Talk - Alexander Hamilton and James Monroe: Dual Ambitions, Conflicting Paths July 24, 2008

A lecture by Dr. Daniel Preston, editor of the James Monroe Papers, University of Mary Washington

Alexander Hamilton and James Monroe shared many similarities. They both rose from the officer corps of the Continental army to the highest
levels of power in the new nation. Both were extremely ambitious, both were renowned for their capacity for hard work and for their dedication
to the public service. In politics, however, they stood on opposite sides and clashed openly on the issues of the day. In 1797 their public animosity spilled over into their personal lives, and Hamilton challenged Monroe to a duel. The duel was averted, but the circumstances that led to the confrontation epitomized the character of both men and the tempestuous early years of the United States.

This program is presented as part of Alexander Hamilton: The Man Who Made Modern America, a traveling panel exhibit that examines Hamilton's central role during the Revolutionary War and Founding period (1774-1804) in creating the economic, constitutional, social, journalistic, political and foreign policy templates for modern America. The exhibit will acquaint visitors with a statesman and visionary whose life inspired discussion and controversy and shaped the America we live in 200 years after his death.

The free exhibit will be on display at the James City County Library, 7770 Croaker Road, Norge from June 28 to August 7 during normal library hours. Programs associated with the exhibit can be found at http://www.wrl.org/hamilton. They are presented without charge thanks to a grant from the Friends of Williamsburg Regional Library.

Alexander Hamilton: The Man Who Made Modern America is organized by the The New-York Historical Society, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, and the American Library Association. The traveling exhibition has been made possible in part through a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, dedicated to expanding American understanding of human experience and cultural heritage.

The traveling exhibition is based on the New-York Historical Society's exhibition commemorating the 200th anniversary of Hamilton's death as well as the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Society in 1804.

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