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Hamilton's Curse: How Jefferson's Arch Enemy Betrayed the American Revolution-and What It Means for Americans Today Hardcover – October 21, 2008

by Thomas DiLorenzo (Author)

125 customer reviews

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Two of the most influential figures in American history. Two opposing political philosophies. Two radically different visions for America.

Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton were without question two of the most important Founding Fathers. They were also the fiercest of rivals. Of these two political titans, it is Jefferson—–the revered author of the Declaration of Independence and our third president—–who is better remembered today. But in fact it is Hamilton’s political legacy that has triumphed—–a legacy that has subverted the Constitution and transformed the federal government into the very leviathan state that our forefathers fought against in the American Revolution.

How did we go from the Jeffersonian ideal of limited government to the bloated imperialist system of Hamilton’s design? Acclaimed economic historian Thomas J. DiLorenzo provides the troubling answer in Hamilton’s Curse.

DiLorenzo reveals how Hamilton, first as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention and later as the nation’s first and most influential treasury secretary, masterfully promoted an agenda of nationalist glory and interventionist economics—–core beliefs that did not die with Hamilton in his fatal duel with Aaron Burr. Carried on through his political heirs, the Hamiltonian legacy:

• Wrested control into the hands of the federal government by inventing the myth of the Constitution’s “implied powers”
• Established the imperial presidency (Hamilton himself proposed a permanent president—–in other words, a king)
• Devised a national banking system that imposes boom-and-bust cycles on the American economy
• Saddled Americans with a massive national debt and oppressive taxation
• Inflated the role of the federal courts in order to eviscerate individual liberties and state sovereignty
• Pushed economic policies that lined the pockets of the wealthy and created a government system built on graft, spoils, and patronage
• Transformed state governments from Jeffersonian bulwarks of liberty to beggars for federal crumbs

By debunking the Hamiltonian myths perpetuated in recent admiring biographies, DiLorenzo exposes an uncomfortable truth: The American people are no longer the masters of their government but its servants. Only by restoring a system based on Jeffersonian ideals can Hamilton’s curse be lifted, at last.

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Product details

Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Crown Forum; 1 edition (October 21, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0307382842
ISBN-13: 978-0307382849
Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 1 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 125 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,435,450 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3740 in Books > Business & Money > Biography & History > Economic History
- #27141 in Books > Business & Money > Economics
- #72067 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government

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Hans Rigelman

A Legacy of Governmental Overreach and Corporate Greed

December 18, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Dilorenzo builds an excellent case against the economic principles and centralized federal government control espoused by Alexander Hamilton and those who followed him. My only concern is laying too much of the bad results of these policies at the feet of Hamilton himself, since he died in 1804 - long before Thomas Jefferson and many of his detractors. Often the principles attributed to the founder of a particular movement can vary widely from the main goal of the founder himself. John Calvin certainly could not be held responsible for the beliefs and actions of the Calvinists centuries later. Certainly Hamilton's biggest concern at end of the 18th century was the economic and political survival of the newly formed United States of America. Looking back at how far we've come in 200 plus years, which is not something Hamilton could have known, it may be easy for us to criticize his federalist principles. However, one may also wonder if we could've survived and thrived had we only followed the principles and philosophy of Thomas Jefferson.

5 people found this helpful6 people found this helpful

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Adam Selene

A Sound Explanation of Current National Dilemmas

November 24, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Watching the news, I have been wondering, "How on Earth did we get into this shape?" I found the answer to that question in this book. While Dilorenzo goes well out of his way to tar Alexander Hamilton with a bad reputation, Hamilton did much to deserve such treatment. Every last annoying thing the Federal Government has done today can be traced back to Hamilton or one of Hamilton's ideas. Our sick banking system and its rotten currency are chief among these problems. All of them stemmed from Hamilton's efforts to establish and maintain a national debt along with a central bank and its attendant inflation. Want to know why your pay does not keep up with your bills? First check to see how much you spend each month and then, if you are not spending more than you make, read this book. You will find the answer in this acerbic book.

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MarkyMark

Fascinating read, but be aware

December 23, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Very interesting peek at the small vs big government philosophical debates at our nation's founding, Hamilton on one side, Jefferson and Madison the other. Also interesting how those same arguments still take center stage, more than 200 years later.

Be aware, however, that the author has a very right-wing point of view. He clearly favors the Jeffersonian over Hamiltonian philosophy, and detests federal overreach. In fact, he also authored 'The Real Lincoln: a New look at Abraham Lincoln, His Agenda, and an Unnecessary War". Tells you where he is coming from.

So be aware, while the book is well-written and chocked full of interesting anecdotes, it's not just a history book. It's also an opinion piece, seeking to influence your views on today's political issues.

2 people found this helpful3 people found this helpful

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L. Bailey Humphries

Excellent read

December 8, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Currently finishing this read up. However, it does seem to confirm my long held belief that the founding fathers were not the near devine genuses we were taught about in school. Not that I dispute they were indeed intelligent and farsighted men or that their achievements were not magnificent, but at the end of the day, they were as human as any of us.

3 people found this helpful4 people found this helpful

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Kristopher M. Schnee

The Snake In the Garden

July 23, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Opinions certainly vary on Hamilton, who stands out among the Founders as the biggest advocate of an all-powerful central government. Your view of him, if you study him, is likely going to depend on how much you want to be ruled. Regardless, it's worth reading this book to see part of the bitter, lasting argument that happened between Hamilton's Federalist faction and the limited-government movement led by Jefferson and Madison. The author shows how to a large extent Hamilton's true views -- in direct contradiction to everything he argued for in the Federalist Papers -- heavily shaped the society the USA have today.

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Paul

Good Expose on Our Government System and How It Got This Way

December 16, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Enjoyed this immensely and read it, because I couldn't understand the great hooplah about "Hamilton" and now have a better understanding of why liberals and progressives revere him.

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Dee S.

Would America have been a better country if Hamilton had not been born?

June 7, 2018

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

This is one of the most enlightening books I've read on the Founders. The revisionists have made Hamilton out to be such a great man when in reality his actions and philosophy were the genesis of the big central government, judicial tyranny, and central banking under which we live today. He and his ideas of strong central government were major influences on the first Supreme Court Justice John Marshall over stepping the constitutional constraints put on the courts as he usurped his powers by grabbing judicial review contrary to what Jefferson and Madison believed.

He complete went away from everything he wrote in the Federalist Papers. Lincoln, Wilson, FDR, LBJ and today's leftists/progressive all use Hamilton as an excuse for their power grabs.

I think America would have been a better country without Alexander Hamilton.

This book is a must read for anyone interested in the Founders, early American history and its impact on us today. I liked the book so much I bought additional copies for friends of mine.

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JC Reader

Okay

July 5, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

It is almost always interesting to get a good argument for a contrarian position and this book does that for a smaller federal government and states rights. However most of his arguments are too hyperbolic to be credible. He does present some very legitimate complaints but not very compelling solutions.

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