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Commentary. Reflection. Judgment.

Alexander Hamilton

The Author’s Corner with Dennis Rasmussen

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Dennis Rasmussen is Professor of Political Science at Syracuse University. This interview is based on his new book, Fears of a Setting Sun: The Disillusionment of America’s Founders (Princeton University Press, 2021). JF: What led you to write Fears of […]

The Author’s Corner with Lisa Tucker

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Lisa Tucker is Associate Professor of Law at Drexel University. This interview is based on her new book, Hamilton and the Law: Reading Today’s Most Contentious Legal Issues through the Hit Musical (Cornell University Press, 2020). JF: What led you […]

Hamilton and slavery at the Schuyler Mansion

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Here is Indiana Nash’s piece at The Daily Gazette, a newspaper that covers the Albany region: The Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site is working to parse fact from fiction when it comes to Alexander Hamilton’s role as an enslaver. While […]

Another time in American history when the people did not trust the experts

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I was struck this morning by a passage from Thomas Slaughter’s The Whiskey Rebellion: Frontier Epilogue to the American Revolution: Hamilton…succeeded in getting the endorsement of the respected Philadelphia College of Physicians. These medical doctors and teachers enthusiastically supported his […]

Out of the Zoo: Do Better

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Annie Thorn is a junior history major from Kalamazoo, Michigan and our intern here at The Way of Improvement Leads Home.  As part of her internship she is writing a weekly column titled “Out of the Zoo.” It focuses on life as […]

Songs of the Day

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From Hamilton: The Musical: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZfzuJ8oVpE&w=560&h=315] [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYQPP49MSEk&w=560&h=315]

Song of the Day

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“Dear Theodosia”: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKpJjdKcjeo&w=560&h=315]

Episode 68: The History of the Presidential Cabinet

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The members of Donald Trump’s controversial cabinet are regular features of the 24-hour news cycle. He has fired members of his cabinet who challenge his thinking on a host of foreign and domestic issues. Just ask Rex Tillerson, James Mattis, […]

The Hamilton Education Program (EduHam) is Now Free Online

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Teachers: EduHam at Home was created in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 outbreak that forced school closures throughout the country. It is an extension of the Hamilton Education Program (EduHam), which has served more than 200,000 students across […]

Some Context for Adam Schiff’s Hamilton Quote

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Adam Schiff opened the first day of arguments in the Trump impeachment trial with a quote from an enclosure in an August 18, 1792 letter from Alexander Hamilton to George Washington.  His choice of texts is getting a lot of […]

What Did the Founding Fathers Say About Impeachment?

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House managers in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump filed their brief to the Senate today.  The brief describes Trump’s behavior with Ukraine “the Framers’ worst nightmare.” So what did the Framers of the United States Constitution say about […]

Out of the Zoo: Why I Cried in History Class

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Annie Thorn is a sophomore history major from Kalamazoo, Michigan and our intern here at The Way of Improvement Leads Home.  As part of her internship she is writing a weekly column titled “Out of the Zoo.”  It focuses on life as […]