Alexander Hamilton

by Eric Allen

Alexander Hamilton was a very important figure in the formation of the United States. He served as George Washington's aide-de-camp, he was Washington's first Secretary of the Treasury, and he set up the government's financial system. Besides being important to Washington, Hamilton also was an important political figure on his own. Even though he does not get much recognition as a historical figure, he played a large part in the beginning of our country.

As George Washington's aide-de-camp, Hamilton did many things. He advised Washington and did much of his paperwork. He even found time to write letters to politicians. Hamilton accepted the job reluctantly, as he saw it as a desk job, and would have rather done something more important. Even so, he did his job so well, Washington started calling him his "principal and most confidential aide." He held much sway with Washington and was able to advise him on many issues. One might even argue that Hamilton's most important accomplishment was serving as George Washington's aide-de-camp.

When Washington set up his first cabinet, he appointed Alexander Hamilton as Secretary of the Treasury. Hamilton accepted this post and did many things during his term. His first job was to get the young nation's finances in order. He finished this quickly and moved on to other things. One important thing Hamilton did was to create a national bank. He believed that the existing paper money system was ineffectual because it lacked any kind of value to back it up.  His national bank rectified this. Hamilton eventually resigned from his post in February of 1781, because he was getting bored and wanted a more exciting job.

Hamilton realized that many goods were being smuggled in and out of the United States. If he could reduce the smuggling, he could increase tax revenue for the government. In August of 1790, Congress granted his request for ten "revenue cutters." These were small ships, no more than sixty feet long, but they were well suited to their job. Hamilton sent these ships, with their 6-men Yankee crews, to patrol major ports, such as Boston. They succeeded in reducing the smuggling, something the British had failed to do. These "revenue cutters" eventually became the Coast Guard we know today.

Throughout his adult life, Hamilton was involved in politics. Possibly his most important part in the founding of the United States was his political involvement. He was a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1782, and the Annapolis Convention in 1786. His position was somewhat extreme. Hamilton believed that the United States should have a strong central government, instead of loosely connected states. This put him in the Federalist Party, when the party system surfaced. Because of this, he was often at odds with Jefferson and Madison. He even thought the Constitution was too weak. Hamilton's political career was an important part of the history of the United States.

Hamilton was born in 1757, on the West Indian island of Nevis. When he was 9, he and his mother moved to St. Croix. In 1768, he became an apprentice clerk. In 1772, he wrote an article about a violent hurricane that had hit St. Croix. Governor Walsterstorff read his article and was amazed by young Hamilton's brilliance. He immediately raised enough money to send Hamiton to the states for college. Alexander Hamilton initially attended Barber's College in New Jersey. One year later, he switched to King's College in New York. When war broke out, Hamilton went into the army.

Hamilton did not die of natural causes. In 1804, Aaron Burr, an ambitious politician, challenged him to a duel. On July 11th, 1804, they each fired their guns, ten paces apart. While Hamilton's shot went off into the woods, Burr's hit it's mark. Within a day, Hamilton died. This feud between Hamilton and Burr ran deep. It started in 1800, when Hamilton wrote a scathing letter about Burr, that destroyed his chance at the presidency. Then, in 1804, the same thing happened when Burr ran for governor of New York. This time, a copy of Hamilton's letter found it's way into the newspaper. Burr was outraged when he read it, and demanded an acknowledgment from Hamilton that he indeed wrote the letter. Hamilton dodged the issue and Burr eventually challenged him to the duel that ended his life.

Sources

March 1987 issue of Cobblestone, Volume 8 Number 3

Cobblestone
"Alexander Hamilton and a National Economy" by Peter McGuinness
September 1984, pages 14-17

http://www.jmu.edu/madison/hamilton.htm
Alexander Hamilton (no author)
James Maddison Center's Fedralist Papers