Because I skimmed this section, I will leave it to others to comment on the Maria Reynolds situation, as that is where we ended our reading for this week. If Chernow stays true to form, he'll be in Hamilton's corner and somehow speak of his being seduced by this "fatal enchantress," but maybe he was surprising and made it clear that everyone makes their own decisions and Hamilton has to be held accountable for being a cheating asshole. That's not all he was. But it was part of it.
While this book can be occasionally frustrating while overall surprisingly readable, I wanted to take a second and talk about the unexpected benefit of this being a crash course in American history that goes to a depth none of my classes ever reached. I feel as if I'm learning about my country for the first time, and I have found myself shocked and embarrassed at what I realized I did not know about our founding, and the documents that brought us into being.
The fact that Hamilton was there for essentially every pivotal moment in the United States's nascence means this is a survey of early American history, and I am extremely grateful for this information, as it makes me feel like more of a responsible citizen.
My only other comment on this section is Chernow and his obvious preferences for certain people over others. Jefferson and Adams both seem to be garbage in his eyes. I'm hugely fine with this in one respect, and not at all in another. I'd be angrier, but he seems to have anticipated such a reaction and has a blurb from acclaimed Adams biographer David McCullough on the back of his book. But he does seem to have a strange bias against him, which I suspect will only show itself more as Adams get older and more pugilistic.
Jefferson though. What an asshole.
While this book can be occasionally frustrating while overall surprisingly readable, I wanted to take a second and talk about the unexpected benefit of this being a crash course in American history that goes to a depth none of my classes ever reached. I feel as if I'm learning about my country for the first time, and I have found myself shocked and embarrassed at what I realized I did not know about our founding, and the documents that brought us into being.
The fact that Hamilton was there for essentially every pivotal moment in the United States's nascence means this is a survey of early American history, and I am extremely grateful for this information, as it makes me feel like more of a responsible citizen.
My only other comment on this section is Chernow and his obvious preferences for certain people over others. Jefferson and Adams both seem to be garbage in his eyes. I'm hugely fine with this in one respect, and not at all in another. I'd be angrier, but he seems to have anticipated such a reaction and has a blurb from acclaimed Adams biographer David McCullough on the back of his book. But he does seem to have a strange bias against him, which I suspect will only show itself more as Adams get older and more pugilistic.
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| A grumpier John Adams |
Jefferson though. What an asshole.
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