'Ashes of greatness': Politics and reputation in the antebellum world of James Hamilton

摘要

This dissertation examines the life of James Hamilton (1786--1857), an antebellum politician and businessman. Son of a Revolutionary War hero and grandson of a Continental Congress member, Hamilton took great pride in the accomplishments of his famous relatives and sought to live up to and extend the legacy they bequeathed him. In doing so, Hamilton became a leader of southern society but, ultimately, his pursuit of greatness damaged his reputation profoundly.;Hamilton's rise to political prominence is the major theme of the first five chapters. Shaped by Federalist influences in lowcountry Carolina and New England, Hamilton entered politics as an enthusiastic nationalist Republican after the War of 1812. As a South Carolina congressman in the 1820s, however, he came to believe that a strong central government promoting the American System ill-served his state. Consequently, he embraced nullification and, as governor (1830--1832), led the movement that successfully implemented it. His leadership in that episode, which included preparing the militia to defend against a possible invasion by federal forces, allowed Hamilton to demonstrate martial and political skills worthy of his Revolutionary forebears. It also confirmed and enhanced his reputation as one of the most respected men in the state.;The destruction of that reputation after the nullification controversy forms the major theme of the last four chapters. Leaving elective politics behind, Hamilton embarked on a briefly successful career as a cotton merchant and bank president, but ill-advised cotton speculations soon drove him deeply into debt. Turning his attention then to the Republic of Texas, Hamilton served as a diplomat seeking a five-million-dollar loan for the new nation in Europe. He desperately pursued the loan, largely because a promised commission would ease his indebtedness. The loan never materialized, and Hamilton spent his later years seeking other ways out of debt. His efforts became quite public, especially when he supported the Compromise of 1850, from which he expected to benefit financially. By taking this politically moderate course, he alienated old Nullifier allies. Hamilton's experience, I suggest, reminded fellow southerners too much of their own struggles with debt and led them to wish him forgotten.