HAMILTON, ALEXANDER, a celebrated American statesman, b• Jan., 1757, in the West Indian island of Nevis, was the son of a Scotch merchant who had married a young French widow. His father soon failed in business, and Alexander, at the age of twelve, had to enter the of a rich American merchant, u:amcd Cruger. His extraordinary abilities, however, induced some of his friends to procure for hits a better education than could be got at home. He was accordingly sent to a graunniar school at Elizabethtown, N. J.; and shortly afterwards entered Columbia college, New York. On the first appearance of disagreement between Great Britain au(l her colonies, Hamilton, still a schoolboy, and barely 18, wrote a series of papers in defciise of the rights of the latter, which were at first taken for the production of the enbnant states man Jay, and which secured for the writer the notice and cOnsidCrrttion of the popular leaders. On the outbreak of the war, he obtained a commission as captain of artillery, gained the confidence of Washington, was made his in 1777, and acquired the greatest influence with him as his friend and adviser.
In 1780 he married a daughter of gem. Schuyler, who was a member of a very old family. On the termination of the war, lie left the service with the rank of col., and, betaking himself to legal soon became one of the most eminent lawyers in New York. In 1782 lie was elected by the state of New York a representative at the continental congress; iii 1780 he became a member of the New York legislature; and in 1787 he was appointed one of the delegates to the convention which met at l'lrila• deiphia, for the purpose of revising the articles of confederation. In conjunction with Madison, he had the most important share in drawing up the constitution afterwards adopted. IIe was a strong supporter of the federal, as opposed to the democratic
and, along with Jay and Madison, defended the constitution against all attacks, hiy a series of letters in the Daily Advertiser or New York, afterwards collected and pnblisbed under the title of The Federalist. Fifty-one out of the 85 numbers of which the work is composed were written by Hamilton• On the establishment of tire new govcrnutotrt in 1789, with Washington as president, Hamilton was appointed secretary of the treasury. The disorder of tire public credit, and the deficiency of official accounts of tire state treasure, rendered this office one of peculiar difficulty. In order to re-establish public credit, ire carried, in spite of much opposition, a measure for the funding of the domestic debt, founded a national hank, rearranged the system of duties, and alto gether showed himself one of the very greatest of American financiers, In 1795 he resigned his office, and resumed the practice of law in New York. When tire war with France broke out in 1798, lie was, according to the wish of Washington, made maj.gen. of the U. S. army; and, on the death of Washington, he succeeded to the chief command. When peace was restored, he returned to his civil duties, but became involved in a political quarrel with Aaron Burr. This difference unhappily euluiiunted in a duel, in which Hamilton received a wound, of which he died the following day (July 12, 1804).
His writings, exclusive of The Federalist, have been published in 7 vols. by his son, John C. Hamilton.