his omission of the events of the Reynolds affair, or was he showing bias by refusing to portray Hamilton in a wholly negative light? I was attempting to answer this by analyzing the distinct perspectives on the Reynolds affair when I realized it is impossible to describe historical events in an unbiased way. Although statistical facts can and should be reported without bias, a description is easy to distort. This is because witnesses of an event see and record based on their personal outlooks – for instance, Hamilton’s recollections of the affair are largely self-serving, and accounts made by other Federalists show the inherent bias people held towards men in the 18th century. Therefore, analysis and descriptions made by future historians will hold at least a small piece of this bias in their own
He has been awarded with the National Book Foundation Distinguished Contribution to American Letters Award as well as the National Humanities Medal. McCullough devoted twenty-two pages at the end of his book to cite all the sources used. He had gathered manuscript collections, books, reference works, diaries, journals, memoirs, articles, newspapers, and journals. He used all of these materials in his book to make 1776 as indifferent and objective as
In Samuel Adams: A Life, author Ira Stoll begins Adams’s biography with a prelude explaining the purpose of his book: to describe Samuel Adams, tell why history has largely forgotten him, and serve as a reminder for why we should remember him. On the whole, Stoll is true to his promise; he writes of Adams’s life, pulling accounts from Adams’s contemporaries as well as using excerpts of Adams’s personal correspondence and his numerous newspaper publications. Stoll’s research is evident in that he includes the opinions and research of other historians and Samuel Adams biographers. Stoll’s biography follows Samuel Adams from childhood to death, and thus essentially tells of the origins and formation of the United States. The biography is compelling,
Political parties began in America when two of George Washington’s advisors, Alexander Hamilton, leader of the Federalist and Thomas Jefferson, leader of the Democratic Republicans disagreed on political issues. Newspapers also influenced political parties. The Federalists and the Democratic Republicans were political parties that were created when an agreement could not be made for what would be best for the country. Hamilton was influenced by Britain to encourage trade and manufacturing, while Jefferson favored farming. Hamilton also favored a strong federal government, while Jefferson believed it would take the state’s power.
The topic I would be doing would be on/about Alexander Hamilton in regards to The Federalist Papers. This topic is significant, because it draws on the Founding Father whose writing influenced/shaped the composition of the Early American Republic, and has given rise to many institutions/developments that can be traced to this day. As quite a controversial and well-debated document, The Federalist Papers was designed as a series of essays used to defend the Constitution—upon which we still call upon today. The five sources that provide a basic foundation to begin the project are: “To Begin the World Anew” by Bernard Bailyn, “The Political Psychology of the Federalist” by Daniel Walker Howe, “Ethos in Law and History: Alexander Hamilton,
Over the course of American history, society has dealt with many flaws, and dilemmas. In Source B, it illustrates that Abigail Adams, John’s wife, wanted the Continental Congress to remember the ladies when they write The Declaration of Independence. In Source C, it rationalizes how slaves didn’t have equal rights as white men, and the petition is trying to give their natural rights back. Furthermore, in Source D, a miniseries that depicted John Adams life, given particular the Revolutionary War. This source allows the viewer to visualize the conflicts that the Continental Congress had, with the colonists, and the British.
Alexander Hamilton was in charge of fixing the finances of the nation. The main issue was the huge debt the United States had after the Revolution that just kept building up. Hamilton proposed an excise tax. He wanted to tax the production sale or consumption of a commodity on distilled whiskey production in the United States. This was to help establish the authority of the government, to levy internal taxes on its citizens.
With the election of George Washington as the first president, the newly formed republic of the U.S. faced a number of domestic problems. In an attempt to tackle the economic crisis, Secretary of State, Alexander Hamilton, proposed his financial plan which was intended to transform the U.S. into an industrial and commercial power. This plan entailed two reports on public credit, one on the installation of a national bank, and finally a report on manufactures. This report on manufactures encompassed Hamilton 's vision of America 's economic future based on industry and manufacturing as integral components of the emerging American society, which he thought would propel the U.S. to becoming not only a nation equal to Britain and France, but one that was superior on every level.
What did he achieve? Alexander Hamilton was the first Secretary of the Treasury of the United States of America. From his simple and modest upbringing to being the founding father of the U.S. Although Alexander Hamilton was born in the British West Indies, he moved to the US as a refugee when he was young. Not only was Hamilton being the first Secretary of the Treasury of the United States of America, he was also a soldier in General Washington’s Army, an economist, philosopher, founding father of the United States and one of the chief architects who shaped the great nation of the U.S. He was also a founder of the nation’s first political party of the Federalists.
Respectively, insofar as the act posed threat to the editors in overall, a Republican editor would have totally been against the act. As for John Adams, his position in respect to this article was a bit ambivalent. While at that period, “criticism of his foreign policy reached an all-time high”, this act was useful for the President since it allowed to avoid disapproval of his policies (Roark 282). However, from the other point of view, the act extended the power of the central government to a large extent.
After a series of “paper wars” between the political opponents, Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel, which Hamilton accepted. According to Freeman, Hamilton accepted Burr’s challenge for a number of reasons. “In his mind, the duel; was a praiseworthy attempt to serve the common good... yet it was also an intensely personal attempt to preserve his public career. To prove to the world, and to himself, that he was a man of his word, a man of courage and principle, a leader.”
Holton divides his book into four chronological sections. The first segment of book is entitled “Grievances, 1763-1774”. This is where Holton expands on the history between Land Speculators, Indians, and Privy Council. Holton highlights how natives resisting colonial expansion combined with British officials tactically avoiding another expensive Indian war frustrated Virginia 's many land speculators. Those same Virginians, as tobacco planters and slave-owners, were also deeply upset by imperial trade policy The governments response’s to the burgesses petitions would affect the allegiance to Britain by men like Jefferson and Washington.
This is conveyed by Washington’s correspondence with Hamilton. Hamilton began his decline when Washington died. Freed of the tempered restraining influence of Washington, Hamilton’s judgment faltered. At this point, the book became almost unbearably sad. Hamilton engaged in a number of political feuds with Adams, Jefferson, Madison, and others that clouded his perspective.
Being a good leader does not necessarily mean shining in the spotlight. Some of the most revolutionary and successful leaders are the ones who worked the lights. Self-awareness, self-direction, vision, ability to motivate, and social awareness are the characteristics of a good leader according to SIY Leadership Institute (SIYLI). There have been many accomplished and renowned leaders in America since (and before) the 1770’s, ones whose names are universally known and others who are unfamiliar. Of the latter is Alexander Hamilton, who showed potential since the minute he was put on earth, for no matter what obstacles were thrown in his way he forged ahead and never threw away his shot.
Because of many of his radical views, he gained a lot of opposition in both the Federalist and Democratic-Republican parties, and was forced to resign, yet still remained popular, with a greatly valued opinion (Brookhiser). Hamilton then lost his firstborn son (Phillip) in a duel when Phillip challenged George Eacker to uphold his father’s honor. And yet Hamilton refused to remain quiet and openly opposed Aaron Burr in the election of 1800, and worked against Burr again when the Vice President ran for New York governorship. In an attempt to heal his wounded pride, Aaron Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel, and the discredited Alexander Hamilton died the day after. (Foner).
“Hamilton’s background would always set him apart and give him an outlook on life and politics the other Founding Fathers did not share”(Gordon,50). Hamilton helped shape Washington’s foreign policy. Hamilton advised Washington on the Neutrality Proclamation, which declared that America would not become entangled in affairs but be friendly with both