Two and a half centuries after the American Revolution the United States stands as one of the greatest powers on earth and the undoubted leader of the western hemisphere. This stupendous evolution was far from a foregone conclusion at independence. The conquest of the North American continent required violence; suffering; and bloodshed. It also required the creation of a national government strong enough to go to war against; and acquire territory from; its North American rivals. In A Hercules in the Cradle; Max M. Edling argues that the federal government’s abilities to tax and to borrow money; developed in the early years of the republic; were critical to the young nation’s ability to wage war and expand its territory. He traces the growth of this capacity from the time of the founding to the aftermath of the Civil War; including the funding of the War of 1812 and the Mexican War. Edling maintains that the Founding Fathers clearly understood the connection between public finance and power: a well-managed public debt was a key part of every modern state. Creating a debt would always be a delicate and contentious matter in the American context; however; and statesmen of all persuasions tried to pay down the national debt in times of peace. A Hercules in the Cradle explores the origin and evolution of American public finance and shows how the nation’s rise to great-power status in the nineteenth century rested on its ability to go into debt.
#1504308 in Books 2014-11-27Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x 1.00 x 6.00l; .0 #File Name: 022618157X336 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Borrow and Tax: How to Conquer a ContinentBy BoboExcellent study of how the U.S. taxed and borrowed to fund the 1812; Mexican and Civil Wars. Largely following the plans and ideas laid by Hamilton; by the end; the U.S. became the dominant state in N. America; and captured much of the continent's territory.Not too technical; and a great short read if you're interested in early 19th c. U.S. expansion; war and state formation.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Good book but very heavy on the economicBy littlebit0628Good book but very heavy on the economic; monetary side. While it makes sense for the topic it is a bit hard to follow for someone without a business or finance background.2 of 3 people found the following review helpful. The most important history book ever written!By Audra RiccitelliGordon Wood once said that Charles Beard's book was the most important book written in American history. Max Edling's book is even more important. This is the most important book ever written explaining the founding of the American Empire and how the Federalists set up a system to borrow money from the Europeans banks and mercantilists to create their own "Hercules in the Cradle." If you want to know the 100% truth about the real history of this empire; read this book. Mr. Edling should be given the Pulitzer Prize in history for this book without question!
