Whose Hamilton?

As Professor Rossiter points out, Alexander Hamilton’s “reputation has been on the slow rise ever since the turn of this century.” With the victory of the New Deal, the brilliance of his belief in a broadly interpreted Constitution favoring federal power, a strong executive, a ruling elite, and control through economic policy became as clear as day to those intelligent and dedicated Liberals whose position under Roosevelt now resembled Hamilton’s position under Washington. Hamiltonian principles began to acquire what Rossiter calls a “high place.”

Unfortunately, but predictably, professional historians have been less quick of eye. Although predominantly Liberal (but Jeffersonian) and no doubt anxious to be of use, they have remained to this day predominantly anti-Hamilton. For them, Hamilton’s ideas and actions seem either relatively insignificant or relatively dangerous. Their view, as Rossiter indicates, is the view entrenched in American textbooks, and this is not, he believes, either fair to Hamilton or useful to the nation at a time when we are engaged “in an effort to save our dominant liberal tradition.

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Vincent Miller

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As Professor Rossiter points out, Alexander Hamilton’s “reputation has been on the slow rise ever since the turn of this century.” With the victory of the New Deal, the brilliance of his belief in a broadly interpreted Constitution favoring federal power, a strong executive, a ruling elite, and control through economic policy became as clear as day to those intelligent and dedicated Liberals whose position under Roosevelt now resembled Hamilton’s position under Washington. Hamiltonian principles began to acquire what Rossiter calls a “high place.”

Unfortunately, but predictably, professional historians have been less quick of eye. Although predominantly Liberal (but Jeffersonian) and no doubt anxious to be of use, they have remained to this day predominantly anti-Hamilton. For them, Hamilton’s ideas and actions seem either relatively insignificant or relatively dangerous. Their view, as Rossiter indicates, is the view entrenched in American textbooks, and this is not, he believes, either fair to Hamilton or useful to the nation at a time when we are engaged “in an effort to save our dominant liberal tradition.