When most Americans reflect on our Founding Fathers, they think of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, and a host of other brave and brilliant men who established our nation.
But one man, until recently, has been often overlooked—Alexander Hamilton. His is a “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” story. He was born in 1755 on the Caribbean island of Nevis, at that time a tropical hellhole where sugar plantation slave auctions were common. Seeing the human merchandise left an indelible impression on him, and he was a devout abolitionist.
His father abandoned him at an early age and his mother died of yellow fever when he was only 14. Shortly afterward, he took a job as a clerk for a local merchant. It wasn’t long before he ran the business and was a fabulous trade, credit, and commerce apprenticeship.
He traveled to New York in 1773 to attend King’s College, what is now Columbia University. Hamilton dropped out to join the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War. Washington immediately recognized his talents and made him a staff officer and a trusted aide involved in every aspect of running the war—including actual combat where he distinguished himself on numerous occasions.
But what most modeled his political views was his dealings with an indecisive Continental Congress, which he thought had too few members who took the concept of nationhood seriously. They argued over narrow personal interests rather than uniting over the national interest. He worked vigorously to create a cohesive federal government.
President Washinton named him the first Secretary of the Treasury at age 34 and he served in that post for almost six years. His job was formidable. America was overwhelmingly in debt from the war and on the edge of bankruptcy and needed to be put on solid financial footing. And he did it! He was greatly responsible for the United States becoming the world’s richest nation.
It’s impossible to know what more he could have achieved if he’d lived past 47 years old. But he was killed by his long-time rival, the vice president Aaron Burr, in a duel.
Hamilton never intended to kill Burr. The duel was a matter of honor. He fired his pistol harmlessly into the air. But Burr took careful aim and mortally wounded Hamilton.
Our nation today again suffers from a do-nothing—or perhaps do-too-much legislature—that bickers over selfish, petty differences instead of the nation itself. Is there another Alexander Hamilton out there somewhere?
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Frank Victoria is an award-winning author and screenwriter. He’s been an Amazon bestseller with his recent book, The Founders’ Plot, a political thriller for our times. He donates proceeds of his books to Tunnels to Towers and Fisher House, helping military veterans and first responders. His novellas, The Ultimate Bet and The Protectors are available on his website and Amazon. Check out his new website: FrankVictoriaAuthor.com
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