Journey to New York

Alexander Hamilton was born out of wedlock to European parents on January 11, 1757. He grew up in the British West Indies, a group of small Caribbean islands off the coast of Florida. His childhood was marked with tragedy. First, his father abandoned him and his mother. Later, his mother died of a severe illness, and her estranged husband seized her estate from the orphaned Hamilton brothers. The boys lived briefly with a cousin, but they were separated when the cousin committed suicide.

This left 13-year-old Hamilton to fend for himself. He found a job at an import-export firm. Throughout his teenage years, Hamilton was an avid reader and developed an interest in writing.

In 1772, he wrote a vivid account of a recent hurricane that ended up in the local newspaper. Locals were astounded. This self-taught teenager had some serious talent! The town leaders raised enough money to send Hamilton on a ship to the mainland, where he could attend King’s College in New York City. America was on the brink of the Revolutionary War.

Military Success

King’s College shut its doors in 1775, before Hamilton graduated, because British troops occupied New York City. Hamilton decided to enter the military. He viewed the army as the most effective means to advance his political career. He moved through the ranks and soon became General George Washington’s chief staff aide.

To Hamilton’s disappointment, this position kept him out of direct combat. He persistently asked to be put in charge of troops on the battlefield. Washington finally relented and gave Hamilton a few battalions in the Battle of Yorktown, the battle that ultimately secured America’s victory in the Revolutionary War.

The Lure of Politics

After the war, Hamilton briefly served in the Congress of the Confederation. Throughout his time there, he grew frustrated that Congress had so little power to solve problems or collect taxes. His irritation at government ineffectiveness foreshadowed a struggle he would fight for the rest of his career. Even though he had served as a private lawyer for several years, the temptation to enter government service never left Hamilton. He despised the Articles of Confederation and wrote frequently about the many problems the document caused — and of course, he believed the government’s lack of power formed the root of those problems. In 1786, he spearheaded a campaign to create a new Congress and devise a better governing document.

Crafting the Constitution

It is no surprise that Hamilton was chosen to serve on this new Constitutional Congress. However, he was well known as a headstrong debater who would argue tirelessly for his ideas, no matter the consequences, which won him several enemies in the Confederation. He tirelessly lobbied for a powerful national government.

Even though he was ultimately dissatisfied with certain aspects of the Constitution, he agreed to support it because he believed it was superior to the Articles of Confederation. Hamilton, along with John Jay and James Madison, anonymously published 85 essays defending the new Constitution to the general public. These are now known as The Federalist Papers.

Political Influence

After all the States agreed to live under the Constitution, General George Washington became President and appointed Hamilton to be Secretary of the Treasury Department. As the very first person in this role, Hamilton was able to design much of the structure and function of the Treasury. He redesigned large parts of the national financial system, established a Mint to make coins, and made regular financial reports to Congress.

Hamilton’s tenure as Secretary of the Treasury led to the earliest U.S. political parties. Parts of his plans to overhaul the national financial system required Congressional approval, but some members of Congress disliked Hamilton and disagreed with his belief in strong government. James Madison and Thomas Jefferson initiated a congressional faction against Hamilton’s plans, which became known as the Democratic-Republicans, while Hamilton assembled the opposing Federalists.

Hamilton retired as Treasury Secretary in 1794 but remained an influential voice in politics. His headstrong personality reached its climax during the presidential election of 1800. His own party, the Federalists, supported John Adams in his bid for re-election. Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr both ran as Democratic-Republicans. Even though they shared a political party, Hamilton hated Adams and publicly ridiculed him. He also had a deep distrust of Aaron Burr. This left him supporting Thomas Jefferson, his career-long political enemy. When Jefferson and Burr tied, Hamilton was instrumental in breaking that tie and getting Jefferson elected
President.

A Dramatic Death

Burr served as Vice President under Jefferson, but when it became clear that he would not be included on the ballot for re-election, Burr ran for Governor of New York in 1804. Once again, his opponent won with the aid of Alexander Hamilton. Soon after, a letter appeared in the Albany Register claiming Hamilton called Burr untrustworthy and a “dangerous man.” Because of this, and because of other unpleasant interactions with the very passionate Hamilton, Aaron Burr had fostered a deep dislike for him. Burr eventually challenged Hamilton to a gun duel. They faced each other on July 11, 1804. Hamilton aimed his gun at the sky at the last second, while Burr’s bullet hit him in the ribs. The wound proved fatal, and Hamilton died the next day.

The Real History of Alexander Hamilton (YouTube)

References:

Alexander Hamilton by Jessica McBirney is on CommonLit and made available under a CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.

Portrait of Alexander Hamilton by John Trumbull from the National Portrait Gallery is in the Public domain from Wikimedia Commons.

Alexander Hamilton making the first draft of the Constitution for the United States 1787 by Hamilton Buggy Company is in the Public domain from Wikimedia Commons.