Willard Sterne Randall on Alexander Hamilton & Founding Era Political-Economy

In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Ark Prof. Albert Cheng and former MN Supreme Court Justice Barry Anderson speak with Prof. Willard Sterne Randall, American historian and author of Alexander Hamilton: A Life and The Founders' Fortunes: How Money Shaped the Birth of America. Prof. Randall delves into the turbulent childhood of Alexander Hamilton, describing pivotal experiences that shaped his political views and led him to become a world-changing Founding Father. While working under Gen. George Washington during the American Revolution, Hamilton expanded his knowledge of constitutionalism and political economy, which, Mr. Randall tells us, led to helping create the United States and establish the new republic’s financial stability. In the 1780s, Hamilton joined James Madison and John Jay in co-authoring the Federalist Papers promoting the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, famously advocating for federal executive power and the judiciary. Prof. Randall explores Hamilton’s transition into power as the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, describing Hamilton’s tense political rivalry with Thomas Jefferson. Notably, Alexander Hamilton’s Report on Manufactures (1791) argued for U.S. industrial self-sufficiency, which Mr. Randall explains contributed to Hamilton’s enduring legacy. In closing, Prof. Randall explores how Hamilton’s historical significance and reputation was brought to new and wider audiences through Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway hit musical Hamilton.