What were some contributions of Alexander Hamilton in the advocacy of the Constitution?

Answer 1

Alexander Hamilton played a key role in building the American government by serving on Washington's staff for the revolutionary war from 1777-1781. He was the first Secretary of Treasury and did much to put the federal government on a firm fiscal basis.

Answer 2

Hamilton advocated a loose interpretation of the Constitution and by doing so strengthened the U.S. economy as the first Secretary of the Treasury. He advocated a strong federal government, a national bank, a reduction in the public debt, and the building of a navy.

• Favored strong national government
• Favored limits on states' powers
• Favored development of industry on a national scale
• Favored a national bank
• Strongly disagreed with the French Revolutionaries

Answer 3

Of all the delegates to the Constitutional Convention, Alexander Hamilton was probably the most conservative. Hamilton actually favored a type of government similar to a constitutional monarchy. He had no sympathy for democratic ideals. Years after the Constitution had been ratified, he told Thomas Jefferson, “Your people, sir, are a great beast.” He meant that he did not trust the people to govern themselves, the way Jefferson did. At the Convention, he suggested that the President and Senators be elected for life, which would create an aristocracy of a ruling class similar to Great Britain. He realized that the people would not ratify such a constitution so he favored a written constitution that would create a system of government in which there were effective checks on the power of the people. Thus he supported the final draft of the Constitution as it provided for a mixed government in which the people had direct representation (House of Representatives), a Senate appointed by State legislatures to offset the representatives in the House, and an independent executive branch with the veto power over acts of congress. Hamilton became a leader of the Federalist Party and joined with John Jay and James Madison in writing the Federalist Papers, which outlined the powers and functions of the government under the Constitution, and was instrumental in convincing many that the new Constitution should be adopted.

Answer 4

Upon his return he remained present through the signing of the Constitution. His most important contribution was the introduction and defense of the Hamilton plan on June 18, 1787, that argued neither the Virginia Plan nor the New Jersey Plan were adequate to the task at hand. William Pierce stated that "there is no skimming over the surface of a subject with him, he must sink to the bottom to see what foundation it rests on."

Answer 5

In 1787, Hamilton served as assemblyman from New York County in the New York State Legislature and was the first delegate chosen to the Constitutional Convention. In spite of the fact that Hamilton had been a leader in calling for a new Constitutional Convention, his direct influence at the Convention itself was quite limited.

Answer 6

Answer this question...He argued that