Ambition for GreatnessAlexander Hamilton was one of the first individuals to realize the American Dream. Hamilton was a revolutionary thinker even compared to the men in his revolutionary cause. Hamilton was the biggest reason the Constitution was ratified, he led one of the first political parties, and was the first secretary of the treasury. Alexander Hamilton was a huge part of the fire that fueled the Revolution and then established America as a great nation. We will never know what Hamilton may have done for this country if he would have lived longer.
A well adjusted person is one who makes the same mistake twice without getting nervous. EffectAlexander Hamilton is the most undervalued of all the Founding Fathers. Hamilton was the number one advocate for the Constitution and it would of never passed without his support. He was nearly single-handedly responsible for more than half the Federalist letters. He both directly and indirectly insured the ratification of the Constitution in 9 states. On a somewhat more minor note he allowed the U.S. to become a super power by having a economic policy that strengthened the central power of our government. What Hamilton could of done for this country will never be known in full effect, but while he was alive, Hamilton presented a side to the Constitution conventions that was needed for our future success. He aided Washington through his most trying times, defended the innocent in law, and made America what it is today.
Editors Note: What could have been...We will never know what our country would have done if Hamilton made his home temporarily in the White House, and its not really easy for us to speculate what could of arose from an event that never became reality. As I wrote this and researched I could not help but think of what may have happened if Hamilton would have been given the opportunity to lead this country. He stood out as my personal favorite as I researched for this project. Hamilton was probably the most deserving and hardworking of all the Founding Fathers, and he came from the humblest of beginnings. Alexander Hamilton was robbed of this opportunity because of another mans rage and primitive traditions at the time. Hamilton was an outspoken anti-slavery advocate, an avid opponent of democracy, and a well grounded man. His death at the hands of Burr will forever be one of our nations saddest moments.
There is a certain enthusiasm in liberty, that makes human nature rise above itself, in acts of bravery and heroism. |
The sacred rights of mankind are not to be rummaged for among old parchments or musty records. They are written, as with a sunbeam, in the whole volume of human nature, by the hand of the divinity itself; and can never be erased. BioJohn Adams once said that Alexander Hamilton was born "the bastard brat of a Scottish peddler". Hamilton's exact date of birth is actually unknown, although we know that he was born on January 11 of either 1755 or 1757. His mother, Rachel Lavine, had an affair with a trader named James Hamilton and was thrown out of the house upon her husband finding out. Their relationship did not last long and James left the house by the time young Alexander was born. Hamilton grew up in poverty but was an exceptionally intelligent boy. Alexander was noted for his early ambition and obtained a job as a clerk for a local business. His employer, a local minister, and several other members of his community saw his great potential and raised funds for him to get an education in the American mainland. He enrolled in Columbia University at age 16. He left to join the Revolution shortly after.
Once Hamilton left college at Columbia in 1775 he joined the New York Provincial Artillery Company. Hamilton's ambition quickly saw him promoted to lieutenant colonel of the Continental Army at age 20. George Washington took notice of him and made him his personal assistant and most trusted adviser. Hamilton also participated in the Battle of Yorktown, leading one of the final charges against the British. After a brief stint as the inspector general under John Adams presidency that occurred under the original Articles of Confederation, Hamilton entered the law field. Hamilton, while he didn't write the Constitution, was the driving factor for it and its ratification as well as writing 51 of the 85 Federalist letters. Hamilton was the influential deciding factor for the ratification in New York. His efforts brought 8 more states to ratification, and once the new document was in place he was named secretary of the treasury by George Washington. Hamilton led the country through its hardest economic times and stepped down from his position in 1795. The nation had gained stability under Hamilton's more liberal economic plans. After a rivalry that had burned for several years reached its boiling point, Aaron Burr shot Hamilton in a duel he had reluctantly accepted to participate in on July 11, 1804. Hamilton died in New York City on the next day.
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