My Shot Analysis

Alexander Hamilton, a statesman and one of the founding fathers of the United States, believed that the U.S government needed the ability to borrow money. As a result of the American revolution, the country dwelled in great debts and the economy was weak. A major factor that contributed to the financial crisis included the dispute over bonds. After the revolution, many soldiers were paid in bonds and expected to be paid back by the government. Hamilton recognized the inconvenience over bonds and other aspects of the weakened economy; therefore, he decided to come up with a plan- the financial plan. In the song My Shot by the Hamilton production, Hamilton sings “Hey yo, im just like my country, scrappy and hungry” (Hamilton) This line emphasizes
how weak the economy was, eventually indicating that there were all sorts of problems including food shortages after the revolution.
Hamilton argued that a national bank was important in order to control trade, collect tax, and provide for common defense. Towards the end of the song, My Shot, he sings “We need to handle our financial situation, are we a nation of states? What’s the state of our nation?” (Hamilton) His words depict him as an individual who is passionate and determined to make a change regarding the financial crisis. His dedication led to his success. He believed that “the federal government also had to establish it’s right to impose direct taxes on people” (US History Textbook, The American Vision). Hamilton also issued that congress pass a tariff which is a tax based on imported foreign goods. He thought that this would ensure protection of the Americans against foreign affairs. A negative result of one of Hamilton’s suggested taxes included the whiskey rebellion. Hamilton decided that whiskey should be taxed because the southerners did not contribute enough. After his suggestion, many farmers and men were enraged and immediately rebelled. Washington and his men marched towards the rebels to put them down; however, the matter was resolved appropriately and nobody was hurt. Although a fight did not occur, the rebellion was a prominent example of failure regarding the financial
plan. Lastly, a major success of the plan was the establishment of “The Bank of the united States”, many individuals including Madison and Jefferson opposed Hamilton's ideas. People were afraid that the Bank would be taken over by wealthy speculators and it would be an unfair system. During a cabinet battle, Jefferson states “Uh! Our debts are paid, I’m afraid...You just wanna move our money around this financial plan is an outrageous demand” (Hamilton Cabinet Battle #1) his words depicting a sense of rejection and disagreement towards Hamilton and his plan. Hamilton’s response lays amongst many of the songs, a line from the song My Shot states “foes oppose us, we take a true stand” (Hamilton) he had acknowledged that many individuals disagree with his views; however, he still was determined to shape a strong government for the benefit of the country.