Alexander Hamilton's Opinion as to the Constitutionality of the Bank of the United States
()
About this ebook
Hamilton is also well remembered for his authorship, along with John Jay and James Madison, of the Federalist Papers. The Federalist Papers sought to rally support for the Constitution’s approval when those three anonymously wrote them, but for readers and scholars today they also help us get into the mindset of the Founding Fathers, including the “Father of the Constitution” himself. They also help demonstrate how men of vastly different political ideologies came to accept the same Constitution.
One of the biggest battles was over the chartering of a national bank, a topic that seems trivial today given the size and scope of the federal government. At the founding, however, the Southern states and Thomas Jefferson’s Democratic Party were skeptical of the necessity of a national bank, while Hamilton’s Federalists insisted that it would help the nation pay off its debts and manage its finances. Eventually Hamilton won out, but the First U.S. Bank, located in Philadelphia, was nonetheless run by a private company, ensuring limits on government control. Before the First U.S. Bank was chartered, Hamilton wrote a defense of the chartering of a national bank by asserting it was constitutional.
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804) was an American statesman, legal scholar, military leader, lawyer, and economist. After serving as a senior aide to General George Washington during the American Revolutionary War, Hamilton practiced law and founded the Bank of New York. As the need to replace the confederal government became apparent, Hamilton advocated for a Constitutional Convention to be held in Philadelphia. Following the convention, Hamilton wrote 51 of the 85 Federalist Papers, essays and articles intended to promote the ratification of the new Constitution. He then served as head of the Treasury Department under President Washington, later campaigning for Thomas Jefferson’s presidential nomination. In 1804, following a dispute, Hamilton was killed in a duel by politician and lawyer Aaron Burr.
Read more from Alexander Hamilton
The Federalist Papers & Anti-Federalist Papers: Complete Edition of the Pivotal Constitution Debate: Including Articles of Confederation (1777), Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights & Other Amendments – All With Founding Fathers' Arguments & Decisions about the Constitution Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Federalist Papers and the Constitution of the United States: The Principles of the American Government Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAlexander Hamilton: Adultery and Apology: Observations on Certain Documents in the History of the United States for the Year 1796 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsReynolds Pamphlet Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Federalist Papers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe U.S. Constitution: Anti-Federalist Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHamilton's Economic Policies: Works & Speeches of the Founder of American Financial System Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Federalist Papers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Federalist Papers: The Ideas that Forged the American Constitution Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSelected Writings Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Federalist Papers (with Introductions by Edward Gaylord Bourne and Goldwin Smith) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Federalist Papers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Federalist Papers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUnderstanding Policy Change: How to Apply Political Economy Concepts in Practice Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Federalist (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Federalist Papers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Federalist Papers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Federalist Papers: A Collection of Essays Written in Favour of the New Constitution Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Works of Alexander Hamilton: Volume 9 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Alexander Hamilton's Opinion as to the Constitutionality of the Bank of the United States
Related ebooks
Race and Rights: Fighting Slavery and Prejudice in the Old Northwest, 1830–1870 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe American Freedoms Primer: A Citizen's Guidebook to the Most Celebrated Declarations of American Liberty Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Weeding Without Chemicals: Bob's Basics Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCrusader for Justice: Federal Judge Damon J. Keith Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Causes of the War of 1812 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Ultimate Guide to the Gettysburg Address Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of Teddy and Booker T. by Brian Kilmeade: How Two American Icons Blazed a Path for Racial Equality Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTuskegee Airmen Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe South Carolina Colony Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEchoes from the Valley Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWashington on Leadership: Lessons and Wisdom from the Father of Our Country Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAnti-Suffrage Essays Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of America: by Dinesh D'Souza | Includes Analysis Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Rising Son; or, the Antecedents and Advancement of the Colored Race Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIn the Words of Frederick Douglass: Quotations from Liberty's Champion Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOne of Us is F@#*in' Crazy: Letters to Great Americans Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAutobiography of Benjamin Franklin Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMichael Faraday, Man of Science Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNegro League Baseball: The Rise and Ruin of a Black Institution Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Native American Heroes Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCommon Sense Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A People's History of the U.S. Military Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRemember These Things Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings"Then Pinkel Said to Smith. . .": The Best Missouri Tigers Stories Ever Told Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Story of Philosophy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHandbook of the United States of America, 1880: A Guide to Emigration Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHirelings: African American Workers and Free Labor in Early Maryland Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFighting for Citizenship: Black Northerners and the Debate over Military Service in the Civil War Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
United States History For You
The Book of Charlie: Wisdom from the Remarkable American Life of a 109-Year-Old Man Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A People's History of the United States Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Library Book Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/51776 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Great Reset: And the War for the World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Fourth Turning Is Here: What the Seasons of History Tell Us about How and When This Crisis Will End Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Killing the Guys Who Killed the Guy Who Killed Lincoln: A Nutty Story About Edwin Booth and Boston Corbett Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Devil's Chessboard: Allen Dulles, the CIA, and the Rise of America's Secret Government Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Slouching Towards Bethlehem: Essays Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of the Donner Party Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Just Kids: A National Book Award Winner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer: An Edgar Award Winner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Waco: David Koresh, the Branch Davidians, and A Legacy of Rage Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes: Revised and Complete Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Benjamin Franklin: An American Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bowling Alone: Revised and Updated: The Collapse and Revival of American Community Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Alexander Hamilton's Opinion as to the Constitutionality of the Bank of the United States
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Alexander Hamilton's Opinion as to the Constitutionality of the Bank of the United States - Alexander Hamilton
ALEXANDER HAMILTON’S OPINION AS TO THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF THE BANK OF THE UNITED STATES
..................
Alexander Hamilton
FIREWORK PRESS
Thank you for reading. In the event that you appreciate this book, please consider sharing the good word(s) by leaving a review, or connect with the author.
This book is a work of nonfiction and is intended to be factually accurate.
All rights reserved. Aside from brief quotations for media coverage and reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced or distributed in any form without the author’s permission. Thank you for supporting authors and a diverse, creative culture by purchasing this book and complying with copyright laws.
Copyright © 2015 by Alexander Hamilton
Interior design by Pronoun
Distribution by Pronoun
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
Hamilton’s Opinion as to the Constitutionality of the Bank of the United States, 1791
Alexander Hamilton’s Opinion as to the Constitutionality of the Bank of the United States
By
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton’s Opinion as to the Constitutionality of the Bank of the United States
Published by Firework Press
New York City, NY
First published circa 1804
Copyright © Firework Press, 2015
All rights reserved
Except in the United States of America, this book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
About Firework Press
Firework Press prints and publishes the greatest books about American history ever written, including seminal works written by our nation’s most influential figures.
INTRODUCTION
..................
UNFORTUNATELY, ONE OF THE BEST known aspects of Alexander Hamilton’s (1755-1804) life is the manner in which he died, being shot and killed in a famous duel with Aaron Burr in 1804. But Hamilton became one of the most instrumental Founding Fathers of the United States in that time, not only in helping draft and gain support for the U.S. Constitution but in also leading the Federalist party and building the institutions of the young federal government as Washington’s Secretary of Treasury.
One of the biggest battles was over the chartering of a national bank, a topic that seems trivial today given the size and scope of the federal government. At the founding, however, the Southern states and Thomas Jefferson’s Democratic Party were skeptical of the necessity of a national bank, while Hamilton’s Federalists insisted that it would help the nation pay off its debts and manage its finances. Eventually Hamilton won out, but the First U.S. Bank, located in Philadelphia, was nonetheless run by a private company, ensuring limits on government control.
Before the First U.S. Bank was chartered, Hamilton wrote a defense of the chartering of a national bank by asserting it was constitutional.
HAMILTON’S OPINION AS TO THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF THE BANK OF THE UNITED STATES, 1791
..................
[GIVEN WHILE HE WAS SECRETARY of the Treasury under the First Administration, George Washington, President, Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State, and Edmund Randolph, Attorney-General.]
The Secretary of the Treasury having perused with attention the papers containing the opinions of the Secretary of State and Attorney General, concerning the constitutionality of the bill for establishing a National Bank, proceeds, according to the order of the President, to submit the reasons which have induced him to entertain a different opinion.
It will naturally have been anticipated, that in performing this task, he would feel uncommon solicitude. Personal considerations alone, arising from the reflection that the measure originated with him, would be sufficient to produce it. The sense which he has manifested of the great importance of such an institution to the successful administration of the department under his particular care, and an expectation of serious ill consequences to result from a failure of the measure, do