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Alexander Hamilton
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American Dream (noun), the idea that every US citizen should have an equal
opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. A
perfect example of the American Dream can be illustrated through the life of one of our most
significant founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton was born in the British West Indies,
arrived in the colonies as a teenager, and immediately embarked on an astonishing career. He is
most known for his help to ensure the ratification of the Constitution and establishing Americas
incomparable financial system.
Though Alexander Hamilton's birth date is disputed, he probably was born on Jan. 11,
1755, on Nevis, an island that is a part of the British West Indies. He was the illegitimate son of
James Hamilton, a Scotsman, and Rachel Fawcett Lavien, daughter of a French Huguenot
physician. Alexander Hamiltons mother and father were never married and his father never
formally acknowledged him, therefore making Alexander a bastard. Also, during Hamilton's
childhood, his father lived in Scotland due to his debt, leaving his mother to rely on friends and
family for financial support. Then, when he was about ten years old, the family moved to St.
Croix. Unfortunately, his mother died soon after their arrival due to illness. Friends and family
took an interest in Hamilton's future at a young age as soon as they detected his skill for reading
and writing despite his deficiency of proper schooling. They also encouraged him to work as a
mercantile clerk.
Alexander Hamilton was refused education by the church school, for the reason that his
parents were not married legally. But that didn't stop him from getting an education. He read
through his family library of thirty-four books and self-educated himself. In addition to his selfeducation through extensive reading, he also became fluent in French after his mother taught him
the language before she passed away. He also received individual tutoring and attended classes in

a private school led by a Jewish headmistress. At the age of 14, Hamilton worked at a local
import-export firm called Beekman and Cruger as a clerk. He quickly became a reliable clerk
who wrote important business letters. On August 31, 1772, a hurricane devastated the city
Hamilton lived in. He decided to write a letter to his father about the hurricane. When Hamilton
was done, he showed his mentor Hugh Knox, who was a preacher, his letter. Incredibly
impressed by the extremely poetic letter, Knox was convinced Hamilton had to publish the letter
in the newspaper that Knox owned. After stumbling along Hamilton's letter, a group of readers
were at most utter awe that an underprivileged fifteen-year-old was the author of such words, and
they decided to subsidize his way to the American Colonies to obtain his first proper education.
Hamilton arrived in New York at the age of 16 in 1773, where he enrolled in King's
College (later renamed Columbia University). At this time in history, the American colonies were
on the verge of a revolution. Though Hamilton was very thankful to his sponsors for providing
him with the opportunity of a prestigious education, his interests were invested in political
affairs. In 1774, he wrote his first political article defending the Patriots against the interests of
the Loyalists. Hamilton was determined to become a self-made man through endless studying.
He left King's College before his graduation to learn through real life experience. Hamilton
immediately joined forces with the Patriots in their protest of British-imposed taxes and
commercial business regulations.
In 1775, Alexander Hamilton joined the 'Hearts of Oak,' a New York volunteer militia
company. The militia included other students from King's College. Hamilton studied military
tactic and history and eventually became the lieutenant in the company. In 1776, Hamilton
created the New York Provincial Company of Artillery. The company contained sixty men,
including influential patriots of New York, such as Alexander McDougall and John Jay. Hamilton

later became the captain of New York Provincial Company of Artillery. He was offered to
become an adviser to Nathanael Greene and many other generals but declined in the hopes of
becoming a part of Washington's staff. His dreams came true in late 1776 when he joined
Washington's aide as a Lieutenant Colonel. He later became Washington's Chief of Staff and
served in the capacity for four years. After Hamilton fought in 1777 in battles such as Princeton,
Germantown, and Brandywine Creek, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel of the Continental
Army. Hamilton caught the attention of General George Washington during his early service in
the fight for American independence. Washington made Hamilton his assistant and trusted
adviser. For the next five years, Hamilton put his writing skills to work. He inscribed
Washington's critical letters and wrote several reports on the tactical improvement and
restructuring of the Continental Army. Also, during the same time, Hamilton married Elisabeth
Schuyler, who was from a prosperous New York family. In 1781, Hamilton persuaded
Washington to allow him to experience some action on the battlefield. Hamilton led a triumphant
charge against the British in the Battle of Yorktown with Washington's permission.
While working as a consultant for George Washington, realized Congress' weaknesses,
including envy and bitterness between the states, which, Hamilton believed was an effect of the
Articles of Confederation. Hamilton thought that the Articles of Confederation alienated the
nation as opposed to unified the nation. Hamilton was completely convinced that establishing a
strong central government was the solution to attaining America's independence, so he left his
adviser position in 1782.
Hamilton quickly became one of Washington's most trusted advisers. His responsibilities
consisted of outlining letters to Congress, state governors, and the most influential generals in the
Continental Army. He had the authority to issue instructions from Washington under his

signature. In February 1781, Hamilton resigned from his position and that same year,
Washington granted him the command of a division of light infantry in the Marquis de
Lafayette's unit. Hamilton's political plan required instituting a stronger federal government
under a new Constitution. In 1787, Hamilton met in Philadelphia with delegates while serving as
a New York delegate to discuss how to fix the Articles of Confederation. This meeting is known
as the Constitutional Convention. During the meeting, Hamilton articulated his view that an
enduring dependable foundation of revenue would be critical to developing a more dominant and
resilient central government.
Hamilton didn't really have a strong influence in writing the Constitution, but he did
heavily persuade its ratification or authorization. In cooperation with John Jay and James
Madison, Hamilton wrote 51 of 85 essays under the collective title The Federalist. The Federalist
would later be known as The Federalist Papers. In the essays, he cleverly explained and defended
the recently drafted Constitution before its approval. At the New York Ratification Convention in
1788, two-thirds of delegates opposed the Constitution, but Hamilton was an influential promoter
for ratification, efficiently arguing in opposition to the anti-Federalist opinion. Eventually,
Hamilton convinced the delegates in his favor when New York agreed to ratification with the
remaining eight states following New York's footsteps.
Then in 1789, George Washington was elected president of the United States. One of
Washington's first actions as president was appointing Alexander Hamilton as the first Secretary
of Treasury. At the time, due to the expenses acquired during the American Revolution the nation
was facing immense foreign and domestic debt. Alexander Hamilton's greatest achievement as
Secretary of Treasury was funding the federal debt at face value, which repaired and nationalized
the financial commotion caused by the Revolution. In addition, Hamilton was a major player in

creating the First Bank of the United States, and his Report on Manufactures encouraged
industrial and commercial development in the new country. He also had a noteworthy task in
producing the Washington administrations policy of neutrality toward the French Revolution
and in reconciliation with Britain.
Hamiltons policies and actions provoked intense opposition, led by Thomas Jefferson.
Hamilton's advocacy for a strong central government strongly differed with the beliefs of
Jefferson's. Jefferson was completely against Hamiltons Federalist party. The result of their feud
was the division of both within the Washington administration and in the country as a whole.
Hamilton believed that the Constitution gave him the ability to generate economic policies that
strengthened the central government. His proposed fiscal policies instigated the payment of
federal war bonds had the federal government assume states' debts, instituted a federal system for
tax collection and would help the United States establish credit with other nations.
Alexander Hamilton's propositions outraged the state loyalists, until June 20, 1790, at a
dinner where a compromise was reached between Hamilton and Madison on. Hamilton agreed
that a site near the Potomac would become the country's capital, and in exchange Madison would
no longer block Congress, specifically its Virginia representatives, from approving policies that
promoted a more prevailing central government over individual states' rights. Hamilton
continued to be active in Federalist politics after he left the Treasury in 1795 to practice law, but
he was profoundly critical of John Adams' presidency. When Hamilton retired from his position
as Secretary of Treasury, he left behind an incredibly more secure U.S. economy to back a
strengthened federal government. Though Alexander Hamilton started his life as a bastard orphan
in the middle of the Caribbean, he grew up to be one of the most influential figures in American
history.

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"Alexander Hamilton." The Duel. PBS, 2000. Web. 15 Nov. 2015.
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