Alexander Hamilton's Fiscal Reform: Transforming the Structure of Taxation in the Early Republic

Revenue or Reciprocity?

“…Four levels of ad valorem duties were The revenue collected from customs duties increased sharply after the federal government took over the customs service. The returns from the ports of New York, -19-Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Charleston jumped from $1.975 million over the period 1785-88 to $11.845 million during the period 1792-95, an increase of 600 percent (Edling and Kaplanoff 2004). The revenue growth was partly due to a revival of foreign trade after the adoption of the constitution, but also an increase in the rates of duty (which were roughly double those of New York in the 1780s) and the efficiency of the customs service in collecting them.…”

“…Hamilton's fiscal and revenue program brought about a large and welcome shift in the nation's tax system. Edling and Kaplanoff (2004) note that leading states had to rely on direct taxes (poll and land taxes) to a much greater extent than on customs duties. These intrusive and burdensome taxes sparked a political backlash.…”

O Marco dos Navios e o seu contributo para o comércio e o sistema fiscal durante o Erário Régio (1761-1833): abordagens e desenvolvimentos

“…No que tange à relação da fiscalidade com o comércio e a navegação, a historiografia americana possui estudos clássicos como os de Bailyn (1964) e Barrow (1967). Recentemente, outros investigadores têm explorado este caminho, como Edling & Kaplanoff (2004) e Rabushka (2008).…”

Debt as Power

“…Although they only had a mandate to suggest needed changes to the Articles of Confederation, those present at the conference embarked upon creating a strong national constitution that would take the power of money creation and debt relief out of the hands of state legislatures. These legislatures had often proved too democratic and sympathetic to the needs of their constituents, and where they were not, protests typically ensued creating instability and disrespect for "property" (Wood 1969;Edling and Kaplanoff 2004;Holton 2005a). To be sure, addressing the national debt problem and curtailing the rights of states were not the only goals of the framers.…”