Alexander hamilton biography west indies

American Founding Father and statesman (1755/1757–1804)

For other uses, see Alexander Hamilton (disambiguation).

Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757 – July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first U.S. secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795 during George Washington's presidency.

Born out of wedlock in Charlestown, Nevis, Hamilton was orphaned as a child and taken in by a prosperous merchant. He pursued his education in New York City where, despite his young age, he was a prolific and widely read pam

Alexander Hamilton was born in Charlestown, Nevis, in the West Indies on January 11, 1757 (or 1755), to James Hamilton, a Scottish merchant of St. Christopher, and Rachel Fawcett. Rachel's father was a Huguenot physician and planter. While very young, she had been married to and divorced from a Danish proprietor on St. Croix. After her divorce, the court prohibited her remarriage. The marriage to James Hamilton was acceptable socially in the West Indies, but not elsewhere. The union resulted in the birth of two sons, but they were living apart less than 10 years later. Rachel and her boys lived on St. Croix, dependent on her relatives. She passed away in 1768. His father survived until 1799 — but the boys were virtually orphans before they were even teenagers.

At the age of 12, Hamilton began work as a clerk in a general store, but the boy had a keen intellect and ambitious goals. He was an excellent writer, in French as well as English. In 1772, a hurricaine ravaged the West Indies. Hamilton wrote a letter about the devastating storm, published in the Royal Danish American Gazette, of such poetic eloquence that a subscription fund was taken up to send the promising young intellectual to North America for a formal education.

In 1773, Hamilton was entered at King's College (Now Columbia). Even as a young man he had a strong grasp on political issues concerning British and American government, which he exhibited in a series of anonymous pamphlets so discerning, they were attributed to John Jay. He was only 17 at the time.

In 1775 he withdrew from his college studies and founded a volunteer military company. On March 14, 1776, Hamilton was commissioned Captain of the New York Provincial Company of Artillery. He exhibited great skill

Post-War Accomplishments (1784-1795)

After his military service, Hamilton returned to New York where he passed the bar exam to practice law. Defending a British loyalist in 1784, he helped establish the principle that courts have the right and responsibility to interpret law. Judicial review remains a cornerstone of the American legal system today.

Hamilton also helped found the Bank of New York to reenergize the war-torn economy. In 1784, he helped to establish the Bank of New York. In 1781, the Bank of North America was the first bank established in the United States in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. To assist New York commerce, Hamilton wrote the bank’s constitution. This document inspired other banks to follow a similar model.

In 1782, Hamilton was appointed to the Congress of the Confederation as a representative from New York and later served as an assemblyman in the New York State Legislator. In 1787, as a member of Congress, Hamilton attended the Constitutional Convention at Independence Hallin Philadelphia. Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay later wrote a series of 85 essays known as the Federalist Papers. The essays were published in New York State newspapers and were written to persuade readers to support ratification of the U.S. Constitution. Writing 51 essays in total, Hamilton completed the bulk of the work.

As the first Secretary of the Treasury (1789-95), Hamilton devised plans for funding the national debt, securing federal credit, encouraging expansion of manufacturing, and organizing the federal bank. In 1790, in his Report on Public Credit, Hamilton urged that the federal government assume the Revolutionary War debts of the 13 states. Nevertheless, he needed support for his economic plan in Congress. At the time, Thomas Jefferson and others wanted the national capital further south. They struck a deal: Hamilton’s economic plan passed, and Washington, D.C. ultimately became the permanent capital. As an integral member