Title: How Alexander Hamilton Screwed Up America Author: Brion McClanahan Genre: History Published: 2017 Format: Hardcover Pages: 189
This book traces the huge federal government we have today to the nationalist ideas of Alexander Hamilton. These were further cemented into practice through the other three primary subjects of this book – Supreme Court justices John Marshall, Joseph Story, and Hugo Black.
The thesis of this book is important because it explains the roots of the leviathan the federal government of the United Status has become. How federalism has been all but destroyed. That the problem is not the current president. Or the last president. It shows the intellectual foundations of a nationalist government built on debt and centralized power. How the U.S. Constitution has been turned on it’s head by the idea of implied powers. Most famously argued by Hamilton among the founding generation and codified by Chief Justice John Marshall who presided for 35 years. Marshall was an outgoing John Adams appointed him as a political move against the Jeffersonians.
This book starts each of the first two characters pointing out their hypocrisies with cleverly titled chapters Hamilton vs. Hamilton and Marshall vs. Marshall. Both having argued for the federal nature and granting of limited and specifically enumerated powers of the constitution during the ratification stage. Yet later after ratification inventing the idea of implied powers and extending the supremacy clause over the status such that would become mere incorporations of the national government. Hamilton had revealed his colors at the constitutional convention in 1787 but was rebuffed for ideas like electing a king for life and making the states incorporations of the national governments.
Evidence today that the Hamilton nationalist ideas have won over the Jeffersonian idea of republican federalism are everywhere. John Marshall decisions are still used by the courts to grant the federal government carte blanche. Joseph Story’s writings on the constitution are famously taught to all American law students to this day. Despite Story inventing a founding history that was flat out false. Claiming somehow the union predates the states when the states had existed for decades before, signed 13 separate peace treaties in Paris with the British, and ratified the constitution as a strict list of enumerated powers granted to the national government.
Justice Black, the last known Klan member nominated to the Supreme Court, took these ideas further granting “rights” from the national government such as abortion to further cement the top down approach of the United States today.
I have not read any other books directly about Hamilton. However, the conclusions are consistent with what I read from other historians I trust such as Tom Woods and Kevin Gutzman. The author McClanahan makes his point that the ideas of Hamilton have screwed up American by making us just another top down governed nation instead of the federal republic of decentralization and emphasis on local control.
I certainly was not taught much in my school days about Hamilton other than he was the first Secretary of State, was killed in a duel with Aaron Burr, and is on the $20 bill. There are many details I was unaware of that are fascinating. The founding generation had much of political battles and deception that we are led to believe are just a modern thing. If you’re fascinated by behind the scenes history this book is for you.,
Yours in liberty, Thomas Freese 2018