### Early Life
Alexander Hamilton was born on January 11, 1755, in Charlestown, the capital of the island of Nevis in the British West Indies. His father was James Hamilton, a Scottish merchant of St. Christopher, and his mother was Rachel Faucette, who was of British and French Huguenot descent. Hamilton's childhood was marked by hardship and loss, including his father's abandonment and his mother's death in 1768, which left him orphaned as a young boy.
Despite these challenges, Hamilton's intellect shone through early on. He was employed at a local import-export firm, Beekman and Cruger, which dealt primarily in processing sugar cane. His employer, Nicholas Cruger, noticing his intelligence and diligence, helped sponsor Hamilton's education. In 1772, Hamilton wrote a detailed letter describing a hurricane that had devastated the islands, which was published in a local gazette. This publication garnered the attention of local community leaders, who subsequently collected funds to send him to the North American colonies for his education. In 1773, Hamilton arrived in New York City to study at King's College (now Columbia University), showing early signs of his political and economic acuity.
### Career
Hamilton's career is most notably defined by his contributions to the founding of the United States. He began his public career as an artillery officer at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, quickly moving up to become a senior aide to General
George-Washington. His service under Washington was marked by his excellent writing skills, through which he penned critical letters to Congress.
After the war, Hamilton became one of the leading legal minds in the country. He was instrumental in ratifying the Constitution by writing 51 of the 85 installments of The Federalist Papers, which argued for the adoption of the Constitution. In 1789, he was appointed the first Secretary of the Treasury by President Washington. In this role, Hamilton crafted the financial foundation of the new nation through his proposals for the federal government to assume state debts, establish a national bank, and implement tariffs and tax measures.
### Notable Achievements
Hamilton's achievements are profound and varied. He established the First Bank of the United States, set up a coherent tax system, and created a national currency, thereby laying the groundwork for American fiscal policy. He also founded the New York Post, originally as a Federalist newspaper, in 1801.
His influence extended beyond economics and finance. Hamilton was a key figure in establishing the U.S. Coast Guard and the New York Manumission Society, an early group advocating for the abolition of slavery. His defense of the Constitution through The Federalist Papers remains a seminal work in American political philosophy and constitutional law.
### Personal Life
Hamilton married Elizabeth Schuyler, a member of one of New York's most prominent families, on December 14, 1780. They had eight children together. Elizabeth, or
Eliza-Hamilton as she was known, was a strong partner to Hamilton throughout his political career and later dedicated her life to preserving his legacy.
Hamilton's life was marked by a notorious scandal, the first major sex scandal in American politics, involving his affair with Maria Reynolds, which publicly emerged in 1797. This personal misstep tarnished his public image but he chose to confess to the affair to clear himself of any accusations of financial misconduct.
His life came to a tragic end when he was killed in a duel by
Aaron-Burr, then Vice President of the United States, on July 11, 1804, in Weehawken, New Jersey. The duel stemmed from longstanding personal animosity that had developed between the two men over their careers.
Hamilton's death was widely mourned as a great loss to the young nation, and his contributions to the establishment and structure of the United States government remain invaluable. His life and work have been immortalized in various ways, including in the hugely popular Broadway musical "Hamilton" by
Lin-Manuel-Miranda, which has played a significant role in renewing public interest in Hamilton's contributions to American history.