Affairs of honor : national politics in the New Republic

In this extraordinary book, Joanne Freeman offers a major reassessment of political culture in the early years of the American republic. By exploring both the public actions and private papers of key figures such as Thomas Jefferson, Aaron Burr, and Alexander Hamilton, Freeman reveals an alien and profoundly unstable political world grounded on the code of honor. In the absence of a party system and with few examples to guide America’s experiment in republican governance, the rituals and rhetoric of honor provided ground rules for political combat. Gossip, print warfare, and dueling were tools used to jostle for status and form alliances in an otherwise unstructured political realm. These political weapons were all deployed in the tumultuous presidential election of 1800—an event that nearly toppled the new republic. By illuminating this culture of honor, Freeman offers new understandings of some of the most perplexing events of early American history, including the notorious duel between Burr and Hamilton. A major reconsideration of early American politics, __Affairs of Honor__ offers a profoundly human look at the anxieties and political realities of leaders struggling to define themselves and their role in the new nation. In this extraordinary book, Joanne Freeman offers a major reassessment of political culture in the early years of the American republic. By exploring both the public actions and private papers of key figures such as Thomas Jefferson, Aaron Burr, and Alexander Hamilton, Freeman reveals an alien and profoundly unstable political world grounded on the code of honor. In the absence of a party system and with few examples to guide America’s experiment in republican governance, the rituals and rhetoric of honor provided ground rules for political combat. Gossip, print warfare, and dueling were tools used to jostle for status and form alliances in an otherwise unstructured political realm. These political weapons were all deployed in the tumultuous presidential election of 1800—an event that nearly toppled the new republic.

By illuminating this culture of honor, Freeman offers new understandings of some of the most perplexing events of early American history, including the notorious duel between Burr and Hamilton. A major reconsideration of early American politics, Affairs of Honor offers a profoundly human look at the anxieties and political realities of leaders struggling to define themselves and their role in the new nation. "In this book, Joanne Freeman offers a major reassessment of political culture in the early years of the American republic. By exploring both the public actions and private papers of key figures like Thomas Jefferson, Aaron Burr, and Alexander Hamilton, as well as less famous politicians such as Senators William Maclay and William Plumer, Freeman reveals an alien and profoundly unstable political world grounded on the code of honor. In the absence of a party system and with few examples to guide America's great experiment in republican governance, national politicians monitored their conduct and attacked their rivals according to the ethic of honor."--BOOK JACKET. Contents 7 Acknowledgments 9 Introduction 13 Prologue: Walking on Untrodden Ground 25 1. The Theater of National Politics 35 2. Slander, Poison, Whispers, and Fame: The Art of Political Gossip 86 3. The Art of Paper War 129 4. Dueling as Politics 183 5. An Honor Dispute of Grand Proportions: The Presidential Election of 1800 223 Epilogue Constructing American History 286 A Note on Method 313 Notes 319 Bibliography 371 Index 389