Five Years of Alexander Hamilton's Public Life, 1786-1791 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1894 Excerpt: ... FIVE YEARS OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON'S PUBLIC LIFE. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY. Critical times often arouse nations to noble achievements. During 1776-86 America displayed marvelous activity and made great progress. The struggle for freedom made the Americans more sensible of the wrongs of the slave. Nearly every state prohibited or discouraged the slave trade. Emancipation was in general freed from restraint and in several states made compulsory. Massachusetts alone construed her avowal of the natural freedom of man in the true sense and became a commonwealth of freemen. Social equality was promoted by the destruction or removal of many aristocratic elements of Colonial times, by the precariousness of old distinctions and possessions, by the weight and worth of manhood alone in those trying times, and by the tendency to repeal all laws establishing primogeniture or unjustly favoring the eldest son. Though the survivals of religious intolerance were not few, a vast advance was made. Several states severed the old connection between church and state. The legal restrictions on religious opinion were generally modified or abolished. In several denominations a beginning was made towards interstate organization. This would increase their strength and enlarge their views. Full religious freedom was at hand. In politics the Colonies had attained greater maturity during a few years of adversity than during decades of easy prosperity. Under the guidance of Congress thev assumed statehood, and with two exceptions formed constitutions. The people had become the copious source of political sovereignty. They learned the organic principles of government, and were taught by experience to intrust the formation of a constitution to a special body and to reserve the right of sancti...