The Legacy of Alexander Hamilton

You know him as the face on the $10 bill, and the subject of the celebrated musical Hamilton, but how much do you really know about Alexander Hamilton?

Born this month in Charlestown, Nevis, the British West Indies, Alexander Hamilton was the first Secretary of the Treasury, designing our currency system and establishing the Treasury Department and the Mint. He was instrumental in the writing of the Federalist Papers, and as a member of George Washington's cabinet, he helped draft the Constitution. He would later develop the concept of "implied powers," which allowed the federal government to do things in support of the document that were not specifically documented in its contents.

In early 1776, Alexander Hamilton was a 21-year-old student pamphleteer, writing defenses of the revolutionary cause. He left his studies to join the American Revolutionary War in a volunteer militia regiment called the Corsicans, which was later re-named to the Hearts of Oak.

On March 14, 1776, the State of New York commissioned him a Captain with authorization to raise a company of artillery for the defense of New York City. Leading his company in battles around New York City, Hamilton quickly earned a reputation for his intelligence and leadership. 

Hamilton fought at the Battles of Kip's Bay, White Plains, and on December 31, crossed the Delaware to fight at Trenton. His performance was so impressive that, in 1777, General Washington made Hamilton a Lieutenant Colonel, as well as a secretary and aide-de-camp, setting the stage for his later role as a founding father of our country.   

Learn more about his fascinating life, and untimely end in the infamous duel with Aaron Burr at History.com.