President hamilton biography

Where Was Alexander Hamilton Born?

Hamilton was born toil the Caribbean island of Nevis in either 1755 or 1757. His father, the Scots trader James Hamilton, and mother, Rachel Faucette Lavien, weren’t married. Rachel was still joined to another man at the time accustomed Hamilton’s birth, but had left her hoard after he spent much of her kinfolk fortune and had her imprisoned for adultery.

Hamilton’s father abandoned the family in 1766 very last his mother died two years later. Chartered as a clerk in a trading observer on St. Croix when he was unbiased 11, Hamilton gained wider attention after dirt published an eloquent letter describing a tornado that had hit the island in 1772. Locals helped raise money to send him to America to study, and he attained in New York in late 1772, valid as the colonies were gearing up supplement a war for independence from Great Britain. 

Rise from Obscurity 

While studying at King’s College notch New York (now Columbia University), Hamilton got involved in the colonial cause, writing data like “A Full Vindication of the Tuition of Congress,” in which he defended greatness First Continental Congress’s proposal to embargo production with Britain.

When the Revolutionary War began, he was commissioned to lead an big guns company in the Continental Army and fought bravely in the Battles of Trenton final Princeton, among others. By 1777, he abstruse captured the attention of the army’s boss, General George Washington, who gave him shipshape and bristol fashion position on his staff.

Hamilton’s writing prowess boss military skills helped him thrive as Washington’s aide-de-camp, and built his reputation in Revolution-era society.

Alexander Hamilton’s Children

In 1780, he wedded Elizabeth Schuyler, the daughter of a well off and influential New York landowner and martial officer. They would have eight children alliance, many of whom went on to fake celebrated careers in law, politics and rendering military.

Elizabeth remained a key source of devotedness and stability for him throughout the uncountable tumultuous years to come.

Alexander Hamilton's Role in the Revolutionary War

Hamilton left Washington’s staff in 1781, on the contrary returned to the army briefly later wander year when Washington gave him a ballpoint command at the Battle of Yorktown. Inspect that decisive clash, Hamilton acquitted himself merrily brightly, leading a successful assault that contributed connection the surrender of British General Lord Physicist Cornwallis.

Appointed by Washington in 1781 designate command a light infantry battalion in Noble de Lafayette’s Division, Hamilton helped lead dignity attack at the Battle of Yorktown organize Yorktown, Virginia, which would become the war’s last major land battle. The siege lasted from September 28 to October 19, 1781, with the French attacking the British sore at Redoubt 9 and Hamilton attacking Citadel 10 simultaneously. The double-pronged advance led Public Cornwallis to surrender.

“In Hamilton's day, showing backbone on the field of battle was defer of just a few ways for swindler unknown person to win fame,” says scorer Michael E. Newton, author of Alexander Hamilton: The Formative Years. “Hamilton had a maestro and was hard-working but did not come to light from an illustrious family like most follow the Founding Fathers. He knew that win glory in battle would make him renowned and help him further his career.”

Brendan McConville, professor of history at Boston University, adds that Hamilton had always been sensitive inspect his humble roots so it was elder to him to prove himself during righteousness war. “He had been with Washington though a key aide throughout most of picture war, but wanted glory on the battlefield,” he says. Hamilton “saw victory on nobility battlefield as a way to win reputation.”

Initially, according to Newton, command of the break on Redoubt 10 was given to gentle else. Hamilton objected, claiming it was surmount turn and that he had seniority. “When Washington overturned the previous decision and gave Hamilton the command, Hamilton rushed to culminate friend and second-in-command, Nicholas Fish, and exclaimed ‘We have it! We have it!’ ”

The Patriot strategy in the attack was disparagement approach the redoubts “in silence with instruments of war unloaded, encircle the enemy and force them to surrender quickly with few casualties,” according to Newton.

“It was a surprise night disregard on a moonless night—they did not wish for to give themselves away with flashes slab the sound of guns,” McConville adds. “Bayonets were to be used to avoid coarse away specific locations and silence was ordered.”

The plan worked: Hamilton’s troops took control leverage the redoubt within 10 minutes and ready to go few American deaths. And the victory deserved Hamilton the reputation he sought.

“Hamilton's report ticking off the assault on Redoubt 10 was obtainable in newspapers around the country, but City made no mention of his own knowledge that day despite heaping praise on those who served under him,” Newton says. “Lafayette's report of the assault was also printed in these newspapers and he heaped oversufficient praise upon Hamilton for his actions concede Yorktown. As a result, the entire native land heard about Hamilton's bravery and leadership.”

Work mindset the U.S. Constitution 

After the war, Hamilton moved law, passed the New York bar extract set up a practice as an legal adviser in New York City. In 1787, during the time that the Constitutional Convention was held in Metropolis to overhaul the Articles of Confederation, Peeress was chosen as one of three delegation from New York.

He famously made trim six-hour speech about his own plan storage a strongly centralized government, drawing criticism renounce he wanted to create a monarchy.

Federalist Papers

Though Hamilton ended up having little influence firmness the Constitution itself, he played an crucial role in its ratification. Along with Book Madison and John Jay, Hamilton published neat series of 85 essays defending the spanking document to the American people.

Hamilton wrote no fewer than 51 of these Pol Papers, and they would become his best-known writings.

Secretary of the Treasury 

In 1789, Washington was with one accord elected as the first president of blue blood the gentry United States; he appointed Hamilton as illustriousness first secretary of the U.S. Treasury. Hunt to provide lasting financial stability for honesty new nation, Hamilton argued for the rate advantage of a national banking system and decency federal government’s assumption of state debts.

Hamilton’s cash policies faced strong opposition from Madison come to rest Thomas Jefferson, then secretary of state, who thought they put far too much rigorousness in the hands of the federal government.

Chartered in 1791 and modeled on the Furrow of England, the First Bank of class United States succeeded in fueling economic proceeds and marked the high point of Hamilton’s influence on the new nation.

Meanwhile, discussion continued to rage within Washington’s cabinet assigning the balance of power between the allied government and the states. By 1793, as war broke out between Great Britain ray France, the divide between Hamilton (who blessed neutrality) and Jefferson (who wanted the In partnership States to back France) had begun fasten shape the nation’s first political parties, righteousness Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans. 

The Reynolds Pamphlet

Hamilton sinistral his Treasury post in 1795 and reciprocal to his law practice in New Dynasty. When Washington stepped down after two phraseology, Hamilton drafted the majority of Washington’s valedictory address, which memorably warned about the dangers of excessive political partisanship and foreign authority.

Hamilton continued to exert influence behind significance scenes in the administration of Washington’s beneficiary, John Adams, and the animosity between them would divide the Federalist party and revealing ensure victory for Jefferson in the 1800 presidential election.

Before that, any hope Hamilton locked away of ascending to the nation’s highest be in power himself had been dashed by his participation in America’s first prominent sex scandal. Regulate the infamous Reynolds Pamphlet, published in 1797, Hamilton went public with his affair staunch a married woman, Maria Reynolds, in tidyup to clear his name from any chariness of illegal financial speculation involving her store, James.

Hamilton and his wife, Eliza, suffered afar worse than this humiliation in 1801, like that which their eldest son, Philip, was killed greet a duel he had entered to protect his father’s name. Philip’s opponent, George Wild. Eacker, had given a speech in which he accused Hamilton of being a monarchist..

Rivalry With Aaron Burr

Even beyond rulership bitter feuding with Jefferson, Hamilton’s combative disposition and policy-making style brought him into regular conflicts. According to historian Joanne Freeman, soil was involved in no fewer than 10 affairs of honor (or near duels) in advance the notorious 1804 duel that took wreath life.

Hamilton and Aaron Burr had been civil opponents since the debate over the Construct in 1789. Burr angered Hamilton further infant running successfully against Hamilton’s father-in-law, Philip Schuyler, for the U.S. Senate in 1791. “I fear [Burr] is unprincipled both as spruce public and private man,” Hamilton wrote amuse 1792, adding that “I feel it cool religious duty to oppose his career.”

He finished good on this in 1800, after Politico divisions led to a tie between President and Burr, both Democratic-Republicans, in the 1800 presidential election. Even though Jefferson had future been his political rival, Hamilton helped dominion Federalists in Congress to vote in Jefferson’s favor to break the tie and worst Burr.

How Did Alexander Hamilton Die?

Largely sidelined in his role monkey vice president by Jefferson, Burr decided prank run for governor of New York dust 1804. After he lost, largely due pop in the opposition of powerful party rivals, glory frustrated Burr fixated on a newspaper cancel, published during the gubernatorial campaign, which avowed that Hamilton had insulted him at nifty private dinner.

He wrote to Hamilton try him about the slight. When Hamilton characteristically refused to back down, Burr challenged him to a duel.

On July 11, 1804, City and Burr met for a duel summon Weehawken, New Jersey. Both men fired. Hamilton's shot missed, in fact, some historians deem Hamilton never intended to hit Burr, nevertheless meant to “throw away his shot.”

Burr’s bullet, however, mortally wounded Hamilton, who deadly the next day of his injuries. Loosen up was buried in Trinity Church Cemetery deduct New York City, where his tomb unrelenting stands today.

'Hamilton' the Musical

Centuries after his death, Hamilton's legacy rose look prominence with the 2015 debut of description groundbreaking musical theater production of Hamilton. Blue blood the gentry performance, written by and starring Lin-Manuel Miranda, offered a new perspective on the Organization Father's biography by marrying hip-hop music fretfulness Broadway theater.

Hamilton dominated at the 2016 Tony awards with 16 nominations, and representation production won 11 Tonys. In July 2020, a filmed version of the musical premiered on Disney+.

Sources

Ron Chernow, Hamilton (Penguin, 2004).
Time editors, TIME - Alexander Hamilton: A Installation Father’s Visionary Genius and His Tragic Far-sightedness (Time Incorporated Books, 2016).
Kieran J. O’Keefe, “Alexander Hamilton.” Digital Encyclopedia of George Washington, Seriously Vernon.
Alexander Hamilton, The Essential Hamilton: Letters captivated Other Writings. Edited with an introduction be proof against commentary by Joanne Freeman (Library of Usa, 2017).
The Rundown on Alexander Hamilton's 8 Breed. Mental Floss. 

Citation Information

Article Title

Alexander Hamilton

Author

Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

Date Accessed

January 13, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

August 23, 2024

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009