In March 2018, we celebrate the opening of the new NCC exhibit, Hamilton: The Constitutional Clashes That Shaped a Nation. This compelling new exhibit highlights the competing ideas of Alexander Hamilton and his legendary rivals, including Madison, Jefferson, Adams, and Burr, and the personalities and constitutional debates that shaped America. The exhibit also provides an intimate look into Alexander Hamilton’s enduring role in the constitutional and political arguments that continue to create sparks to this day.
Joining us to discuss the debut of this fascinating new exhibit and the life and constitutional legacy of Alexander Hamilton are two of America’s leading scholars of Hamilton and the Founding.
FULL PODCAST
PARTICIPANTS
Jay Cost is a political historian and journalist and a contributing editor at The Weekly Standard and a contributor to the National Review. He is the author of the new book The Price of Greatness: Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and the Creation of American Oligarchy.
Nancy Isenberg is an American historian, and T. Harry Williams Professor of history at Louisiana State University. She is the author of Fallen Founder: The Life of Aaron Burr, and co-author (with Andrew Burstein) of a dual biography of Madison and Jefferson.
Jeffrey Rosen is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Constitution Center, the only institution in America chartered by Congress “to disseminate information about the United States Constitution on a nonpartisan basis.” He is also a professor at The George Washington University Law School, and a contributing editor for The Atlantic.
Related Decisions and Documents
- Federalist No. 10, The Same Subject Continued: The Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection, James Madison, 1787.
- Federalist No. 11, The Utility of the Union in Respect to Commercial Relations and a Navy, Alexander Hamilton, 1787.
- Federalist No. 51, The Structure of the Government Must Furnish the Proper Checks and Balances Between the Different Departments, James Madison, 1788.
- Federalist No. 78, The Judiciary Department, Alexander Hamilton, 1788.
- New York Ratifying Convention Speech, Alexander Hamilton, June, 21, 1788.
- Report on the Subject of Manufactures, Alexander Hamilton, 1791.
- The Price of Greatness: Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and the Creation of American Oligarchy, Jay Cost, 2018.
- Fallen Founder: The Life of Aaron Burr, Nancy Isenberg, 2008.
Additional Resources
Our Interactive Constitution is the leading digital resource about the debates and text behind the greatest vision of human freedom in history, the U.S. Constitution. Here, scholars from across the legal and philosophical spectrum interact with each other to explore the meaning of each provision of our founding document.
Stay Connected and Learn More
Continue today’s conversation on Facebook and Twitter using @ConstitutionCtr.
Sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate, at bit.ly/constitutionweekly.
Please subscribe to We the People and our companion podcast, Live at America’s Town Hall, on iTunes, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.
We the People is a member of Slate’s Panoply network. Check out the full roster of podcasts at Panoply.fm.
The Constitution Center is offering CLE credits for select America’s Town Hall programs! Click here to learn more.
And finally, despite our congressional charter, the National Constitution Center is a private nonprofit; we receive little government support, and we rely on the generosity of people around the country who are inspired by our nonpartisan mission of constitutional debate and education. Please consider becoming a member to support our work, including this podcast.
Questions or comments? We would love to hear from you. Contact the We the People team at [email protected]
