Written Assignment 2

The Assignment

Alexander Hamilton and John Marshall were both leading Federalists. How do the views expressed by Marshall in the Supreme Court decision Marbury v. Madison (6.5 Political Lens in textbook) and those expressed by Hamilton in his opinion regarding the constitutionality of the national bank (6.5 Economic Lens in textbook) reflect the outlook and vision of the Federalist Party? Why was it especially important to the Federalists to uphold and honor the United States Constitution?

See the full version of Hamilton's opinion regarding the constitutionality of the national bank. And, see Jefferson's opposing view.

Directions

For each written assignment students will answer essay questions based on certain assigned readings.
Each assignment must be a minimum of 500 words in length.
These essays will be evaluated according to the same criteria as essays in exams. In addition one-half point will be deducted from the total score of each assignment for every egregious error in spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
Students must forward their assignments by using the course dropbox. Students must upload their papers into the dropbox by the due date.The instructor will not accept late papers unless the student can show good cause (as determined by the instructor) for missing the due date. Students who miss such a deadline must contact the instructor before or at the time of the due date to explain the cause of the delay.

Alexander Hamilton and the National Bank

What Would Hamilton Do?
By: Michael McConnell
IN: Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy; Winter2012, Vol. 35 Issue 1, p259-282, 24p
From: OmniFile Full Text Mega

The Founders and Finance by Thomas K. McCraw
Publication Date: 2012
In 1776 the United States government started out on a shoestring and quickly went bankrupt fighting its War of Independence against Britain. At the warâe(tm)s end, the national government owed tremendous sums to foreign creditors and its own citizens. But lacking the power to tax, it had no means to repay them. The Founders and Finance is the first book to tell the story of how foreign-born financial specialistsâe"immigrantsâe"solved the fiscal crisis and set the United States on a path to long-term economic success. Pulitzer Prizeâe"winning author Thomas K. McCraw analyzes the skills and worldliness of Alexander Hamilton (from the Danish Virgin Islands), Albert Gallatin (from the Republic of Geneva), and other immigrant founders who guided the nation to prosperity. Their expertise with liquid capital far exceeded that of native-born plantation owners Washington, Jefferson, and Madison, who well understood the management of land and slaves but had only a vague knowledge of financial instrumentsâe"currencies, stocks, and bonds. The very rootlessness of Americaâe(tm)s immigrant leaders gave them a better understanding of money, credit, and banks, and the way each could be made to serve the public good. The remarkable financial innovations designed by Hamilton, Gallatin, and other immigrants enabled the United States to control its debts, to pay for the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, andâe"barelyâe"to fight the War of 1812, which preserved the nationâe(tm)s hard-won independence from Britain.
Alexander Hamilton: America's Forgotten Founder by Joseph A. Murray
Publication Date: 2007

Marshall and Marbury v. Madison

Marbury v. Madison
"Who determines what the Constitution means: the Supreme Court, Congress, or the President? This 1803 case established the judiciary’s authority to interpret the Constitution. Marshall’s insistence on the principle of "judicial review" of acts of Congress brought him into conflict with President Thomas Jefferson, but established the court’s responsibility."
Marbury v. Madison, from Gale Encyclopedia of American Law

The Reign of Law: Marbury V. Madison and the Construction of America by Paul W. Kahn
Publication Date: 1997

Marbury v. Madison, Rightly Understood
"Part of a special section on the U.S. Supreme Court and the rule of law in the 21st century. The writer discusses the Marbury v. Madison ruling of 1803, which established the authority and legitimacy of the U.S. Supreme Court, is provided. In Marbury v. Madison, the ruling Chief Justice John Marshall established the U.S. Supreme Court's authority to exercise national judicial review. However, the ruling should not be viewed as simply a judicial power grab but as an attempt to avoid political crises between Federalists and Republicans. By helping to ensure the stability of a fragile republican regime, promoting the concept of national sovereignty, and trying to promote the cause of an energetic national government, Marshall advanced the founders' vision."

Federalist Party

Federalists Reconsidered by Doron S. Ben-Atar (Editor); Barbara B. Oberg (Editor); Liz B. MacMillan (Editor)
Publication Date: 1998
The Princeton Encyclopedia of American Political History by Michael Kazin (Editor); Rebecca Edwards (Editor); Adam Rothman (Editor)
Publication Date: 2010
What Happened? : An Encyclopedia of Events That Changed America Forever by John E. Findling (Editor); Frank W. Thackeray (Editor)
Publication Date: 2010