Alexander Hamilton

Who is Alexander Hamilton?

Alexander Hamilton was born on the island of Nevis, in what is now Saint Kitts and Nevis, most likely on January 11, 1757, though some early documents suggest 1755. The son of a Scottish merchant and a woman of French Huguenot descent, he spent his early childhood on Nevis before moving to St. Croix, where his talent for writing was noticed after a hurricane letter he composed was published and impressed local merchants, who raised funds to send him to the American colonies for an education. In New York, he studied at King's College (now Columbia University) and became swept up in the American Revolution, serving as an artillery officer and later as an aide-de-camp to General George Washington. After the war, Hamilton became a leading advocate for a strong federal government, co-authoring the Federalist Papers with James Madison and John Jay to promote ratification of the U.S. Constitution. As the first Secretary of the Treasury under President Washington, he built the young nation's financial system, establishing the First Bank of the United States and funding the national debt. He was fatally wounded in a duel with Aaron Burr in 1804. Nevis preserves his birthplace and museum in Charlestown as a national landmark.

Sources: Ron Chernow, Alexander Hamilton (Penguin Press, 2004) · National Park Service, Hamilton Grange National Memorial biography · Founders Online, National Archives — Alexander Hamilton papers