Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton (11 January 1757 – 12 July 1804) was a Founding Father of the United States, one of George Washington's most trusted advisers during the American Revolution and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury.
Biography
Hamilton was born in the British West Indies in 1757, and was orphaned at the age of 11. Because of his intelligence however, his employers invested their money to send him to university. He moved to New York in 1773, where he began attending King's College. He was writing pro-rebel articles by 1774, and in 1775, he had joined the Colonial militia. Hamilton later fought during the occupation of New York in 1776. Recognizing his natural leadership qualities, George Washington appointed him as an aide-de-camp.
Five years later, Hamilton had grown eager to return to the battlefield, and he commanded soldiers during the Battle of Yorktown in 1781. In 1788, Hamilton became a member of Congress for the state of New York. He soon became fixed on the funding of the federal government, which was practically non-existant due to the government's reluctance to demand taxes.
Having been named Secretary of the Treasury in 1787, Hamilton fought for a strong federal government, in stark opposition to politicians like Thomas Jefferson, who fought for states' rights. During this tenure, Hamilton was responsible for creating much of the United States' economic policy.