Alexander Hamilton was a founding father of the United States, who fought in the American Revolutionary War, helped draft the Constitution, and served as the first secretary of the treasury. He was the founder and chief architect of the American financial system. Now we explore Alexander Hamilton year by year:
1755 (or 1757):
Alexander Hamilton is born in either 1755 or 1757 on the Caribbean island of Nevis. The exact date of his birth remains uncertain due to conflicting historical records. He was a love child of James Hamilton (a Scottish trader) and Rachel Faucette Lavien (the daughter of a French Huguenot physician and the wife of John Michael Lavien, a German or Danish merchant).
1765:
James Hamilton abandoned his family. Rachel set up a small shop.
1758:
Both Hamilton and his mother became sick. Hamilton recovered, but unfortunately his mother died.
1772:
A devastating hurricane strikes the island of St. Croix where Hamilton and his family reside. In the aftermath, Hamilton writes a letter describing the event, which is published in a local newspaper, showcasing his talent for writing. Hamilton’s employers recognize his potential and raise funds to send him to the mainland America for further study. He initially applied to the College of New Jersey (modern Princeton).
Hamilton arrived in New York City (a British colony was gearing up for a war for independence) to continue his education. He attended Kings College, now called Columbia University, until 1776.
1773:
Hamilton got involved in the colonial cause, writing pamphlets like “A Full Vindication of the Measures of Congress,” in which he defended the First Continental Congress’s proposal to embargo trade with Britain.
1776:
Hamilton joins the Continental Army at the outset of the American Revolutionary War. He quickly raises through the ranks due to his leadership skills and is appointed as Captain of the New York Provincial Company of Artillery.
1777:
Hamilton had captured the attention of the army’s commander-in-chief, General George Washington, who appoints him as his aide-de-camp. Hamilton serves as Washington’s right-hand man throughout much of the war.
1780:
Hamilton married Elizabeth Schuyler, the daughter of General Philip Schuyler, a prominent New York family. Their union solidified Hamilton’s social and political standing. They had eight children: Philip Hamilton; Angelica Hamilton; Alexander Hamilton Jr.; James Alexander Hamilton; John Church Hamilton; William S. Hamilton; Eliza Hamilton Holly; Philip Hamilton (the second).
1781:
Hamilton played a crucial role in the decisive Battle of Yorktown, where British forces surrendered to the Continental Army, effectively ending major combat operations in the Revolutionary War.
1782:
After the war, Hamilton studied law, passed the New York bar and set up a practice as an attorney in New York City.
1787-1788:
At the Constitutional Convention, held in Philadelphia to overhaul the Articles of Confederation, Hamilton was chosen as one of three delegates from New York.
Hamilton contributes extensively to the Federalist Papers, a series of essays advocating for the ratification of the United States Constitution. His contributions, particularly in Federalist Nos. 1, 9, and 78, offer key insights into the principles of the Constitution.
1789:
George Washington is inaugurated as the first President of the United States, and Hamilton is appointed as the nation’s first Secretary of the Treasury. In this role, Hamilton devises ambitious economic policies aimed at strengthening the federal government and stabilizing the nation’s finances.
1791:
Hamilton proposes the creation of a national bank called the Bank of the United States (modelled on the Bank of England) to manage the country’s finances and promote economic development. This proposal sparks intense debate between Hamilton and his political opponents, including Thomas Jefferson.
He proposed to aid the growth of infant industries through various protective laws. Basic to it was his idea that the general welfare required the encouragement of manufacturers and that the federal government was obligated to direct the economy to that end.
1795:
Hamilton left his Treasury post in and returned to his law practice in New York.
1797:
Hamilton’s extramarital affair with Maria Reynolds becomes public knowledge, leading to a scandal that damages his reputation but does not derail his political career.
1799:
Hamilton became Senior Officer of United States Army (at that time President was John Adams).
1801:
Hamilton’s eldest son, Philip, was killed in a duel he had entered to defend his father’s name. Philip’s opponent, George I. Eacker, had given a speech in which he accused Hamilton of being a monarchist.
1804:
Alexander Hamilton is fatally wounded in a duel with Aaron Burr, a longstanding political rival, on July 11. He dies the following day, July 12, at the age of 47. His death is mourned by the nation, and he is remembered as one of the most influential figures in American history, whose contributions continue to shape the nation’s political and economic landscape.