Land of the Brave

Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton

Colonial America - Alexander Hamilton

Short Biography about Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton (1757-1804) came to prominence in the early stages of the American Revolution during which time he served in the army and became a secretary of George Washington.

He became the leader of the Federalist Party and advocated a centralized government and the ideas of a capitalistic economy.

Fact 1: Alexander was born on the island of Nevis on January 11, 1757

Fact 2 : Alexander was born out of wedlock to Rachel Faucett Lavien and James A. Hamilton, the fourth son of a Scottish landowner Alexander Hamilton

Fact 3 : He had one brother and was raised in New England

Fact 4 : Alexander was privately educated by a home tutor and at a grammar school in Elizabethtown, New Jersey. attended King's College in New York City, which is now Columbia University

Fact 5 : Alexander Hamilton was a conservative revolutionary sympathizer and strongly criticized the Quebec Act

Fact 6 : In 1775, Alexander Hamilton joined the militia and studied military history and tactics on his own and achieved the rank of lieutenant

Fact 7 : He became friends of patriots like Alexander McDougall and John Jay and raised the New York Provincial Company of Artillery in 1776, and was elected captain. He fought at the Battle of White Plains and at the Battle of Trenton.

Fact 8 :1776: The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776, by the congressional representatives of the 13 Colonies of Colonial America. Alexander Hamilton was not a prominent political figure during the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and was not a signatory of this famous document. (Alexander Hamilton did not sign the Declaration of Independence , he was considered a Founding Father due to his role in framing the Constitution)

Fact 9 : Articles of Confederation : The Articles of Confederation was started in mid 1776 and completed in 1781. The Articles of Confederation was an agreement among the 13 founding states that established the United States of America as a confederation of sovereign states and served as its first constitution. On March 4, 1789, the Articles were replaced with the U.S. Constitution

Fact 10 : On March 1 1777 he became a secretary to George Washington which effectively gave him the position of chief of staff holding significant influence in matters of intelligence, diplomacy and negotiations

Fact 11: He married Elizabeth Schuyler on December 14, 1780 who was the daughter of Philip Schuyler, a General and wealthy businessman in the state of New York

Fact 12: Alexander and Elizabeth had 8 children together

Fact 13: He obtained permission to undertake active duties in the army and fought at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781 after which he resigned his commission

Fact 14: The Articles of Confederation was completed in 1781 and was an agreement among the 13 founding states that established the United States of America as a confederation of sovereign states and served as its first constitution

Fact 15 : In July 1782 he was elected to the second Continental Congress as a New York representative

Fact 16: In July 1783 he resigned from Congress and set up a law practice in New York City and in 1784 founded the Bank of New York

Fact 17: In 1787, he entered public life again constructed a draft for the Constitution and served another term in the Continental Congress. He spear-headed the resolve to alter the Articles of Confederation.

Fact 18: On March 4, 1789, the Articles of Confederation were replaced with the U.S. Constitution

Fact 19: George Washington became the first President of the United States of America on April 30, 1789

Fact 20: President George Washington appointed Hamilton as the first United States Secretary of the Treasury on September 11, 1789.

Fact 21: Hamilton and his allies began to call themselves Federalists and wrote many of the Federalist Papers

Fact 22: In 1791, he became involved in an affair with Maria Reynolds that badly damaged his reputation.

Fact 23: He helped found the United States Mint, the first national bank and an elaborate system of duties and tariffs.

Fact 24 : The Jay Treaty: In early 1793 France and Britain went to war and to avoid any involvement with the conflict Washington sent Chief Justice John Jay to negotiate with the British. Hamilton largely wrote Jay's instructions and the result was the Jay Treaty.

Fact 25: He left office as United States Secretary of the Treasury on 31 January 1795 but continued to act as a consultant to Washington and the government

Fact 26: John Adams was elected the second President of the United States March 4, 1797.

Fact 27: The Quasi-War: Alexander Hamilton was appointed major general of the army during the Quasi-War, which was an undeclared war fought from 1798 to 1800 mostly at sea between the United States and the French Republic.

Fact 28: In the 1800 presidential election, Hamilton worked to defeat his party's own nominee, John Adams hoping to make Charles Cotesworth Pinckney president. The Federalist Party were split virtually assuring the victory of the Democratic-Republican Party and the election of Thomas Jefferson. This antagonism eventually led to a duel between Aaron Burr, who became Vice President, under President Thomas Jefferson, and Alexander Hamilton

Fact 29: The Burr–Hamilton Duel: The Burr–Hamilton duel took place on July 11, 1804 and was a duel between Alexander Hamilton and Vice President Aaron Burr at Weehawken in New Jersey. Aaron Burr shot and fatally wounded Hamilton.

Fact 30: Alexander Hamilton died at 2:00 p.m. the next day on July 12, 1804. He was buried in the Trinity Churchyard Cemetery in Manhattan 

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