Rebecca Flynt — Anatomy of a Scandal: Passion and Politics in the New Republic

Rebecca Flynt

Considered to be the first political sex scandal in America, the affair between Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton and a married woman named Maria Reynolds in 1791–92 was more than just a salacious tale of passion and betrayal, it had political implications from the very beginning. Five years before the affair became public, over a dozen of the most powerful men in America knew about it, including three future Presidents, a future Vice-President, a sitting Governor, former Speaker of the House, and the Attorney General. In this session, Flynt will explore the origins, details, and fallout from the scandal and how it was kept secret and weaponized by Hamilton’s political enemies to keep the ambitious Founding Father from attaining the pinnacle of political power.