Alexander Hamilton, Founding Father: “A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master, and deserves one”
A crucial figure in American history, Alexander Hamilton was a prolific political writer, penning a raft of memorable quotes.
The quote:
“A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master, and deserves one.”
What does it mean?
Penned by Alexander Hamilton, one of a group of men known as the United States’ ‘Founding Fathers’, the quote appears in his 1797 essay “The Warning No. III”. Writing early in the U.S.’s life as an independent nation, he argues that a country that is unwilling to stand up to threats risks losing its liberty.
A key figure in the creation of the U.S.
A prolific and influential political writer, Hamilton had earlier co-authored the Federalist Papers - a collection of essays that were instrumental in the ratification of the U.S. constitution in 1788. Written alongside fellow Founding Fathers James Madison and John Jay, the Federalist Papers were key to persuading states to accept the constitution.
Hamilton had also played a major part in securing the U.S.’s independence, serving as a leading officer in the Continental Army’s victory over Britain in the Revolutionary War. Among several roles in the 1775-1783 conflict, the Caribbean-born Hamilton was aide-de-camp to the army’s commander, George Washington.
When Washington later became the U.S.’s first president, Hamilton served as the nation’s inaugural secretary of the treasury, remaining in office from 1789 to 1795.
Now the subject of a hit Broadway musical, Hamilton died less than a decade after writing “Warning No. III”. In July 1804, by which time he was in his late 40s, he was mortally wounded in a duel with political rival Aaron Burr - a man who was U.S. vice-president at the time.
Other memorable quotes by Alexander Hamilton:
- “A well adjusted person is one who makes the same mistake twice without getting nervous.”
- “The first duty of society is justice.”
- “There is a certain enthusiasm in liberty, that makes human nature rise above itself, in acts of bravery and heroism.”
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