Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Alexander Hamilton

Role / Field:

American Founding Father, first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, and Federalist leader.

Born:

1757-01-11

Died:

1804-07-12

Century / Era:

1757s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755, or 1757 – July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first U.S. secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795 under the presidency of George Washington. He also founded America's first political party, the Federalist Party, in 1789. Born out of wedlock in Charlestown on the Caribbean island of Nevis, Hamilton was orphaned as a child and taken in by a prosperous merchant.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He was given a scholarship and pursued his education at King's College (now Columbia University) in New York City where, despite his young age, he was an anonymous but prolific and widely read pamphleteer and advocate for the American Revolution. He then served as an artillery officer in the American Revolutionary War, where he saw military action against the British Army in the New York and New Jersey campaign, served for four years as aide-de-camp to Continental Army commander-in-chief George Washington, and fought under Washington's command in the war's climactic battle, the Siege of Yorktown, which secured American victory in the war and with it the independence of the United States. After the Revolutionary War, Hamilton served...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• 7th Dalai Lama — Contemporary (Died in 1757) (1757): Spiritual leader of Tibet, recognized as the 7th Dalai Lama, scholar, and poet.
• Antonio Canova — Contemporary (Born in 1757) (1757): Master of Neoclassicism, celebrated for sublime marble sculpture.
• Colley Cibber — Contemporary (Died in 1757) (1757): English actor-manager, playwright, and Poet Laureate known for his colorful career.
• 8th Dalai Lama — Contemporary (Died in 1804) (1804): Spiritual leader of Tibet, recognized as the 8th Dalai Lama.
• Aleksey Khomyakov — Contemporary (Born in 1804) (1804): Founding theoretician of the Slavophile movement in Russian philosophy.
• Benjamin Disraeli — Contemporary (Born in 1804) (1804): British statesman and Conservative leader, known for defining the modern Conservative Party.
• Aaron Swartz — Shared historical date (01-11 · Died) (2013): Pioneering programmer, activist, and hacktivist known for RSS, Markdown, and progressive organizing.
• Abraham Joshua Heschel — Shared historical date (01-11 · Born) (1907): Leading 20th-century American rabbi, theologian, and philosopher.
• Alexander Cartwright — Shared historical date (07-12 · Died) (1892): Founding member of the Knickerbockers and developer of early baseball rules.
• Alfred Dreyfus — Shared historical date (07-12 · Died) (1935): French Army officer central to the antisemitic Dreyfus Affair, sparking a major political crisis.
• 1757 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1757
• January 11 (01-11) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on January 11
• 1804 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1804
• July 12 (07-12) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on July 12

Frequently Asked Questions about Alexander Hamilton