The Wrong Founder: Challenging the Hamilton Cult

The Myth of the Founding FatherPage 28

The immense popularity of Lin-Manuel Miranda's 'Hamilton' musical sparked a widespread 'Hamilton cult' in American culture and politics. This phenomenon rebranded Alexander Hamilton as an anti-racist, democratic visionary, a portrayal that conflicts significantly with his historical actions and beliefs.

Hamilton’s Real Political AgendaPage 30

Contrary to modern interpretations, Hamilton despised democracy, calling it a 'disease.' He sought to concentrate national wealth and power in the hands of a financial elite to create an imperial nation-state. His legacy was rooted in protecting property interests and suppressing popular movements for economic equality.

The Failure of the Hamilton-Jefferson BinaryPage 31

The prevailing historical narrative that contrasts Hamilton and Jefferson as the two defining poles of American governance is a simplification that erases the existence of a robust, popular democratic movement. This movement, often ignored by historians, fought for wealth redistribution and expanded political rights that neither Hamilton nor Jefferson supported.

Looking Beyond Traditional FiguresPage 33

To recover the promise of democratic governance, we must look beyond the elite founders. Figures like Thomas Paine, who advocated for the political power of the laboring majority and early concepts of a welfare state, offer a more relevant, albeit ignored, vision for democratic potential in America.