American Machiavelli: Alexander Hamilton and the Origins of U.S. Foreign Policy PDF
Preview American Machiavelli: Alexander Hamilton and the Origins of U.S. Foreign Policy
AmericanMachiavelli AlexanderHamiltonrosefromhishumblebeginningsasanillegitimate WestIndianorphanandemigranttobecomethepremierstatebuilder andstrategicthinkeroftheAmericanFoundinggeneration.Thisbook is the first detailed narrative study of his foreign policy role and ideas to appear in more than thirty years. It focuses on Hamilton’s contro- versial activities as a key member of President George Washington’s cabinet and as an aspiring military leader in the 1790s, a decade of profound division over the shape and powers of the federal govern- mentandU.S.policytowardthewarringpowersofEurope.Drawing parallelsbetweenHamiltonandtheFlorentinediplomatistandthinker Niccolo` Machiavelli,prize-winninghistorianJohnLambertonHarper offersaninsightfulandaccessibleaccountoftheoriginsofHamilton’s outlook, his bitter personal rivalries with Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, and his indispensable part in designing and implementing a foreignpolicyabletoensurethesurvivaloftheinfantUnitedStates. John Lamberton Harper is Professor of American Foreign Policy and EuropeanStudiesattheBolognaCenterofTheJohnsHopkinsUniver- sityPaulH.NitzeSchoolofAdvancedInternationalStudies.Heisthe authorofAmericaandtheReconstructionofItaly,1945–1948(winner ofthe1987MarraroPrizefromtheSocietyforItalianHistoricalStud- ies),andAmericanVisionsofEurope:FranklinD.Roosevelt,GeorgeF. Kennan,andDeanG.Acheson(winnerofthe1995RobertH.Ferrell BookPrizefromtheSocietyforHistoriansofAmericanForeignRela- tions). His articles and reviews have appeared in The American His- torical Review, The Journal of American History, The Times Literary Supplement, Foreign Affairs, The National Interest, Survival, World PolicyJournal,SAISReview,andotherpublications. American Machiavelli Alexander Hamilton and the Origins of U.S. Foreign Policy JOHN LAMBERTON HARPER TheBolognaCenterofTheJohnsHopkinsUniversity CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo, Delhi, Dubai, Tokyo, Mexico City Cambridge University Press 32 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013-2473, USA www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521834858 © John Lamberton Harper 2004 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 2004 First paperback edition 2007 A catalog record for this publication is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication data Harper, John Lamberton. American Machiavelli : Alexander Hamilton and the origins of U.S. foreign policy / John Lamberton Harper. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-521-83485-6 1. Hamilton, Alexander, 1757–1804. 2. Hamilton, Alexander, 1757–1804 – Views on international relations. 3. Statesmen – United States – Biography. 4. United States – Foreign relations – 1775–1783. 5. United States – Foreign relations – 1783–1815. 6. United States – Foreign relations – Philosophy. 7. Machiavelli, Niccolò, 1469–1527. I. Title. E302.6.H2H37 2004 327.73´0092 – dc22 2003055907 [B] ISBN 978-0-521-83485-8 Hardback ISBN 978-0-521-70874-6 Paperback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party Internet Web sites referred to in this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such Web sites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. Information regarding prices, travel timetables, and other factual information given in this work are correct at the time of first printing but Cambridge University Press does not guarantee the accuracy of such information thereafter. To Maria Antonia and Sara and to the memory of Rinda and Giovanni Contents ListofIllustrations page ix Acknowledgments xi Introduction 1 part i the coming of necessity 1. FromProvidenceintoFortune,1757(?)–1781 11 2. PreparedToBeNotGood,1781–1788 26 part ii battle lines are drawn 3. AtWashington’sSideAgain,1789 43 4. HamiltonversustheVirginians,1789–1791 55 5. TheNootkaSoundCrisis,PartOne:TheMorrisMission 65 6. NootkaSound,PartTwo:TheViewfromNewYork 74 7. LiaisonsDangereuses,1791–1792 88 part iii seizing the helm 8. TheBirthofAmericanNeutrality,February–May1793 103 9. “AMostDistressingDilemma,”May–December1793 115 10. HamiltonandtheCrisisof1794 127 11. TheJayTreaty 140 part iv informal adviser to the prince 12. ReturntoNot-So-PrivateLife,1794–1795 153 13. “Camillus”intotheBreach 163 14. AHigh-StakesGame:Washington’sFarewellAddress,1796 171 15. TransitiontotheNewRegime,1796–1797 180 vii viii Contents part v a prince in his own right? 16. HamiltonandAdams:TheBackground 191 17. Hamilton’s“GrandPlan” 205 18. HamiltonandHisArmy,PartOne,1797–1798 213 19. HamiltonandHisArmy,PartTwo,1798–1799 224 20. KillingTwoBirdswithOneStone,1799 237 part vi the lesser of evils 21. 1800andAfter 251 22. FromFortuneintoProvidence 265 Conclusion:HamiltonThenandNow 271 Notes 277 Bibliography 329 Index 337
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