50 Books Challenge | March
19. Moral Minority: Our Skeptical Founding Fathers
Author: Brooke Allen
Genre: Nonfiction//History
Pages: 180
Rating: 2/5
I was disappointed in this, to be honest. I picked this up hoping for balanced research into how the Founders - Deists and Christians - viewed the role of religion in the structuring of the New Republic. Instead, I got a book that heavily leaned on the secular side of the debate. This is most likely because Allen shaped her chapters around each of the major six Founders, and four of them (Franklin, Adams, Madison, Jefferson) were confirmed Deists or Unitarians, while only one testified as a Christian (Hamilton), and one was smart enough rarely to bring it up (Washington). Therefore, I should blame the structure of the book more than the material. There's no doubt the majority of Founders preferred disestablishment, and wanted a wall between church and state. Allen uses plenty of solid evidence to support this. Her best work is definitely on the four secular Founders, and it's clear she's most comfortable there. Her shortcomings are that she stretches the evidence to support her conclusions, whether the evidence fits it or not; she claims Washington was probably a Deist, despite that the sources she provides leans into suggesting he was a low-key Christian. And sometimes she's just plain wrong: Hamilton was far from the first person in America to use religion as a political tool. Overall, it makes the reader feel empty. This book would have served well branching off into some of the lesser-known Founders, because we were conspicuously missing some key players for a book centered on the role of religion in the Founding -- where were Thomas Paine and Patrick Henry?
20. Republican Empire: Alexander Hamilton on War and Free Government
Author: Karl-Friedrich Walling
Genre: Nonfiction//History
Pages: 289
Rating: 5/5
The biggest problem with a republic is that the classic states of Greece and Rome proved it was very difficult to wage war effectively without destroying liberty at the same time. How then has the United States survived over two hundred years, with multiple wars at home and abroad, without destroying all of the freedoms her people enjoy? Walling finds that Hamilton, more than any of the other Founders, thought about this problem. His knowledge on war and dedication to military leadership, backed by his unbelievable indiscretion, led his contemporaries (especially John Adams) to see him as a Bonaparte. Instead, Walling argues that Hamilton is a liberal republican, one who sought consent and the power of law to help America endure the wars she would have no choice but to face without the cost of liberty. This required a strong government, because a weak one would crumble the government, finances, and military capabilities -- just as it had during the American Revolution; worse, a weak government would, and did, lead to civil war. A powerful judiciary would be a check upon the energetic executive and legislative laws passed during wartime, keeping a buffer between militaristic oppression and personal liberty. The party not in power would be at constant vigilance against the other, and their desire to be elected would alert the people to any potential abuses of authority; while people are usually willing to sacrifice some liberty for safety, this rarely lasts in a country ultimately return to preferring their freedoms. Thus with the Federalists and Republicans began the party bickering, the tug of war between responsibility and vigilance that is still played to this day. Walling's work is well documented and well-researched, an irreplaceable book for someone studying the Founding.
21. The Jefferson Bible: The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth
Author: Thomas Jefferson
Genre: Nonfiction//Religion
Pages: 061
Rating: 4/5
Ever wish you could read the New Testament without the deity? Thomas Jefferson became in/famous for his editing of the Holy Scriptures when he removed all forms of the supernatural from Jesus' life, but this is a very valuable book for non-Christians looking for a way to get Jesus' teachings without having to read him as an embodied son of God; whether you agree or absolutely hate their decision, you'll understand why Texas decided to remove Jefferson from the history books after reading this. Jefferson takes the first four Gospels of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), and molds them together into mostly the parables that Jesus taught to his disciples and willing listeners. You have the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, lessons on humility and charity, etc. It has the last supper, Judas' betrayal, and the book ends immediately after Jesus is crucified. It's short, simple, but a worthwhile book to have on your shelf, even if you're not particularly religious.
22. The Pacificus-Helvidius Debates of 1793-1794: Toward the Completion of the American Founding
Authors: Alexander Hamilton and James Madison
Genre: Nonfiction//History
Pages: 115
Rating: 5/5
Like the Lincoln-Douglass debates, the Pacificus-Helvidius discussions are an important part of American history, especially regarding Constitutional law. Two of the three-man Publius of Federalist fame turn on themselves as Pacificus-Hamilton and Helvidius-Madison argue the roles of the executive and legislature in the role of foreign policies. The Constitution states the Congress has the sole power to declare war; the President can make treaties, with the approval of the Senate, and receive ambassadors. The question was, did President Washington's Neutrality Proclamation go against the power delegated to him in the Constitution? Did it conflict with the treaty between the United States and France? Madison thought so. He argues that since the legislature had the power to declare war, there was no need for the executive to give an declaration of neutrality -- America should be assumed neutral until Congress says otherwise. Hamilton thought not. While the Republicans wanted America to side with France in the wars in Europe, Hamilton stressed that their treaty had agreed to help France during a defensive war, not an offensive one; the revolutionairies in France had more or less voided their contract when they killed King Louis XVI, with whom the United States had signed the treaty. It was the president's duty to preserve peace before Congress declared war, so the Neutrality Proclamation was constitutional. Both men have convincing arguments, and their discussions are still relevant today in regards to foreign policy. A great read.
23. Hamilton's Blessing: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Our National Debt
Author: John Steele Gordon
Genre: Nonfiction//History
Pages: 200
Rating: 3/5
This book was automatically docked a star before I read it because of a glaring error: there are no footnotes. Being an historian, Gordon should have known better than to write a history book without footnotes; a bibilography alone does not cut it. In regards to the book, everyone knows we've been in economic hardtimes for a long while; we're trillions in debt. How did we get to this point? Gordon does a good job traciing our national debt, as well as budget deficit, from the Founding into just last year. It used to be the policy of the government to pay off the debt during times of peace; the debt itself could prove a power instrument during times of war, allowing us to fund fighting without oppressing the citizens with heavy taxes. But in modern times, no politician wants to pay off the debt; it's not good for elections to raise the taxes necessary to get it back to a managable level. Both Republicans and Democrats alike are completely incompetent regarding our debt, and Steele does not see us getting it back under control until we demand the government have accountants to track their spending, and a complete revamp of our taxing system. Is this realistic? Difficult to say. People want so many handouts from the government, no politician sees it safe to dare remove programs that eat funding like a leech (Social Security, Medicare, etc.). Until the people are dedicated to fixing the debt, the politicians will never be. The national debt can work for us, but if we abuse it, it will be years before we recover. Pick up this book if you're curious about how we got to this point, because while Gordon does not claim to treat it like an economic manual (although there are some fantastic charts in the back), he provides a clear path to see how our spending got out of control.
Author: Brooke Allen
Genre: Nonfiction//History
Pages: 180
Rating: 2/5
I was disappointed in this, to be honest. I picked this up hoping for balanced research into how the Founders - Deists and Christians - viewed the role of religion in the structuring of the New Republic. Instead, I got a book that heavily leaned on the secular side of the debate. This is most likely because Allen shaped her chapters around each of the major six Founders, and four of them (Franklin, Adams, Madison, Jefferson) were confirmed Deists or Unitarians, while only one testified as a Christian (Hamilton), and one was smart enough rarely to bring it up (Washington). Therefore, I should blame the structure of the book more than the material. There's no doubt the majority of Founders preferred disestablishment, and wanted a wall between church and state. Allen uses plenty of solid evidence to support this. Her best work is definitely on the four secular Founders, and it's clear she's most comfortable there. Her shortcomings are that she stretches the evidence to support her conclusions, whether the evidence fits it or not; she claims Washington was probably a Deist, despite that the sources she provides leans into suggesting he was a low-key Christian. And sometimes she's just plain wrong: Hamilton was far from the first person in America to use religion as a political tool. Overall, it makes the reader feel empty. This book would have served well branching off into some of the lesser-known Founders, because we were conspicuously missing some key players for a book centered on the role of religion in the Founding -- where were Thomas Paine and Patrick Henry?
20. Republican Empire: Alexander Hamilton on War and Free Government
Author: Karl-Friedrich Walling
Genre: Nonfiction//History
Pages: 289
Rating: 5/5
The biggest problem with a republic is that the classic states of Greece and Rome proved it was very difficult to wage war effectively without destroying liberty at the same time. How then has the United States survived over two hundred years, with multiple wars at home and abroad, without destroying all of the freedoms her people enjoy? Walling finds that Hamilton, more than any of the other Founders, thought about this problem. His knowledge on war and dedication to military leadership, backed by his unbelievable indiscretion, led his contemporaries (especially John Adams) to see him as a Bonaparte. Instead, Walling argues that Hamilton is a liberal republican, one who sought consent and the power of law to help America endure the wars she would have no choice but to face without the cost of liberty. This required a strong government, because a weak one would crumble the government, finances, and military capabilities -- just as it had during the American Revolution; worse, a weak government would, and did, lead to civil war. A powerful judiciary would be a check upon the energetic executive and legislative laws passed during wartime, keeping a buffer between militaristic oppression and personal liberty. The party not in power would be at constant vigilance against the other, and their desire to be elected would alert the people to any potential abuses of authority; while people are usually willing to sacrifice some liberty for safety, this rarely lasts in a country ultimately return to preferring their freedoms. Thus with the Federalists and Republicans began the party bickering, the tug of war between responsibility and vigilance that is still played to this day. Walling's work is well documented and well-researched, an irreplaceable book for someone studying the Founding.
21. The Jefferson Bible: The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth
Author: Thomas Jefferson
Genre: Nonfiction//Religion
Pages: 061
Rating: 4/5
Ever wish you could read the New Testament without the deity? Thomas Jefferson became in/famous for his editing of the Holy Scriptures when he removed all forms of the supernatural from Jesus' life, but this is a very valuable book for non-Christians looking for a way to get Jesus' teachings without having to read him as an embodied son of God; whether you agree or absolutely hate their decision, you'll understand why Texas decided to remove Jefferson from the history books after reading this. Jefferson takes the first four Gospels of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), and molds them together into mostly the parables that Jesus taught to his disciples and willing listeners. You have the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, lessons on humility and charity, etc. It has the last supper, Judas' betrayal, and the book ends immediately after Jesus is crucified. It's short, simple, but a worthwhile book to have on your shelf, even if you're not particularly religious.
22. The Pacificus-Helvidius Debates of 1793-1794: Toward the Completion of the American Founding
Authors: Alexander Hamilton and James Madison
Genre: Nonfiction//History
Pages: 115
Rating: 5/5
Like the Lincoln-Douglass debates, the Pacificus-Helvidius discussions are an important part of American history, especially regarding Constitutional law. Two of the three-man Publius of Federalist fame turn on themselves as Pacificus-Hamilton and Helvidius-Madison argue the roles of the executive and legislature in the role of foreign policies. The Constitution states the Congress has the sole power to declare war; the President can make treaties, with the approval of the Senate, and receive ambassadors. The question was, did President Washington's Neutrality Proclamation go against the power delegated to him in the Constitution? Did it conflict with the treaty between the United States and France? Madison thought so. He argues that since the legislature had the power to declare war, there was no need for the executive to give an declaration of neutrality -- America should be assumed neutral until Congress says otherwise. Hamilton thought not. While the Republicans wanted America to side with France in the wars in Europe, Hamilton stressed that their treaty had agreed to help France during a defensive war, not an offensive one; the revolutionairies in France had more or less voided their contract when they killed King Louis XVI, with whom the United States had signed the treaty. It was the president's duty to preserve peace before Congress declared war, so the Neutrality Proclamation was constitutional. Both men have convincing arguments, and their discussions are still relevant today in regards to foreign policy. A great read.
23. Hamilton's Blessing: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Our National Debt
Author: John Steele Gordon
Genre: Nonfiction//History
Pages: 200
Rating: 3/5
This book was automatically docked a star before I read it because of a glaring error: there are no footnotes. Being an historian, Gordon should have known better than to write a history book without footnotes; a bibilography alone does not cut it. In regards to the book, everyone knows we've been in economic hardtimes for a long while; we're trillions in debt. How did we get to this point? Gordon does a good job traciing our national debt, as well as budget deficit, from the Founding into just last year. It used to be the policy of the government to pay off the debt during times of peace; the debt itself could prove a power instrument during times of war, allowing us to fund fighting without oppressing the citizens with heavy taxes. But in modern times, no politician wants to pay off the debt; it's not good for elections to raise the taxes necessary to get it back to a managable level. Both Republicans and Democrats alike are completely incompetent regarding our debt, and Steele does not see us getting it back under control until we demand the government have accountants to track their spending, and a complete revamp of our taxing system. Is this realistic? Difficult to say. People want so many handouts from the government, no politician sees it safe to dare remove programs that eat funding like a leech (Social Security, Medicare, etc.). Until the people are dedicated to fixing the debt, the politicians will never be. The national debt can work for us, but if we abuse it, it will be years before we recover. Pick up this book if you're curious about how we got to this point, because while Gordon does not claim to treat it like an economic manual (although there are some fantastic charts in the back), he provides a clear path to see how our spending got out of control.