Hamilton's Economics: Do We Need Them Today?

Despite the popularity of the Hamilton musical, the real story of Hamilton's contribution to our nation and the world remains largely unknown. Public historian Nancy Spannaus has sought to fill the gap in two recent books: Hamilton Versus Wall Street: The Core Principles of the American System of Economics, and Defeating Slavery: Hamilton's American System Showed the Way. Spannaus argues that the core of Hamilton's thinking appears in his masterwork, The Report on Manufactures, a document which has had worldwide influence long after Hamilton's death. This class will go in depth into Hamilton's economic ideas, popularly called the American System, and show how they have been adopted by our greatest presidents with great success. Special attention will be given to the relevance of his ideas to the outbreak of the Civil War, and to the political crises our nation faces today.