Binding: Paperback
Description: The untold story of the founding father's likely Jewish birth and upbringing and its revolutionary consequences for understanding him and the nation he fought to create In The Jewish World of Alexander Hamilton Andrew Porwancher debunks a string of myths about the origins of this founding father to arrive at a startling conclusion: Hamilton in all likelihood was born and raised Jewish. For more than two centuries his youth in the Caribbean has remained shrouded in mystery. Hamilton himself wanted it that way and most biographers have simply assumed he had a Christian boyhood. With a detective's persistence and a historian's rigor Porwancher upends that assumption and revolutionizes our understanding of an American icon. This radical reassessment of Hamilton's religious upbringing gives us a fresh perspective on both his adult years and the country he helped forge. Although he didn t identify as a Jew in America Hamilton cultivated a relationship with the Jewish community that made him unique among the founders. As a lawyer he advocated for Jewish citizens in court. As a financial visionary he invigorated sectors of the economy that gave Jews their greatest opportunities. As an alumnus of Columbia he made his alma mater more welcoming to Jewish people. And his efforts are all the more striking given the pernicious antisemitism of the era. In a new nation torn between democratic promises and discriminatory practices Hamilton fought for a republic in which Jew and Gentile would stand as equals. By setting Hamilton in the context of his Jewish world for the first time this fascinating book challenges us to rethink the life and legend of America's most enigmatic founder.
Title: The Jewish World Of Alexander Hamilton
Author(s): Porwancher Andrew
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Barcode: 9780691237282
Pages: 272 Pages, 19 B/W Illus.
Publication Date: 5/9/2023
Category: Political Science & Theory