Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Among the Founding Fathers, Alexander Hamilton stood out as the most forceful advocate for a unified American nation. In essays, speeches, and behind-the-scenes maneuvering, he argued that the United States must be a single, sovereign entity—not merely a treaty-based alliance of independent states.
At the 1787 Constitutional Convention, Hamilton pushed for a strong central government with broad powers over taxation, commerce, and defense. He believed the Articles of Confederation had proven that a "league of friendship" among sovereign states was unworkable, leading to economic chaos and vulnerability to foreign powers.
Writing as "Publius" alongside James Madison and John Jay, Hamilton penned 51 of the 85 Federalist Papers. In Federalist No. 9 and No. 11, he explicitly framed the Union as a single nation whose survival depended on centralized authority: "A firm Union will be of the utmost moment to the peace and liberty of the States, as a barrier against domestic faction and insurrection."
As the first Secretary of the Treasury, Hamilton translated theory into policy—establishing a national bank, assuming state debts, and promoting manufactures. His vision laid the groundwork for the expansive federal authority that defines the United States today.