John Steele Gordon, author of the book Hamilton's Blessing: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Our National Debt

Topics | Arts & Culture | Types | Interviews | Grants | Legacy Amendment Digitization (2016-2017) |
February 16, 1998
Bob Potter - Interviewer
Listen: John Steele Gordon, author of the book Hamilton's Blessing: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Our National Debt
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Today is President's Day, the day we honor the legacy of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. When Washington became President he appointed Alexander Hamilton as the first Secretary of the Treasury. These days politicians talk a lot about the importance of balancing the budget and reducing debt, but Hamilton had a different view. He called the national debt a blessing and Hamilton's Blessing is the name of a new book that looks at the role of the national debt through history. Author John Steele Gordon talked to Bob Potter about how this tradition of borrowing got started.

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