Alexander Hamilton was a revolutionary, politician, and statesman. He fought in the American Revolution as an aide-de-camp to George Washington. He was a huge supporter in the Federalist movement and was the first secretary of the treasury. In his public and private life he combined nationalist commitment, elitist politics, and a vision of dynamic capitalist development.
Hamilton was born in the West Indies in 1755, and moved to the mainland in 1772 and attended King's College (now Columbia University) the following year. By 1774 he was speaking at public meetings and writing revolutionary essays, and in 1776 he became a captain of artillery. After taking part in the Battle of Long Island and the retreat from New York City, he joined Washington's staff in 1777, where he remained until February 1781.
In 1780 he married Elizabeth Schuyler, daughter of the major general and Hudson Valley landlord Philip Schuyler. He was already close to the Livingston family, and the marriage cemented his social position and his political, elitist point of view. He argued throughout the 1780's for the strengthening of the national government in The Continentalist essays and The Federalist papers. He wrote the Federalist papers with James Jay and James Madison. The purpose of the Federalist papers were to convince states to ratify the Constitution, especially New York. He served in Congress and the New York state legislature and was a delegate to the Federal Convention of 1787. Although he had been central to the movement that led to the convention, his role was relatively minor and he was privately critical of the constitution it produced. He devoted his all of his energy to the ratification of the Constitution in 1787 and 1788.
As secretary of the treasury Hamilton's achievement was funding the federal debt at face value, which rectified and nationalized the financial chaos that was created by the revolution. But he accomplished more. He was responsible for creating the First Bank of the United States on the model of the Bank of England, and his report on Manufactures began commercial and industrial development in the new nation.
Hamilton's policies and actions provoked tense opposition, led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Just as Hamilton and Madison had worked together in the Federalist movement during the 1780's; Jefferson and Madison worked together against Hamilton's Federalist party in the 1790's. The result was division, both within the Washington administration and in the country as a whole. After Hamilton left the treasury in 1795 to practice law, he continued to be active in Federalist politics, but he was deeply critical of the presidency of John Adams. However, at Washington insistence, he was made inspector general of the army during the Quasi War with France in 1798.
Despite his personal and political dislike of Jefferson, Hamilton was instrumental in securing his victory over Aaron Burr in the presidential election of 1800. That and his strong opposition to Burr's bid to become governor of New York led to his death at Burr's hands in a dual in 1804.
