20 Interesting Facts about Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton is a father of the American financial system. He is the main character of the musical, as well as a political leader of the United States. The ideologist and leader of the federalist party since its inception. The author of the program of accelerated commercial and industrial development of the United States, the 1st Secretary of the US Treasury.

Everyone recognizes his characteristic pointed profile on a ten-dollar bill. Someone may not know whom this profile belongs to. However, everyone understands: this person has done something very important for America, has achieved great success.

Meanwhile, the biography of Alexander Hamilton is very far from the concept of well-being, and his whole life confirms the words once said by this man: “We do not choose everything in life. There are things choosing us. ”

The beginning of the journey of Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton was was an illegitimate child born in the West Indies (on the small island of Nevis in the Caribbean). Hamilton himself usually indicated the year 1757, but in some documents he also recorded the year 1755. The father, who cohabited with his mother for some time, soon abandoned her, and when the boy was 13 years old, she passed away.

Alexander was saved by the fact that from an early age he turned out to be an intelligent, quick-witted child. Primary school teachers drew attention to his literary abilities. Hamilton’s maternal uncle, a fairly wealthy local man, took patronage over an intelligent nephew, and sent him to a good school.

His nature has always been about ambition and a thirst for fame. Motivated by such feelings, young Alexander arrived in New York with manuscripts of his poems, feeling himself a famous poet.

Alexander Hamilton Musical

Nevertheless, the publishers did not share the hopes with the young man! He was not discouraged, went to college, and after two years he finished it brilliantly. At this time, a bourgeois revolution was brewing in the country, which eventually took the form of a war for independence. Hot-tempered, ambitious Hamilton recalled his talent, and wrote several vivid, memorable pamphlets, in support of the idea of independence from Britain.

War broke out, and the youth’s hopes for success, now military, erupted with renewed vigor. Having put together a detachment of militias, he entered the young army of George Washington, passed exams and received the rank of artillery lieutenant. Along the way, he got acquainted with Washington itself, which later became the first popularly elected President of the United States. Thus began the political career of Alexander Hamilton.

General George Washington sent Hamilton home during the war for disobeying direct orders and participating in a duel with General Charles Lee. However, they soon called him back to end the war in Yorktown as a professional.

Personal life of Alexander Hamilton

The position of secretary in Washington itself allowed Hamilton to marry successfully the daughter of a famous general Elizabeth Skyler. This marriage largely solved his own financial problems. His personality of an outstanding man had always attracted women, which subsequently played a cruel joke with him.

Angelica Skyler, sister of his wife, also had feelings for Alexander. Though she allowed Eliza to marry Hamilton, despite the fact that she realized that she would never find happiness because of this fact. After the war, Eliza gave birth to a boy, Philip Hamilton.

George Washington noticed a young, smart captain, and offered him the position of his adjutant, and part-time – secretary. On the one hand, Alexander was delighted, on the other – he saw that his dream of military glory was melting. For four years, he plunged into papers, dispatches, petitions. Such an activity did not confirm his energetic nature, but here, near Washington, he became known to many influential people. Therefore, he began to delve into the existing financial problems of a young country.

Hamilton did not attempt to develop a military career

Fortunately, by that time he already had the rank of colonel. However, alas, the war was ending, and the prospect of becoming a rear military young man melted away.

He passed exams for the title of lawyer and became a judge. During that time, he also wrote articles, pamphlets, and got an engagment in political analysis. As they would say now, in New York, he became a prominent political scientist.

From Minister of Finance to Duelist

During that period, Hamilton created many articles that had become, in fact, very important in the Federalist collection. Public officials wrote the US Constitution based on that collection with a signature of Hamilton.

Moreover, in 1789, Alexander Hamilton achieved his dream of fame and career. He became the first US Treasury Secretary under President Washington

In this position, he did a lot, including introducing the dollar as a single currency. He also initiated the creation of the Central Bank, developed the tax system, introduced excise taxes on alcohol. Finally Hamilton issued the first shares of the State loan in the country.

In those same years, Hamilton worked hard to create the first political party in America. Therefore, he made a major contribution to the formation of the government of the first President. He supported the tough centralized power. The military commander first talked about the fact that the United States should become an industrial country. He was against ideas it to stay a traditionally agricultural country.

Hamilton’s political career was ruined by his passion for women. He became the victim of scammers who blackmailed the minister with extramarital affairs. This blackmail cost him a post.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial Facts

Having left politics and vowed once again never to engage in it, Alexander devoted himself to his favourite work. Thus, he began writing of pamphlets. Perhaps because of his years, or perhaps because of the vicissitudes of fate, his writings began to be distinguished by special bile and hatred of opponents.

In addition, troubles firmly became his companions. In 1801, a son died in a duel, and the reason for her was an insult to the killer of Hamilton himself. Soon the daughter lost her mind … Alexander began to disappear for hours in the church, and found rest for the soul in the garden.

In 1804, already under President Jefferson, a campaign for the election of governor erupted in New York. One of the applicants was Aaron Barr, Hamilton’s longtime acquaintance. By that time, Alexander had already quarreled with him. He also printed a series of dirty pamphlets directed against Barr in the newspapers. The latter challenged our hero to a duel.

They fired on July 12, 1804. Hamilton was mortally wounded, and died the next day

When the troubles associated with the burial began, it turned out that the deceased had almost no money, but only debts. The mighty of this world gave him a magnificent funeral, but then with difficulty they managed to save at least a house for their family.

Now the USA consider him one of its founders. There are monuments to Hamilton in many cities of the country. Moreover, there is a musical about his life in New York, on Broadway.

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Comments: 1
  1. Kids_should_read_history_not_watching_inaccurate_musicals

    Well,the contents of your posts are pretty much the common knowledge of Hamilton,but I still appreciate it,because it seems that when everyone is ranting about the inaccurate musical and Mr Miranda and Hamilton as gay icon and such,at least you write solid facts,not unrealistic imaginations.Thank you so much for reminding me that there are still people who have brains .Though I’d like to point out,Hamilton and Burr dueled on July 11th,and the former died the following day.

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20 Interesting Facts about Alexander Hamilton
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