Founding Fathers | Saints and Sinners | 4

About this episode

The episode explores the complex legacies of Alexander Hamilton and George Washington, examining their roles in American capitalism and the moral contradictions of their lives.

Was Alexander Hamilton the real architect of American capitalism — or just the most self-destructive genius in the room? What does it mean that the man who shaped the nation's finances spent his career surrounded by an economy built on enslaved labour he understood firsthand? And, if the founding fathers were so brilliant, why is America still fighting about what they actually built? Peter and Afua peel back the marble on two of the most mythologised men in history: Hamilton, the penniless Caribbean immigrant who survived a hurricane, built the American financial machine, and then blew up his own career with a 95-page confession; and Washington, the slave-owning Virginia planter who became the face of liberty — and knew exactly when to put the power down. 0:00 Hamilton, Washington, and the show that won't let the founders off the hook 1:48 The Caribbean origins of Alexander Hamilton — and what Nevis reveals about colonial violence 5:30 How working at the epicentre of the Atlantic slave economy shaped Hamilton's political thinking 9:10 The outsider who doubled down: Hamilton's ambition, his tongue, and why people feared him 11:36 The Reynolds affair — confessing adultery to defeat…

People in this episode

Hosts: Peter, Afua

Topics covered

• American capitalism
• Founding Fathers
• enslaved labor
• political ambition
• historical analysis
• colonial violence

Keywords

• Hamilton
• Washington
• American history
• enslavement
• political legacy
• colonialism
• financial system

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: American financial machine

Places: Nevis, Virginia

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