Category — Alexander Hamilton

The author’s claim that he offers a “new understanding” seems overblown to this reviewer. Truth to tell, there is little in this book about the American Civil War that hasn’t been covered by other historians. Fleming’s contribution is more a matter of emphasis than originality. That having been said, this is an interesting and readable book. In the course of Fleming’s narrative he casts light on some little discussed related events, one of which will be addressed later in this review.   Read the rest of this entry »

This is the last of seven essays on the issue of taxation.  Hamilton answers the objections of those opposed to the Constitution on the grounds that there will be double taxation, that the States and the federal government will be …

  Read the rest of this entry »

On this day in American history the Revolutionary War effectively ended with the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. The Yorktown campaign proved to be the last major battle of the war.   Read the rest of this entry »

With regard to the principles of political economy, which of these two men, Biden or Ryan, has the better grasp?   Read the rest of this entry »

In Federalist No 35, the sixth of seven essays of the topic of taxation, Hamilton argues that the federal government should not be limited to taxes on imports. He also goes off an a bit of a tangent about who should be elected to the House of Representatives (the Constitution as proposed and first implemented, specified that the State legislatures were to appoint senators.)   Read the rest of this entry »

This is the fifth of seven federalist essays by Hamilton on the issue of taxation. His arguments in this article pertain to how the power of taxation should be apportioned between the States and the federal government, why the convention chose to make this a shared power, and why the needs of the federal government dictate that it should, by rights, receive the lion's share of revenue sources.   Read the rest of this entry »

We haven't done one of these in a while. Sometime contributor and fellow blogger Michael Newton inspired this puzzle about his hero, founding father Hamilton.   Read the rest of this entry »

Hamilton defends two of the most talked about clauses in the Constitution. His arguments revolve around logic and jurisdiction. He isn't sparing with his aspersions as he explains the intent of the framers.   Read the rest of this entry »

An interesting article in the Mises Daily, but probably not quite fair to Hamilton.   Read the rest of this entry »

In this federalist Hamilton continues to bolster his argument that vesting taxation power in the federal government is not just essential (as in previous essays), but poses no danger to the states. He takes the reader through some fairly complex arguments sprinkling in legal terms like repugnancy (inconsistency) and concepts like a negative pregnant. Whew!   Read the rest of this entry »