American Machiavelli: Alexander Hamilton and the Origins of U.S. Foreign Policy

376 Pages·2004·6.96 MB·english

by  John Lamberton Harper

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
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Cambridge University Press
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© 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