If Jefferson provided the essential poetry of American political discourse, Hamilton established the prose of American statecraft. No other founder articulated such a clear and prescient vision of America’s future political, military, and economic strength or crafted such ingenious mechanisms to bind the nation together.
-- Ron Chernow (Prologue paragraph N/A)

Importance: Here, Chernow lays out a basic premise that will serve the rest of his book. He explains that Hamilton was a man before his time, who foresaw what America could become, and did his best to lay the foundations for the future. This included everything from the Coast Guard to stock exchanges. These foundations helped ensure the original colonies-turned-states could operate together as country.

In fewer than five years, the twenty-two year-old Alexander Hamilton had risen from despondent clerk in St. Croix to one of the aides to America’s most eminent man.
-- Ron Chernow (Chapter 5 paragraph N/A)

Importance: Here, Ron Chernow relates Alexander Hamilton’s meteoric rise from an...