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Alexander Hamilton

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Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton
When producing something as important as the document outlining an entire nation’s culture, it is helpful to have inventive and innovative thinkers; however, it is necessary to have leaders with experience and knowledge. The United States needed a strong leader who stood for his beliefs and could execute them to their full potential. When Alexander Hamilton entered Independence Hall on May 14, 1787, that was exactly what he was willing to do for his country. He helped with the ratification of the Constitution by writing 51 of the 85 installments of the Federalist Papers. Hamilton continued to strive for the well-being of the U.S. as Secretary of Treasury after the Philadelphia Convention. He advocated for a strong central government which would use its implied powers, given by the Constitution, to reduce the national debt. Alexander Hamilton, a stern and focused leader of the Federalist Party, played an essential role in the formation of the new United States in its beginning years.
Alexander Hamilton’s early life formed him as a leader in the Philadelphia Convention and the years that followed. Hamilton, born in Charleston Nevis of the British West Indies, was sent to America by his parents to partake in proper education. In doing so, Hamilton enrolled in King’s College New York. (Brookhiser 36) Although he was grateful for receiving a high-quality education, Hamilton paid more attention to political affairs than to his academics. In 1774, he wrote his first political article defending the Patriot’s cause for independence from Britain. This proved that Hamilton was capable of becoming a self-made man, fighting for the Patriots. (Staloff 21)
Alexander Hamilton began his military career in 1775 at the New York Provisional Artillery Company where he fought in the battles of Long Island, White Plains, and Trenton. In 1777, Hamilton was promoted to lieutenant colonel of the Continental Army because of his bravery and



Cited: Bowen, Catherine Drinker. Miracle at Philadelphia: The Story of the Constitutional Convention, May to September 1787. Boston: Little, Brown, 1966. Print. Brookhiser, Richard. Alexander Hamilton, American. New York, NY: Free, 1999. Print. Staloff, Darren. Hamilton, Adams, Jefferson: The Politics of Enlightenment and the American Founding. New York: Hill and Wang, 2005. Print. Wootton, David. The Essential Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers. New York: Hackett, 1999. Print.

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