Alexander Hamilton's Constitutional Jurisprudence and the Bank Bill

Abstract

Alexander Hamilton's view of law was more than pragmatic. Forward looking, and innovative, it saw law as a creative tool. Often misread, and dismissed, as mere policy preference, it was in fact sophisticated and superbly articulated jurisprudence. In the years between the ratification debate and the proposal for the First Bank of the United States, Hamilton displayed this jurisprudence to great effect.