Alexander Hamilton served as the first Secretary of Treasury of the United States, which was during George Washington’s presidency and is one of the founding fathers of the United States. During that time, he also founded of the United States Coast Guard, the nation’s financial system and the Federalist Party.
Alexander Hamilton was born in the West Indies around 1755-1757 and is the illegitimate child of James Hamilton, a Scottish trader; and Rachel Fawcett Lavine, the daughter of a physician , as well as a divorcee. In 1765 , the family moved to St. Croix and not long after , Hamilton’s father abandoned them . Impoverished, Alexander started working at age 11 and became a clerk in a general store . In 1768, Hamilton’s mother, Rachel passed away from a fever, which left Hamilton orphaned at the age of 13 and left him under the care of his mother’s relatives . By 1772, he had become very intellectual and proficient in his writing skills . Not long after, he was sent to New York through collected funds so that he could get a formal education.
In 1773, Hamilton enrolled in Kings College and came to be a very successful students and was academically proficient, but his studies were then interrupted by the beginnings of what came to be known as the American Revolution . Despite him being young, Hamilton had a very strong understanding on political issues which encircled the British and American governments. This led him to writing a series of pamphlets. The second pamphlet, named “The Farmer Refuted”, was addressed to the person who wrote in opposition with his first work, Bishop Samuel Seabury; who wrote under the name of A . W Farmer. “These anonymous publications — one of them attributed to John Jay and John Adams, two of whom were the most proficient American propagandists — gave first solid evidence of Hamilton’s precocity.” (DeConde, 2018)
When the Revolutionary War began in 1775, Hamilton was commissioned into the New York Provincial Artillery Company and was appointed captain of artillery a year later. He took part in various vital campaigns such as the Battle of Long Island, as well as White Plains and Trenton. After obtaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel by 1777, Hamilton was appointed as secretary and aide – de – camp of General George Washington, who would later be known as the United States’ first president. Hamilton wrote many of Washington’s letters and reports. Around the same time in 1780, Hamilton then married Elizabeth Schuyler, the daughter of Philip Schuyler; who also served in the War as a Major General and was a member of the New York Senate.
Unsatisfied with being a staff officer, in 1781, Hamilton convinced Washington to entrust him with a command; Washington appointed him as commander of a light infantry battalion in Marquis de Lafayette’s division. With Washington's permission, Hamilton led a successful charge against the British in the Siege of Yorktown. Governor – General Cornwallis' surrender during the battle would eventually lead to two major negotiations in 1783: the Treaty of Paris between the United States and Great Britain, and two treaties signed at Versailles between Spain, Britain and France. These treaties and several other documents make up the collection of peace agreements known as Peace of Paris, officially concluding the American Revolutionary War.
Hamilton resigned his commission in November that same year. He then moved to Albany where he studied law and quickly entered practice mid – 1782 . Months later, the New York Legislature elected him to the Continental Congress which consisted of the 13 American colonies. In 1783, Hamilton began practicing law in New York, where he established a law office.
In 1787, Hamilton served in the legislature, which appointed him as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention. Although he felt that was deficient in various aspects, he ended up signing the final document that became the U . S Constitution. Against determined opposition, he executed a successful campaign, collaborating with John Jay and James Madison in writing The Federalist Papers where he wrote 51 of the 85 essays which helped interpret the new U . S Constitution.
Hamilton then took part in the New York Ratifying Convention, where he had a major role in the debates. New York then ratified the Constitution in July 26, 1778, meaning the Constitution would become operative. After George Washington is elected president of the United States in 1789, he appoints Hamilton as the Secretary of Treasury. As a consequence of the Revolutionary War, the United States federal government had acquired an immensely large debt. Hamilton was directed to submit a financial plan. By 1790, Hamilton submits the first report on the public credit, where he argued for a federal assumption of all states debts to fuel the economy and help strengthen the Union. Later in July, Hamilton's assumption plan is narrowly approved. In December, Hamilton submits a report to the House calling for the chartering of a national bank, which he argues will increase the circulation of currency and assist the financial operations of the government.
By January 1795, Hamilton submits his final financial report to Congress and later resigns as Secretary of Treasury. In 1797, a series of pamphlets were published describing the extramarital affair that he had with Maria Reynolds, which was considered one of the first sex scandals in American History. He later published a pamphlet, later to be known as “the Reynolds Pamphlet”, where he denied all charges of government corruption. But, he didn’t deny the relationship he had with Maria Reynolds and instead, openly admitted and apologised for it. But although the Reynolds Pamphlet refuted any more accusations made against Hamilton, the announcement of his affair humiliated his wife a permanently destroyed any chance of him becoming President of the United States.
During the election of 1800, Former secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams, a Federalist, were competing for the presidency. At the time, presidents and vice -presidents were voted for separately, and Aaron Burr, who intended to be Jefferson's vice – president, tied Jefferson for the presidency. Hamilton went to work supporting Jefferson's campaign, whom he had disagreed with on many occasions when they were still the Secretaries of Treasury and Statez. Ultimately, the House of Representatives chose Jefferson as president, with Burr as his vice – president. Frustrated, Burr hit his boiling point when he read in a newspaper that Hamilton had called Burr "the most unfit and dangerous man of the community.” Burr was convinced that Hamilton had ruined yet another election for him and demanded an explanation. When Hamilton refused to comply, Burr, further enraged, challenged Hamilton to a duel. Hamilton begrudgingly accepted, believing that in doing so he would assure his "ability to be in [the] future useful.”
The duel took place in Weehaken, New Jersey in July 11, 1804. Both men drew their guns and shot, which resulted in Hamilton being fatally wounded. Hamilton, injured, was brought back to New York, where he died the following day on July 12, 1804 (biography.com, 2017). Hamilton’s remains are buried at Trinity Church in New York.