Alexander Hamilton: The Unknown Founding Father

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When you think of patriots you may think of John Adams and Paul Revere, but what about Alexander Hamilton? Born on Nevis in the West Indies in 1757, Hamilton was a patriot and one of America’s founding fathers. He started as a clerk at Beekman and Cruger on St. Croix. In 1773, Hamilton was sent to New York by generous benefactors.

When Hamilton arrived in New York, the 13 colonies had already been protesting British taxes and regulations. While in New York, Alexander Hamilton attended King’s College in 1773 (later known as Columbia University). Hamilton published “The Farmer Refuted” in 1775, which was a patriotic document. That same year Hamilton joined the militia. He was appointed captain of the Provincial Artillery and fought in the battles on Long Island, White Plains, and Trenton. In 1777, Hamilton fought in the battles of Brandywine Creek, Germantown, and Princeton. In the same year, Hamilton moved up to lieutenant colonel on George Washington’s staff. The next year he fought in the battle of Monmouth. Then, in 1779, Hamilton suggested to John Jay, a member of the Continental Congress, that slaves could be recruited to fight and then be freed. In 1782, Hamilton studied law and was later elected as a member of the Continental Congress. In 1783, the American Revolution ended.

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After the war, Hamilton worked as a lawyer and a civic leader. Then in 1784, he helped establish the Bank of New York. In the same year, Hamilton argued in the case, Rutgers vs. Waddington, an important case which concerned the rights of former Loyalists and the formulation of judicial review. In 1786, as a delegate to the Annapolis Convention, he wrote a letter for the Constitutional Convention. Then, in 1787, Hamilton attended the Constitutional Convention. Later that year he began writing The Federalist papers with the help of James Madison and John Jay. The next year, at the Poughkeepsie convention, Hamilton fought for the ratification of the Constitution in New York. In 1801, Hamilton founded the New York Evening Post.

In the same year, Hamilton advised Federalists to vote for Thomas Jefferson over Aaron Burr, which helped Jefferson win the election. This lead to his duel with Burr in 1804 in which Hamilton was killed. In 1807, Burr was convicted for treason. In 1836, Aaron Burr died. This conflict definitely had fatal consequences.

Alexander Hamilton is my hero because he was a patriotic founding father of America. His war efforts surpassed those of others. In 1790, he reformed America’s financial system as Secretary of the Treasury. Hamilton’s work still lives on today through US currency. He is the unknown face on the ten-dollar bill. His work has greatly affected all Americans. Just remember, whenever you consider how our country came to be, think of Alexander Hamilton.