Alexander Hamilton's thought has, for over two hundred years, been noted for its deviations from American revolutionary Whig orthodoxy. From a conventional Whig at the beginning of his career, Hamilton developed a Federalist viewpoint that liberty depended above all on the creation of a powerful central government. In this collection, we find the seeds of this development, as Hamilton's early optimistic confidence in the triumph of American Whig principles begin to give way, under the influence of his experience during the Revolution, to his mature Federalism.

Alexander Hamilton's thought has, for over two hundred years, been noted for its deviations from American revolutionary Whig orthodoxy. From a conventional Whig at the beginning of his career, Hamilton developed a Federalist viewpoint that liberty depended above all on the creation of a powerful central government. In this collection, we find the seeds of this development, as Hamilton's early optimistic confidence in the triumph of American Whig principles begin to give way, under the influence of his experience during the Revolution, to his mature Federalism.