Question

Many critics of Hamilton called him overly ambitious. Were his actions motivated by ambition or by principle? Give example.

Answer 1

The author, Ron Chernow, presents Hamilton as an overly ambitious man but his ambitions were motivated not by egocentric deeds but by passion and determination to build the foundations of American success and prosperity. Clearly, his actions were influenced by ambition and not by principle. This is expressed in one example as written by Chernow, “To repudiate his legacy.” Another is “in many ways, to repudiate the modern world.”