Hamilton's Reports

Alexander Hamilton's three reports to Congress in 1790 and 1791 had a tremendous influence on the economic and political future of the nation. For this essay, you will write a two page essay analyzing Alexander Hamilton's three reports to Congress in 1790 and 1791. Please address the following points in your essay: Why were Hamilton's reports necessary? What were some of the main points of each report? How did the reports reflect Hamilton's vision for the young nation? Why did Thomas Jefferson and the Republicans object to various elements of Hamilton's reports? What segments of the American population stood to gain from Hamilton's programs? What segments might have suffered? Did Hamilton's reports reflect "an elitist and self-serving" attitude? What elements of Hamilton's economic program have persisted to the present day? Readings The First Report on Public Credit by Alexander Hamilton (1790) Hamilton Argues for the Constitutionality of the National Bank, February 15, 1791 Jefferson Argues Against the Constitutionality of a National Bank, February 23, 1791 The web links for the the readings above are in the Web Links