How Did Hamilton Contribute To Government

Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers of America, was born on January 11th, 1757 or 1755 (the year is unknown) in Charlestown, Nevis, an island in the British West Indies. His parents were Rachel Fawcett Lavien and James Hamilton, a Scotsman. When Hamilton was ten years old, his father abandoned his family because of a debt, and then his mother moved the family to St. Croix. Hamilton’s mother died of a fever and left her two sons as orphans. A group of people, who were very impressed with his writing abilities, saved enough money to send Hamilton to America for an education. In 1773, he enrolled in King’s College, now known as Columbia University, and found an interest in politics. Then in 1775, he left King’s College to join
the New York Artillery and impressed many people with his intelligence, leadership skills, and writing abilities. Hamilton caught the attention of George Washington and was made Washington’s advisor and secretary. During the Battle of Yorktown, Hamilton was able to lead the men into a victorious win against the British. In 1780, Hamilton married Elizabeth Schuyler, who was from a very wealthy and renowned family. His marriage to Elizabeth enabled him to deepen his ties to rich and influential leaders in New York. Hamilton eventually went back to New York to pursue law and started his own practice in New York City. He wrote 51 of 85 essays of The Federalist Papers and supported a strong central government, which he thought was the key to America’s independence. He also became a leader in the Federalist Party and worked to get the Constitution ratified. In 1789, George Washington appointed Hamilton as the first secretary of the treasury. The first problem Hamilton faced, as secretary of the treasury, was public credit. The nation had accumulated a large amount of debt during the Revolution by borrowing a large amount from the Dutch and French. Hamilton proposed to pay off all of the state debts at full value, which would build up the legitimacy of a central government. He also insisted that the state debts were a national responsibility. To raise money, Hamilton supported Congress in passing tariffs on a variety of imported goods and issued securities bonds. Hamilton defended the selling of government bonds to pay interest because it would give investors an involvement in the success of the national government. Hamilton helped the nation have a high financial credit and be financially stable and debt-free. Hamilton wanted to thicken the relationship between the government and the business classes, who would profit greatest from it, and boost his plan to strengthen the national government. To do this, he recommended a national bank, which was to be called the Bank of the United States. He believed a bank would be a safe place for the government’s money and would enlarge the nation’s money supply. Hamilton convinced Washington to sign the bank charter into law. He argued that the government had the right to authorize a national bank to regulate currency. Hamilton wanted to make manufacturers self-sufficient, and he believed the United States should follow a mercantilist economic policy.
He believed that the reliance on costly foreign goods limited the American economy. He wanted a mercantilist economic policy because it would secure manufacturers through direct government aid and tariffs. Hamilton wanted the government to actively promote new manufacturing and industrial enterprises. He thought that industrialization would bring change to the American economy that was led by agriculture and imported British goods, increase the work rate with use of machines, provide work for people, and attract workers from around the world. To support industrial development, Hamilton suggested the government raise tariffs on imports and provide bounties to industries making important products that are needed. He also asked Congress to fund transportation advancements, in addition to the development of roads, canals, and
harbors. Then on July 11th, 1804, Alexander Hamilton died in New Jersey in a duel with Aaron Burr.
Burr was running for the governorship of New York, and everybody except Hamilton favored Burr’s candidacy. After Burr read in a newspaper that Hamilton called him “the most unfit and dangerous man of the community”, Burr felt that Hamilton had thwarted his plans and challenged Hamilton to a duel after Hamilton refused to apologize. The two men met at Weehawken, New Jersey, and Hamilton was shot by Burr’s bullet. Alexander Hamilton is an example of a person that rose from their problems and strove to succeed in life despite their past obstacles and background. Alexander’s father left him while he was young, which forced his mother to rely on relatives. After his mother died, he lived with his cousin, who committed suicide. Hamilton did not let his past affect his success, instead it motivated him to make a life for himself in
America. Hamilton had to go through many obstacles to put his ideas and plans in action, despite many who disagreed with him. His policies angered many people, like Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. There were a lot of people who did not like Hamilton’s elitist attitude or ideas. James Madison, one of the most powerful members of Congress, disagreed with Hamilton’s belief that the federal government should pay the state debts from the Revolutionary War. Although the House of Representatives voted down that plan, Hamilton did not give up. He compromised with Thomas Jefferson and James Madison and agreed to move the national capital in return for the votes needed to pass Hamilton’s debt-assumption plan. Thomas Jefferson was among many that hated Hamilton. He despised Hamilton’s plan for a national bank and believed that a bank would only benefit a small circle of selfish investors. Hamilton strongly believed in his plans and replied back with a 16,000-word report to President Washington and convinced Washington to sign the bank bill. Because of Hamilton’s diligence and ability to not give up, he was able to get his ideas and plans into action. Alexander Hamilton was ambitious and a hard worker. He had many ideas he thought would be crucial in America’s growth. Although Hamilton was never president of the United States, he influenced and affected America’s political system more than most of the founding fathers did. His support for banks, manufacturing, and public credit became important in America’s future and can be seen at work in today’s society.