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Alexander Hamilton and the Persistence of Myth
Alexander Hamilton and the Persistence of Myth explores the shifting reputation of our most controversial founding father. Since the day Aaron Burr fired his fatal shot, Americans have tried to come to grips with Alexander Hamilton's legacy. Stephen Knott surveys the Hamilton image in the minds of American statesmen, scholars, literary figures, and the media, explaining why Americans are content to live in a Hamiltonian nation but reluctant to embrace the man himself.
Knott observes that Thomas Jefferson and his followers, and, later, Andrew Jackson and his adherents, tended to view Hamilton and his principles as "un-American." While his policies generated mistrust in the South and the West, where he is still seen as the founding "plutocrat," Hamilton was revered in New England and parts of the Mid-Atlantic states. Hamilton's image as a champion of American nationalism caused his reputation to soar during the Civil War, at least in the North. However, in the wake of Gilded Age excesses, progressive and populist political leaders branded Hamilton as the patron saint of Wall Street, and his reputation began to disintegrate.
Hamilton's status reached its nadir during the New Deal, Knott argues, when Franklin Roosevelt portrayed him as the personification of Dickensian cold-heartedness. When FDR erected the beautiful Tidal Basin monument to Thomas Jefferson and thereby elevated the Sage of Monticello into the American Pantheon, Hamilton, as Jefferson's nemesis, fell into disrepute. He came to epitomize the forces of reaction contemptuous of the "great beast"-the American people. In showing how the prevailing negative assessment misrepresents the man and his deeds, Knott argues for reconsideration of Hamiltonianism, which rightly understood has much to offer the American polity of the twenty-first century.
Remarkably, at the dawn of the new millennium, the nation began to see Hamilton in a different light. Hamilton's story was now the embodiment of the American dream—an impoverished immigrant who came to the United States and laid the economic and political foundation that paved the way for America's superpower status. Here in Stephen Knott's insightful study, Hamilton finally gets his due as a highly contested but powerful and positive presence in American national life.
Knott observes that Thomas Jefferson and his followers, and, later, Andrew Jackson and his adherents, tended to view Hamilton and his principles as "un-American." While his policies generated mistrust in the South and the West, where he is still seen as the founding "plutocrat," Hamilton was revered in New England and parts of the Mid-Atlantic states. Hamilton's image as a champion of American nationalism caused his reputation to soar during the Civil War, at least in the North. However, in the wake of Gilded Age excesses, progressive and populist political leaders branded Hamilton as the patron saint of Wall Street, and his reputation began to disintegrate.
Hamilton's status reached its nadir during the New Deal, Knott argues, when Franklin Roosevelt portrayed him as the personification of Dickensian cold-heartedness. When FDR erected the beautiful Tidal Basin monument to Thomas Jefferson and thereby elevated the Sage of Monticello into the American Pantheon, Hamilton, as Jefferson's nemesis, fell into disrepute. He came to epitomize the forces of reaction contemptuous of the "great beast"-the American people. In showing how the prevailing negative assessment misrepresents the man and his deeds, Knott argues for reconsideration of Hamiltonianism, which rightly understood has much to offer the American polity of the twenty-first century.
Remarkably, at the dawn of the new millennium, the nation began to see Hamilton in a different light. Hamilton's story was now the embodiment of the American dream—an impoverished immigrant who came to the United States and laid the economic and political foundation that paved the way for America's superpower status. Here in Stephen Knott's insightful study, Hamilton finally gets his due as a highly contested but powerful and positive presence in American national life.
348 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 11, 2018
A comprehensive summary of what's been said about Hamilton since his death. Most of the chapters are largely made up of quotations that Knott strings together with some contextualization and the occasional amusing comment, but it's not unreadable. In the last chapter, as Knott summarizes Hamilton's legacy, his strong and almost rabid veneration of Hamilton comes to light, which considering his fairly reasoned presentation of the previous chapters is a bit of an about-face. Not beach reading necessarily, but interesting for those wanting greater context for Hamilton's continuously maligned reputation and his legacy in modern American politics.
March 5, 2021
First off all, mad respect for the amount of research this author has done on the book. This must have taken a lot of time and is something I applaud.
The book gives an honest view of Hamilton, who seemed to have been a forgotten founding father. The book is an account of quotations from people over the course of history, about Hamilton and how they viewed him.
The book also explains why Hamilton was so important for America as it is today.
About halfway it gets a little bit repetitive, but the authors more than redeems himself again towards the end.
The book gives an honest view of Hamilton, who seemed to have been a forgotten founding father. The book is an account of quotations from people over the course of history, about Hamilton and how they viewed him.
The book also explains why Hamilton was so important for America as it is today.
About halfway it gets a little bit repetitive, but the authors more than redeems himself again towards the end.
May 27, 2021
I did my undergraduate senior thesis as a memory study of Hamilton, and out of all of the many many Hamilton books I've read, this is one of the best.
September 25, 2020
A very interesting charting of Alexander Hamilton's reputation in America from his death in 1804 to the modern day (wrapping up in 2002, when the book was published). I was very intrigued by Knott's method of charting the highs and lows (okay, mostly lows) of how Hamilton is viewed by Americans and comparing it to how Thomas Jefferson's reputation was viewed. To be honest, Jefferson has had much better press over the centuries.
Again, the study wrapped up at the dawn of the 21st century, well before the phenomenon of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton: An American Musical catapulted Alexander Hamilton to veritable stardom in the eyes of the American people. One almost wishes that Knott could write one more chapter for this book, to bring his thoughts on Hamilton and his reputation to the present.
To be honest, the book was a bit dry in places, but for the most part, I enjoyed it. Not for the casual reader, but someone who has a really deep, abiding interest in the subject of the historical Hamilton.
Again, the study wrapped up at the dawn of the 21st century, well before the phenomenon of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton: An American Musical catapulted Alexander Hamilton to veritable stardom in the eyes of the American people. One almost wishes that Knott could write one more chapter for this book, to bring his thoughts on Hamilton and his reputation to the present.
To be honest, the book was a bit dry in places, but for the most part, I enjoyed it. Not for the casual reader, but someone who has a really deep, abiding interest in the subject of the historical Hamilton.
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September 7, 2023Remarkably researched. This book helped to change perceptions of Alexander Hamilton in the 21st century.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews