InHamilton:TheEnergeticFounder,R.B.BernsteinprovidesathoroughhistorythatrevealsHamilton’sstatusasoneofthekeyfoundingfathersoftheUnitedStates.Hamilton:TheEnergeticFounderisabriefintroductiontothelife,thought,work,andlegacyofAlexanderHamilton(1755-1804),butitisnotatraditionalbiography.PubliccuriosityaboutHamilton,hislife,andhisworkhasswelled,particularlyamongthoseintriguedbypopular-cultureportrayalsintheBroadwaymusicalHamilton:AnAmericanMusical.ThisbookpresentsasummaryofHamilton’slifeandexploreshisroleinrevolution,constitutionalism,economics,diplomacy,andwar,aswellashisrelationshiptohonorcultureandduelling.TheepilogueconsidersHamilton’slegacies.ThebookconsidersHamiltonasakeyfoundingfather,focusingonhisworkasapolitician,aconstitutionalthinker,andthenation’sfirstsecretaryofthetreasury.Inthatrole,HamiltonwasperhapstheleadingAmericandomesticpolicy-makerandnationalist.HeledtheefforttowritethebrilliantdefenseandexpositionoftheConstitution,TheFederalist,andlater,astreasurysecretary,hepioneeredeffortstointerprettheConstitutionbroadly,asagenerousgrantofnationalpowertothegovernmentoftheUnitedStates.Aspartofthateffort,healsopioneeredexpositionsoftheConstitutionasasourceofexecutiveandjudicialpower.Inaddition,asaleadingfigureintheAmericanworldofhonorculture,Hamiltonwasalsoaprincipalexponentofpoliticalcombatindefenseofpersonalandpoliticalhonor.Assuch,hewasatragicvictimofthehonorculturehedidsomuchtoestablishasacomponentofnationalpolitics,dyingastheresultofamortalwoundhesufferedinhis1804duelwithAaronBurr,hislongtimeantagonistandVicePresidentoftheUnitedStates.Thoughnotoftenanadmiredpoliticalfigureinhisowntime,HamiltonwasperhapstheleadingandmostenthusiasticexponentofAmericanconstitutionalnationalism.Inthemorethantwocenturiessincehisdeathin1804,HamiltonhascontinuedtobetheprincipaladvocateofanationalistreadingofUSconstitutionalism.
