Alexander Hamilton: Ambivalent Anglophile

Of all of the Founding Fathers of the American republic none, with the possible exception of Thomas Jefferson, has evoked more passions and aroused more controversy than Alexander Hamilton. As in Jefferson's case, these feelings originated in the political wars of the Federalist decade and still resorate two centuries later. The seemingly permanent friction between Hamiltonians and Jeffersonians has been replicated in every generation. In the Jefferson-Jackson era Hamilton's persona as an elitist urban aristocrat condemned him as an enemy of an expanding democratic America-an Anglophile at a time when Great Britain was the major adversary, a defender of the central national bank when political pressures for decentralization doomed both the First and Second National Banks of the United States, and a spokesman for an Eastern oligarchy at a time when the westward movement assured the expansion of political rights. Such was his reputation as an enemy of the common man that his deep-seated opposition to the institution of slavery won little recognition from northern abolitionists.In this new biography, eminent historian Lawrence Kaplan examines Hamilton's conception of America's role in the world and the foreign policies that followed from his vision. Prof. Kaplan looks at how Hamilton acted upon his views in shaping the course of American foreign relations. By examining Hamilton's years as a public man, particularly in the Federalist decade of the 1790s, Prof. Kaplan seeks to identify similarities as well as differences between Hamiltonians and Jeffersonians and to judge just how significant both were in the formative years of the new nation. In doing so, the author provides a focused, accessible biography of Hamilton and a nuanced assessment of his impact on Federalist Era foreign policy. The latest in SR Books' well-received Biographies in American Foreign Policy series, this new book is an ideal text for courses in American diplomatic history and the early national period.

“This briskly written volume is an important contribution to the never-ending debate over early American foreign policy. Kaplan clearly demonstrates that while Alexander Hamilton revered British political institutions, this by no means meant that he was prepared to endorse or accept British policies. Like his great enemy, Thomas Jefferson, Hamilton believed that 'the survival and prosperity of the United States rested on independence from the great powers of Europe.' Kaplan by no means ignores Hamilton's flaws, but his analysis convincingly shows us that Hamilton was indeed an 'ambiguous anglophile.'”

A judiciously balanced account of a highly controversial subject. -- Forrest McDonald, University of Alabama; author of We the People
-- Bradford Perkins, University of Michigan
From Kaplan's years of scholarly immersion in the foreign policy of the early Republic comes a masterpiece of clarity and insight into one of its most controversial framers. Alexander Hamilton: Ambivalent Anglophile is a fresh and long-overdue appraisal that distills the insights of an eminent scholar. The dean of historians in his field, Kaplan has captured the essence of Hamilton's personality and place in the strife-torn issues of foreign policy. -- Peter Hill, George Washington University

Lawrence S. Kaplan is University Professor Emeritus at Kent State University and adjunct professor of history at Georgetown University.

Of all of the Founding Fathers of the American republic none, with the possible exception of Thomas Jefferson, has evoked more passions and aroused more controversy than Alexander Hamilton. In this absorbing new biography, eminent historian Lawrence Kaplan examines Hamilton's conception of America's role in the world and the foreign policies that followed from his vision. Kaplan looks at how Hamilton acted upon his views in shaping the course of American foreign relations. The author provides a focused, accessible biography of Hamilton and a nuanced assessment of his impact on Federalist Era foreign policy. In the Jefferson-Jackson era Hamilton's persona as an elitist urban aristocrat condemned him as an enemy of an expanding democratic America-an Anglophile at a time when Great Britain was the major adversary. Such was his reputation as an enemy of the common man that his deep-seated opposition to the institution of slavery won little recognition from northern abolitionists. This book will fascinate readers with its insights into Hamilton and the formative years of the United States of America.

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