Who Was Alexander Hamilton?

ReadthestoryoftheFoundingFatherwhoinspiredthesmashBroadwaymusical.BornintheBritishWestIndiesandorphanedasachild,AlexanderHamiltonmadehiswaytotheAmericanColoniesandstudiedtobecomealawyer.HejoinedalocalmilitiaduringtheAmericanRevolution,rosetotherankofMajorGeneral,andbecamethechiefaidetoGeneralGeorgeWashington.Afterthewar,hebecamethefirstU.S.SecretaryoftheTreasury.HefoundedtheBankofNewYorkandTheNewYorkPostnewspaper.HeservedasadelegatetotheConstitutionalConventionandisalsocelebratedasaco-authorofTheFederalistPapers,aseriesofessaysthatarestillusedtodaytointerprettheU.S.Constitution.Theendofhislifebecameanationalscandalwhenhewasshotandkilledinaduelwiththen-VicePresidentAaronBurr.,