PBS’ excellent American Experience series provides a two-hour documentary tonight appropriately entitled “Alexander Hamilton” (PBS, Monday 8-10 p.m. CDT, but check your local listings), which will focus on the remarkable life of arguably America’s most controversial Founding Father. One of my favorite books of the past several years is Ron Chernow’s excellent biography of Hamilton, so I am looking forward with great interest to the American Experience‘s treatment of the man who is most responsible among the Founding Fathers for the success of the U.S. market system.
Hamilton’s numerous political opponents used to call him “the bastard son of a Scottish peddler,” but the truth is that his parents were not legally married, he grew up dreadfully poor in the West Indies, and he was orphaned at an early age. Although the prideful Hamilton was ashamed of his troubled start in life, it fueled a fierce ambition that propelled him as a teenager to write newspaper articles that were so impressive that a group of men from St. Croix passed around the hat to pay his way to New England so he could attend college. At the age of 17, Hamilton literally stepped off the boat in Boston into the beginning of the American Revolution and, within three years, had risen through the ranks to become General Washington’s chief of staff and most trusted aide.
That the young Hamilton in just a few years went from writing newspaper articles about hurricanes in the West Indies to becoming one of the key leaders of the American Revolution is merely one of numerous remarkable aspects of his compelling life. So, pull up a chair tonight and enjoy the fascinating story about the man who has much to do with establishing the foundation for the enormous wealth creation that has taken place in American society over the past 200 years.
Houston's Clear Thinkers
Longtime Houston attorney Tom Kirkendall's observations on developments in law, business, medicine, culture, sports, and other matters of general interest to the Houston business, professional, and academic communities.
Thanks for the tip on this, Tom.
I thought the story was most interesting, even if the presentation was a bit melodramatic with the actors speaking their parts directly into the camera.
One thing that struck me was that Hamilton was able to influence the adoption of policy that he thought was for the common good of the union, and was not focused on merely placating his constituency. Perhaps this was because, being originally from St. Croix, he felt that he “did not have a dog in the fight”, and was not tied emotionally as closely to a specific region of the new US as others. But it’s a lack of this type of thinking on a grander plane that limits political discourse, and is as applicable today as it was in the late 1700’s. Not many of our leaders seem to accept their fiduciary responsibilities and act accordingly…..