Richard Sylla - Author of "Hamilton"

And welcome in this is Peter Rochon, president and founder of Rochon insurance and investments. November 17, 2016. Today we are going to be joined by a very special guest of the author of the book Alexander Hamilton.

Of course, Hamilton, now a hit Broadway musical will touch a little bit on the musical. But we are talking with the author of the book, Richard Silla and Richard, thank you for joining us today. My pleasure great to be with you today. Richard, you must've had an affinity for Alexander Hamilton before writing a book like this all I have been studying Hamilton for at least 50 years, I always found him to be one of the most interesting of all the characters of the founding era, and indeed all of our history. Hamilton played a fundamental role in making our country what it is. Let me start by saying this is a beautiful book, great maps, illustrations, the artwork the notations in it. You put a lot of work into this. Obviously it seems like there are a lot of questions still surrounding Alexander Hamilton. Oh yes, that your why did he get himself killed in a duel. That's one question why did he have an affair with a woman that wasn't good for his reputation.

The opinions of who he was or at least how important his legacy is to us today seems to change more and evolve more than most any other historical figure. I think that's right. And that's because he was a complex person who you had its fingers in many different parts and he had a lot of opposition to what he stood for in his own lifetime and even today in High Point out of the book that quoted a historian who said Hamilton is the least loved of the founding fathers that was 10 years ago and why is that, well, you know, the left wing in our politics doesn't like him because he was for Wall Street incorporations and banks and so on commerce and euro there there dangerous institutions as Bernie Sanders would say they need to be reined in so you might think the right would like them because therefore a lot of these things. But no, the right doesn't like Hamilton, either because they view him as a big government guy. Hamilton was the guy who set up the federal government more than anyone else made it into a strong, powerful government and today the right wing thinks Washington is too big and strong metals in our lives too much and they look back.

How do we get that way and they say Hamilton is the guy who started all support Hamilton. The left doesn't like him. The right doesn't like well is stuck in the middle with you. I guess some questions I want to clarify here about Alexander Hamilton, now Alexander Hamilton. He was never president. That's right, he was never present. I think he might have been president had he lived longer but of course his life was cut short, but he did make it onto our currency. He's the guy on the $10 bill.

Yes, he's been on American currency pretty much ever since the beginning of the country and you know they were talking about taking off a couple years ago and I think the musical's popularity Broadway musical popularity saved them from being taken off the $10 bill in place of a woman. Now they decide to put woman on the $20 bill and keep Hamilton on the Tim. Maybe they should replace them with Hillary Clinton shall never be president that it's beginning to look that way you think there was talk about replacing Hamilton. It wasn't so much against Hamilton.

It was a typical bureaucratic tenure government that no somebody said it would be a great idea to have a woman on our currency and then the Treasury Department said yes that's a great idea and all by the way, the next bill.

Organ remodel is the $10 bill.

So let's take Hamilton off and put a woman on the bill and then of course a lot of people were great admirers of Alexander Hamilton raised a fuss about doing that and I think the musical itself.

President Obama like the musical out is that his wife I think he may at some point have whispered into the Treasury Secretary severe like you. It might not be a good idea to take Hamilton off the tent something like the musical.

I think prompt would I think anyone would like this musical. I mean, you don't have to love Hamilton that much because it's so well done minutes is cutting gauging tunes and it's a high-energy use of coal Hamilton himself was a person of great energy in the musical theater brings that out Diana duel Aaron Burr shot him, do you think we should bring back goals as a way to settle disputes.

I don't think so, and even Hamilton said that he did not believe dueling and a lot of people don't know. I pointed out the book that Hamilton lost a son in a dual three years before he himself died in a duel so it was a great family tragedy when his eldest son was killed in a duel sending his father. Hamilton announced that he was against dueling, but he thought he had to do it because that's what was expected of honorable gentlemen at that. And so Hamilton gets himself into the duel. I can't see any reason why Ehrenberg would've wanted to kill Hamilton.

So I suggested the book that may be Burke killed by accident because when Burke killed Hamilton his career was over burner must use a smart fellow. He must've known that his career would be over so I think a lot of evidence points to the fact that Berger may have accidentally killed Hamilton, even though they did agree on the duel now. Interesting note, even though dueling was relatively accepted at that time Bert was still wanted for murder. Thereafter, yes, I think both New York where they both lived in New Jersey where the duel took place indicted bird for murder and so he went south. He stayed away from New York and New Jersey was still the vice president and but I think later on they when they thought about it longer. They decided to drop those charges in New York and New Jersey. So Italy later in life Ehrenberg came and lived in New York, but he was never the prominent person he was before he killed not the last political figure who has been accused of killing people.

That's true that's true you. You mentioned earlier that he was actually caught in a pretty high publicity sex scandal also not last for political figures.

Maybe actually he was the first in American history to be caught in such a scandal, I think, so we know a lot about it because Hamilton himself writes a very long report on you saying exactly how he got involved in the sex scandal and he did that again to defend his reputation. He probably could've said lesson probably should have said less about it, but Hamilton was a very open person you he believed in telling you what he thought and sometimes a great length. He had an affair with a woman while he was Treasury Secretary. Some people learned about it but they hosted up and Hamilton thought that was the end of it. But then somebody leaked out the information. Five years later, in the 1797. These charges come out that Hamilton was corrupt guy in the treasury and Hamilton says no you know that the people making that charger are wrong. I was in a corrupt and the treasury. But what is true is I was having affair with one of his wife was on a great detail to explain what the fair was of the affair was all about maybe's friends told him that was TMI there too much information, I think so and actually wrote the majority of the Federalist papers. Yes, there are 85 papers and it's well known that Hamilton wrote at least 51 of them, and may have collaborated on some of the others. Most of the others were written by James Madison about four or five of them were written by John J. Now these are papers that have shaped the political environment and sort of the course and path of our nation over great period of time as well is one of the newspapers that still remains today, was founded by Hamilton. The New York Post, that's right. In 1801, Hamilton founded the New York Post and I guess it's been published continually ever since 1801. I think it's a bit of a tabloid paper today. You know it's not what it wasn't Hamilton's time. I think in Hamilton's time, the New York Post was something like the New York times of the Wall Street Journal today. It was one of the top newspapers, but it certainly lasted a long time and I'd like to say Hamilton founded things that lasted well. There is also something that he try to end, which was slavery.

There's been arguments one side and the other over whether or not Hamilton was a true abolitionist, even though he did found the New York Society for the manumission of slaves. Yeah, that's right, I think the main point not having Hamilton as a consistent record whenever he did talk about slavery, it was always to be against that and say we I get rid of it but in the times that he lived it. If you would pushed for ending slavery in 1787, or 1790.

We wouldn't have the United States of America as we know it because the South would've seceded them. That was very clear in the politics of the time that you would've had a country at all. If you try to abolish slavery. We were broken into more one or more mature, more countries so Hamilton put slavery is like a secondary getting rid of slavery as a secondary goal in favor of keeping the country together. But whenever he did talk about slavery was kinda consistent that he was against the Alexander Hamilton was also an immigrant for him in his time. Still tough today. Well, we have controversies about immigration today. You know the recent elections talked about a lot about immigrants that were in danger to the country. Thomas Jefferson certainly use the fact that Hamilton was an immigrant to suggest he wasn't a real American should be trusted.

So I think America has an interesting you might call a love-hate relationship with immigrants you know most of us are ancestors migrated here at some time, but you once you're here for a while then you say well.

Generally, immigrants are a bit inconvenient and I think Hamilton because he was so brash and so smart and such a strong-willed person. People that didn't like what he stood for use. The fact that he was an immigrant against them that still happens. The people today we castigate people or immigrants and I quite like real Americans like the rest of us from being an immigrant to being one of the most recognized face right on our currency. Hey Richard you think you could loan you Hamilton well if you can buy one for $10 KI appreciate your time here on the program trying to have a little fun with you because history does need to be interesting and this certainly was a well-written book about a very important historical figure Alexander Hamilton, one of the founders of our nation. You obviously put a lot of time and and thought into writing this book is a beautifully written and illustrated books. Great resource. I highly recommend that if you are interested in history are the founding of this country that you go out and get a copy Alexander Hamilton by Richard Celeste Richard, thank you for your time in writing the book. It's always fun learning about history and I certainly enjoyed reading this book. Thanks for being here. You're welcome. Will that was Richard Silva and Alexander Hamilton, historian and author of the authoritative work on his life, titled Alexander Hamilton.

I am Peter Rochon, president and founder of Rochon insurance and investments, and this has been a fun interview. We took a little playful attitude there with Richard Celeste but to take a serious look at your finances and retirement planning. You welcome to give us a call if you have any questions or concerns, or would like to review and second opinion. You can reach Rochon insurance and investments by calling 800-338-5944, 800-338-5944 or visiting us on the web that Rochon insurance.com content provided for in this is only and is not a solicitation or recommendation of any investment strategy you are encouraged to seek investment tax or legal advice from an independent professional advisor. Any investment and/or investment strategies mentioned involve risk, including the possible loss of principal.

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