Alexander Hamilton: A Chronology

1765

HAMILTON IN ST. CROIX

Rachel Faucette and James Hamilton moved with their two sons to St. Croix. Within a year, James abandoned the family. To support herself and her two sons, Rachel ran a provisions shop from her two-story home.

1768

HAMILTON BEGINS CLERKING

Alexander Hamilton was sent to work as a merchant's clerk at a countinghouse owned by Nicholas Cruger in Christiansted, St. Croix (ca. 1768). Through his job as a clerk, Hamilton gained experience and developed connections to the New York business world.

February 19, 1768

RACHEL DIES

In February 1768, Rachel and Alexander both contracted a tropical fever. Alexander survived but Rachel died, leaving her two sons as wards of her family. Rachel left behind thirty-four books, which Alexander presumably read to educate himself.

September 6, 1772

"HURRICANE LETTER"

After a devastating hurricane hit St. Croix in August 1772, Hamilton wrote an eloquent letter to his father describing the event, reflecting on human nature and the wrath of God. Hamilton's "Hurricane Letter" impressed local clergyman Hugh Knox, who had it published in the Royal Danish-American Gazette.

December 15, 1774

A FULL VINDICATION OF THE MEASURES OF CONGRESS

As a student, Hamilton published "A Full Vindication of the Measures of Congress" defending the actions of the First Continental Congress at Philadelphia against the aspersions of loyalist Samuel Seabury, known by his pen name of "A. W. Farmer." Hamilton signed himself "A Friend to America."

February 23, 1775

THE FARMER REFUTED

Continuing his war of words with Samuel Seabury, Hamilton wrote another pamphlet, once again refuting Seabury's claim that the First Continental Congress should be condemned.

March 14, 1776

HAMILTON APPOINTED CAPTAIN OF AN ARTILLERY UNIT

Hamilton was appointed captain of the 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery Unit. He established himself as a skilled military leader as he directed his artillery company in several battles in and around New York City.

March 1, 1777

HAMILTON APPOINTED LIEUTENANT COLONEL

Promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel at the age of twenty-two, Hamilton served on George Washington's staff for four years as an aide-de-camp. Washington came to rely heavily on Hamilton's advice and assistance.

June 28, 1778

BATTLE OF MONMOUTH

In the Battle of Monmouth, unsteady leadership by General Charles Lee forced Washington to relieve Lee of his command. Hamilton assisted Washington in the battle, and had his horse shot out from under him.

March 14, 1779

HAMILTON ENDORSES ARMING AND FREEING SLAVES

In a letter to John Jay, president of the Continental Congress, Hamilton argued that blacks have the same natural abilities as whites. He promoted a plan put forward by his friend John Laurens to recruit slaves as soldiers in Georgia and South Carolina and "give them their freedom with their muskets."

December 14, 1780

HAMILTON MARRIES ELIZABETH SCHUYLER

Hamilton married Elizabeth Schuyler, who belonged to a prominent and wealthy New York family. With his marriage to Elizabeth, Hamilton solidified his social and economic status within New York society. Read a love letter from Hamilton to Elizabeth.

April 1781

HAMILTON RESIGNS FROM WASHINGTON'S STAFF

Hamilton's time with Washington would prove valuable to him—he developed leadership skills, matured in his political beliefs, and solidified a lifelong relationship with the nation's future president. Although Hamilton was a dutiful and faithful aide-de-camp to Washington, he longed to return to combat. In February 1781, Hamilton and Washington had a tense exchange that resulted in a parting of the ways. Despite his separation from Washington, Hamilton continued to press for a field command.

September 28-October 19, 1781

HAMILTON AT YORKTOWN

In July 1781, Washington gave Hamilton command of a New York light infantry battalion that was heading to Yorktown, Virginia. Hamilton led a decisive infantry charge on October 14 at the Battle of Yorktown against a British redoubt. Five days later, the British surrendered, effectively ending the Revolutionary War.

March 15, 1784

HAMILTON CO-FOUNDS THE BANK OF NEW YORK

New York’s first bank, the Bank of New York, was founded under articles drawn up by Alexander Hamilton. Suspicions over a money-based bank, versus a land-based bank, fired controversy, and the bank was unable to secure a charter from the state legislature for seven years. Read the Constitution of the Bank of New York.

June 29, 1784

RUTGERS V. WADDINGTON

Hamilton argued Rutgers v. Waddington, a landmark case on the rights of former loyalists, based on the provisions of the peace treaty, and the principle of judicial review. Read a summary of the case.

1785

NEW-YORK MANUMISSION SOCIETY

Hamilton was a founding member of the New-York Manumission Society, established to protect black New Yorkers from being kidnapped and enslaved, to educate black children, and to support gradual emancipation. Some members were slaveholders, and Hamilton’s proposal that members be required to emancipate their slaves was rejected by the society. Hamilton himself had married into a slaveholding family, although he and Elizabeth did not own slaves.

September 11-14, 1786

ANNAPOLIS CONVENTION

The Articles of Confederation proved to be insufficient to govern the new nation. At the Annapolis Convention, Hamilton was among twelve delegates from five states who gathered to address the weaknesses of the government. The delegates drafted a recommendation to Congress that a broader convention should be held to amend the Articles of Confederation.

September 11, 1789

HAMILTON APPOINTED FIRST SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY

President George Washington established the presidential cabinet as a small group of trusted advisors. Hamilton was appointed the nation's first Secretary of the Treasury. He was joined by three other men—Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of War Henry Knox, and Attorney General Edmund Randolph.

1789-1795

HAMILTON ESTABLISHES FOUNDATION FOR THE US ECONOMY

Hamilton's vision for the economic foundation of the United States included: 1) federal assumption of state debts, 2) creation of a Bank of the United States, and 3) support for the new nation's emerging industries. His revolutionary reports to Congress on public credit, a national bank, and manufactures were controversial, but were based on deep research into international economics and practical experience as a merchant's clerk, military administrator, lawyer, legislator, and bank founder.

April 22, 1793

HAMILTON DEFENDS WASHINGTON'S PROCLAMATION OF NEUTRALITY

Washington issued a formal announcement declaring the US neutral in the conflict between France and Great Britain. Hamilton agreed that neutrality was essential and defended Washington in the face of opponents such as Thomas Jefferson. Washington and Hamilton agreed that the nation was too young and its military was too small to risk foreign engagement.

1794

THE WHISKEY REBELLION

In 1791, the government imposed a tax on distilled spirits such as whiskey to help offset the national debt. The farmers of western Pennsylvania, many of whom distilled whiskey, rebelled. President Washington sent in troops under the command of Alexander Hamilton to quell the revolt. Although the rebellion ultimately collapsed on its own, Hamilton (backed by Washington) proved that the government was willing and able to use military force to keep order.

January 31, 1795

HAMILTON RESIGNS AS TREASURY SECRETARY

Hamilton felt he had accomplished as much as he could as Treasury Secretary in the face of increasing Republican opposition. He also needed to earn more money to support his growing family. Therefore he resigned his post to return to his legal practice in New York City. In New York, he continued to publish political essays and keep in touch with Washington and others still in government.

September 1796

HAMILTON'S DRAFT OF WASHINGTON'S FAREWELL ADDRESS

Hamilton helped edit Washington's Farewell Address. Although the language of the Address follows Hamilton's style, there is little doubt that the core ideas were not only endorsed by Washington but were beliefs that he and Hamilton had developed together. A plea for national unity against partisan and sectional divisions, the Address called on the United States to avoid getting entangled in foreign alliances.

July 1798-July 1800

MAJOR GENERAL HAMILTON

With war threatening to break out between the US and France, Hamilton was appointed a major general, second in command of the US Army under Washington. Two years later, as the result of a secret peace mission to France launched by President John Adams, Congress directed Hamilton to disband the army. His military service officially concluded in July 1800.

August 1800

LETTER CONCERNING THE PUBLIC CONDUCT AND CHARACTER OF JOHN ADAMS

Angered by repeated accusations of monarchism and corruption directed at him from the Adams administration, Hamilton wrote a Letter Concerning the Public Conduct and Character of John Adams, Esq, an attack on the President intended for private distribution to select Federalists. Enemies of Hamilton, possibly Aaron Burr, discovered the letter and published portions of it. Hamilton then felt compelled to publish the entire letter as a pamphlet so readers would understand the passages in context. The letter divided the loyalties of the Federalists between their two major leaders—Hamilton and Adams—and further damaged Hamilton's reputation.

November 16, 1801

HAMILTON FOUNDS THE NEW-YORK EVENING POST

Hamilton raised funds from prominent Federalists to establish a daily newspaper, the New-York Evening Post, which he hoped would be a vehicle to communicate Federalist ideals and policies. Hamilton chose New Englander William Coleman to be the newspaper's first editor-in-chief. Now called the New York Post, it is New York's oldest continuously running daily newspaper.

November 24, 1801

PHILIP HAMILTON KILLED

Hamilton's eldest son, Philip, was killed defending his father's honor in a duel against George Eacker. The death marked the Hamilton family indelibly. Philip's sister Angelica suffered a nervous breakdown from which she never recovered.

February 13, 1804

PEOPLE V. CROSWELL

In People v. Croswell, Hamilton defended the press against seditious libel. Jefferson had urged enforcement of the Sedition Act to stop the press from printing anti-administration articles. In defending a newspaper editor, Hamilton argued that if an article was true, it could not be considered libel. Read a summary of the case.

July 11, 1804

AARON BURR KILLS ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, vice president of the United States, had feuded publicly for years. Their long-standing enmity came to a head in the spring of 1804. In July, they met in Weehawken, New Jersey, where Burr shot and wounded Hamilton in a duel. Within hours of the duel, Angelica Schuyler Church, Elizabeth Hamilton’s sister, wrote this letter to her brother Philip Schuyler to break the news: Hamilton "was this morning woun[d]ed by that wretch Burr." Hamilton died the next day.