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| | [[image:alexhamilton.jpg|300px|thumb|Alexander Hamilton by John Trumbull 1792.]] | | [[image:alexhamilton.jpg|300px|thumb|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 leading 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 continues to be the single most influential interpretation of what the Constitution means. | + | '''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 leading 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 continues to be the single most influential interpretation of what the Constitution means. He was the leading intellectual of his time, and the driving force of the Washington Administration that shaped the young nation. Hamilton played a key role in: |
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| − | As the nation's first [[United States Secretary of the Treasury|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. The nation's business and financial communities for the first time became united in a single economy, and provided critical support for Hamilton. To mobilize that grass-roots support 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. Working closely with Washington, Hamilton in 1795 secured the critical [[Jay Treaty]] over the intense opposition of Jeffersonians who favored France in its war with Britain. Despite an embarrassing sex scandal, Hamilton 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, so he sabotaged Adams' reelection in 1800.Nevertheless he 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 Democrats as undemocratic and even pro-monarchy. By the [[Progressive Era]] after 1900, however, Hamilton's nationalism, financial wizardry, and promotion of business and banking increasingly appealed to conservatives, who made Hamilton into a hero of their own. Hamilton was one of the great expositors of the American political creed of [[Republicanism]], and set up programs that proved a strong, effective government of the people could be made operational without an aristocracy or monarch. | + | * the continued success of George Washington as his top aide |
| | + | * the ratification of the Constitution |
| | + | * the policies that made the United States an economic power |
| | + | * the compromise that placed the nation's capital at Washington, D.C. |
| | + | * the election of [[Thomas Jefferson]] as president |
| | + | * saving the young Union by blocking Aaron Burr from becoming governor of New York |
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| | + | As the nation's first [[United States Secretary of the Treasury|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. The nation's business and financial communities for the first time became united in a single economy, and provided critical support for Hamilton. To mobilize that grass-roots support 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. Working closely with Washington, Hamilton in 1795 secured the critical [[Jay Treaty]] over the intense opposition of Jeffersonians who favored France in its war with Britain. Despite an embarrassing sex scandal, Hamilton 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, so he sabotaged Adams' reelection in 1800. Nevertheless he 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 Democrats as undemocratic and even pro-monarchy. By the [[Progressive Era]] after 1900, however, Hamilton's nationalism, financial wizardry, and promotion of business and banking increasingly appealed to conservatives, who made Hamilton into a hero of their own. Hamilton was one of the great expositors of the American political creed of [[Republicanism]], and set up programs that proved a strong, effective government of the people could be made operational without an aristocracy or monarch. |
| | ==Early life== | | ==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. | | 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. |
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| | ==Adams and Jefferson administrations== | | ==Adams and Jefferson administrations== |
| | ==Death== | | ==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.<ref>http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/hamilton/filmmore/pt_2.html</ref> 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. <ref>[http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=H000101 Biography]</ref> 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. | + | 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.<ref>http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/hamilton/filmmore/pt_2.html</ref> 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. <ref>[http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=H000101 Biography]</ref> Hamilton's son, who was given the same advice by his father that a gentleman shoots over his target, had earlier died in a duel the same way. |
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| | ==Reputation== | | ==Reputation== |
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| | ==Trivia== | | ==Trivia== |
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| − | 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. | + | 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. |
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| | ==Notes== | | ==Notes== |