Alexander Hamilton

Author profile

born

in Charlestown, Saint Kitts and Nevis

January 11, 1775

died

July 12, 1804

gender

male

genre

Nonfiction, Politics

About this author

edit data

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757 – July 12, 1804) was the first United States Secretary of the Treasury, a Founding Father, economist, and political philosopher. He led calls for the Philadelphia Convention, was one of America's first Constitutional lawyers, and cowrote the Federalist Papers, a primary source for Constitutional interpretation.

Born on the West Indian island of Nevis, Hamilton was educated in North America. During the American Revolutionary War, he joined the American militia and was chosen artillery captain. Hamilton became senior aide-de-camp and confidant to General George Washington, a...more Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757 – July 12, 1804) was the first United States Secretary of the Treasury, a Founding Father, economist, and political philosopher. He led calls for the Philadelphia Convention, was one of America's first Constitutional lawyers, and cowrote the Federalist Papers, a primary source for Constitutional interpretation.

Born on the West Indian island of Nevis, Hamilton was educated in North America. During the American Revolutionary War, he joined the American militia and was chosen artillery captain. Hamilton became senior aide-de-camp and confidant to General George Washington, and led three battalions at the Siege of Yorktown. He was elected to the Continental Congress, but resigned to practice law and to found the Bank of New York. He served in the New York Legislature, later returned to Congress, and was the only New York signer at the Philadelphia Convention. As Washington's Treasury Secretary, he influenced formative government policy widely. An admirer of British political systems, Hamilton emphasized strong central government and Implied Powers, under which the new U.S. Congress funded the national debt, assumed state debts, created a national bank, and established an import tariff and whiskey tax.

By 1792, a Hamilton coalition and a Jefferson-Madison coalition had arisen (the formative Federalist and Democratic-Republican Parties), which differed strongly over Hamilton's domestic fiscal goals and his foreign policy of extensive trade and friendly relations with Britain. Exposed in an affair with Maria Reynolds, Hamilton resigned from the Treasury in 1795 to return to Constitutional law and advocacy of strong federalism. In 1798, the Quasi-War with France led Hamilton to argue for, organize, and become de facto commander of a national army.

Hamilton's opposition to fellow Federalist John Adams contributed to the success of Democratic-Republicans Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr in the uniquely deadlocked election of 1800. With his party's defeat, Hamilton's nationalist and industrializing ideas lost their former national prominence. In 1801, Hamilton founded the New York Post as the Federalist broadsheet New-York Evening Post. His intense rivalry with Vice President Burr eventually resulted in a duel, in which Hamilton was mortally wounded, dying the following day. After the War of 1812, Hamilton's former opponents, including Madison and Albert Gallatin, revived some of his federalizing programs, such as a second national bank, national infrastructure, tariffs, and a standing army and navy. Hamilton's federalist and business-oriented economic visions for the country continue to influence party platforms to this day.
(less)

combine editions
Alexander Hamilton's Books

Average rating: 3.99 · 13,919 ratings · 361 reviews · 117 distinct works · Similar authors

	The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay 3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 avg rating — 13,792 ratings — published 1937 — 199 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Writings (Library of America #129) by Alexander Hamilton, Joanne B. Freeman (Editor) 4.35 of 5 stars 4.35 avg rating — 49 ratings — published 2001	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Pacificus-Helvidius Debates of 1793-94: Toward the Completion of the American Founding by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison 4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 avg rating — 12 ratings — published 2007 — 2 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	American State Papers; The Federalist; On Liberty; Representative Government; Utilitarianism (Great Books of the Western World, #43) by Alexander Hamilton (Author), James Madison, John Jay 4.25 of 5 stars 4.25 avg rating — 8 ratings — published 1952 — 2 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Report on the Subject of Manufactures 4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 1791 — 2 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Essential Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers by David Wootton (Editor), James Madison, John Jay 4.02 of 5 stars 4.02 avg rating — 106 ratings — published 1999 — 7 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Federalist And Anti Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay 4.71 of 5 stars 4.71 avg rating — 7 ratings — published 2009 — 4 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Works Of Alexander Hamilton 4.5 of 5 stars 4.50 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 1969 — 7 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Gentleman's Progress: The Itinerarium Of Dr. Alexander Hamilton, 1744 3.0 of 5 stars 3.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 1948 — 4 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Revolutionary Writings of Alexander Hamilton by Alexander Hamilton, Joyce Appleby (Foreword by), Richard B. Vernier (Introduction) 3.33 of 5 stars 3.33 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2008 — 3 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Alexander Hamilton…

Quotes by Alexander Hamilton

“He who stands for nothing will fall for anything.”
― Alexander Hamilton

tags: bravery, conviction, ignorance, intelligence, stand, strength, stupidity, wisdom

2,007 people liked it

“The constitution shall never be construed...to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms.”
― Alexander Hamilton

tags: second-amendment

32 people liked it

“Men give me credit for some genius. All the genius I have lies in this; when I have a subject in hand, I study it profoundly. Day and night it is before me. My mind becomes pervaded with it. Then the effort that I have made is what people are pleased to call the fruit of genius. It is the fruit of labor and thought.”
― Alexander Hamilton

26 people liked it

See all Alexander Hamilton's quotes »

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
The History Book ...: * FEDERALIST. NO 23 - 03/07/11 - 03/13/11	1	13	Jul 18, 2010 07:00am
The History Book ...: * FEDERALIST. NO 24 - 03/14/11 - 03/20/11	1	13	Jul 18, 2010 07:13am
The History Book ...: FEDERALIST. NO 4 - 11/09/09 - 11/15/09	9	17	Jul 18, 2010 08:46pm
The History Book ...: FEDERALIST. NO 7 - 11/30/09 - 12/06/09	13	14	Jul 24, 2010 08:32pm
The History Book ...: FEDERALIST. NO 8 - 12/07/09 - 12/13/09	9	17	Jul 24, 2010 08:37pm
The History Book ...: FEDERALIST. NO 9 - 12/14/09 - 12/20/09	4	16	Jul 24, 2010 08:41pm
The History Book ...: FEDERALIST. NO 11 - 12/29/09 - 01/03/10	2	16	Jul 24, 2010 08:44pm
The History Book ...: FEDERALIST. NO 12 - 01/04/10 - 01/10/10	12	12	Jul 24, 2010 09:42pm
The History Book ...: FEDERALIST. NO 6 - 11/23/09 - 11/29/09	9	16	Jul 25, 2010 07:01am
The History Book ...: FEDERALIST. NO 14 - 01/18/10 - 01/24/10	6	13	Jul 25, 2010 07:05am

More…

Alexander's Fans (54)

Alexander Hamilton

Author profile

combine editionsAlexander Hamilton's Books

Quotes by Alexander Hamilton

Topics Mentioning This Author

combine editions
Alexander Hamilton's Books