Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton by John Trumbull 1792.

Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1757 - July 12, 1804) was one of the most important, and most conservative and nationalistic, of the Founding Fathers of the United States. After wartime service as chief of staff to General George Washington, he became a leader lawyer in New York. He called for a strong new constitution to replace the weak national government, and in 1788 he wrote half the Federalist Papers, which mobilized supporters of the Constitution and remain a major interpretation of what the Constitution means.

As the nation's first Secretary of the Treasury, Hamilton's far reaching vision put the United States on an stable financial basis and promoted national unity. His Treasury took over state debts as well as debts owed by the national government, and funded them with long-term national debt, which in turn was paid by a new tariff on imports and a tax on whiskey. He set up the Bank of the United States, a central bank to make liquidity in financial markets possible. To generate grass-roots support for his program he founded the Federalist Party, which operated in every state. It was the first popular political party in the world, but soon had competition from the Democratic-Republican Party founded by his great adversary Thomas Jefferson. In foreign affairs he was a strong supporter of Britain, and the well-balanced British political system, and secured the critical Jay Treaty of 1795 over the intense opposition of Jeffersonians who favored France. Despite an embarrassing sex scandal, he tried to keep control of the Federalist Party while John Adams was president, and orchestrated the creation of a powerful national army in 1798, which he and Washington were to head. Adams' achievement of peace with France frustrated Hamilton's plans, he sabotaged Adams' reelection in 1800, but helped Jefferson become president when it appeared the scoundrel Aaron Burr might take the office. He was killed by Burr in a duel, and for most of the 19th century was a target of attacks by Democrat. By the Progressive Era after 1900, however, his nationalism, financial wizardry, and promotion of business and banking increasingly appealed to conservatives, who made Hamilton into a hero of their own.

Early life

Hamilton was born out of wedlock in the British West Indies. A prodigy, he was handling merchant accounts as a teenager, and his essay on a hurricane attracted patrons who paid his way to the American colonies. Some scholars have argued that Hamilton’s origins can be reflected in his later life, where, unlike much of the Revolutionary generation, his views were more nationalistic, rather than tied to the interests of a particular region or state.

Revolution

As a student at King's College (now Columbia University), Hamilton took a major role in the political debates over independence. Hamilton raised a company of artillery and was selected captain. Fighting the British invasion of new York City in late 1776, he came to the attention of George Washington, commander in chief of the Continental Army. Washington promoted Hamilton to colonel and made him his senior aide--in effect the chief of staff (although that title was not in use. Hamilton had a combat command at the battle of Yorktown that ended the war in 1781. Hamilton may have alerted General Washington to the existence of the Newburgh Conspiracy, in which disgruntled officers might have become a threat to civilian government. Washington prevented that.

New York

Hamilton became a leading lawyer in New York City, and married into the rich and powerful Schulyler family. Along with his close friend John Jay, he was active in anti-slavery movements. Hamilton was elected to the Continental Congress, the New York State assembly, and was chosen by the legislature as a delegate to the Philadelphia Constitutional in 1787/ he played a minor role in the convention.

Hamilton authored 51 of the 85 Federalist Papers, while James Madison and John Jay composed the others. These essays, published anonymously in newspapers in New York and throughout the United States, helped turn popular opinion in favor of ratifying the Constitution, particularly in the decisive states of New York and Virginia.

Secretary of the Treasury

Perhaps Hamilton's greatest contribution to the success of the United States occurred during his tenure as Washington’s Secretary of the Treasury from 1789 to 1795. Through a system of tariffs and excise taxes (some of which, as demonstrated by the Whiskey Rebellion, caused a great deal of resentment), Hamilton placed the United States on sound financial footing. While Hamilton disliked taxes, he also realized that they were necessary. Hamilton not only favored close trade ties with Great Britain, the world’s leading commercial power, but he believed that the United States should emulate their economic system. In his Report on Manufactures, Hamilton envisioned the United States as a nation that would rely on manufacturing and commerce in order to become a great power. This (among other things) put him at odds with Thomas Jefferson, who envisioned the United States as an agrarian republic.

Federalist Party

Hamilton saw the need for political newspapers and subsidized numerous editors, most famously Noah Webster. In 1801, with $10,000 from investors, Hamilton started the New-York Evening Post.

Death

Hamilton's long standing rivalry with Aaron Burr eventually lead to Burr accusing Hamilton of slander. Hamilton replied that the anti-Burr statements he had made were not slander, but were instead the truth. The resulting argument brought a lifetime of feuding to a head in the form of a duel. The duel took place on the 11th of July 1804 at Weehawken, New Jersey. Hamilton believed that a gentleman shoots over his target, and that honor is served. Burr had no such belief. Hamilton shot over Burr's head, but Burr's shot struck its target into Hamilton's body. Hamilton was taken away and after suffering horribly from the wound throughout the night, died the next day. Hamilton's son, who was given the same advice by his father that a gentlemen shoots over his target, had earlier died in a duel the same way.

Trivia

Hamilton, along with Benjamin Franklin, is one of the very few non-presidents to be portrayed on American money. Hamilton's portrait is on the $10 bill, while Franklin is on the $100 bill.

References

• Joseph Ellis, Founding Brothers (New York: Vintage, 2000).
• John Ferling, A Leap in the Dark: The Struggle to Create the American Republic (Oxford University Press, 2003).
• Ron Chernow, Alexander Hamilton (New York: Penquin, 2005).