Alexander Hamilton

Hamilton-Burr Duel Demonstrates Elite Violence and Honor Culture Replacing Law

1804-07-11 00:00:00 +0000 UTC | Importance: 7/10

Vice President Aaron Burr shoots former Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton in an illegal duel in Weehawken, New Jersey, culminating fifteen years of political rivalry and demonstrating how elite honor culture supersedes law and democratic accountability. The confrontation stems from …

Aaron Burr Alexander Hamilton Federalist Party Democratic-Republican Party elite-violence honor-culture accountability-crisis political-violence rule-of-law-erosion

Whiskey Rebellion Establishes Federal Power to Suppress Domestic Dissent with Military Force

1794-08-07 00:00:00 +0000 UTC | Importance: 8/10

President George Washington issues a proclamation declaring western Pennsylvania whiskey protests to be treasonous acts that amount to “levying war against the United States,” establishing the precedent for federal military suppression of domestic economic dissent. The crisis stems from …

George Washington Alexander Hamilton Western Pennsylvania farmers U.S. Militia federal-power taxation military-force class-conflict democratic-resistance

First Bank of the United States Establishes Financial Elite Capture Pattern

1791-02-25 00:00:00 +0000 UTC | Importance: 8/10

President George Washington signs legislation creating the First Bank of the United States, establishing a national bank chartered for twenty years despite fierce constitutional opposition from Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton’s proposal creates an …

Alexander Hamilton Thomas Jefferson James Madison George Washington U.S. Congress institutional-capture financial-system constitutional-conflict elite-corruption banking-power