Alexander Hamilton: The Other Side of The Revolution

Alexander Hamilton: The Other Side of the Revolution

Often when one thinks of the American Revolution or the American Enlightenment, the philosophies and contributions of men like Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin are taken into consideration. Indeed they were great thinkers and very pivotal figures in our country's liberation from Great Britain, however more people played a role in accomplishing this great task. America's founding fathers consisted of several of men, all of whom contributed unique and innovative ideas that would eventually helped to shape our country. Heavily influenced by men such as Locke, Rousseau, and Paine, a great deal of the ideas and political plans which emerged during the 18th century were focused solely around becoming an independent and self sufficient land, breaking all ruling ties with the British monarchy, and the healthy promotion of democracy and Christianity. Much like the revolution in France that would soon follow, America's fight was for a change in not only government but in culture as well.

One man who seems to frequently get over looked as far as the part he played in re-shaping American politics and culture is Alexander Hamilton. Misunderstood and most noted for his opinionated personality, Hamilton was in fact a true nationalist and in many cases a martyr for the principles this country was built upon; Pride, Freedom and Democracy. His ideas transcended far beyond the period in which he lived, leaving lasting effects on generations that would follow. The establishment of the American government's first central bank and the Federalist political party are all undertakings in which Hamilton played a leading role in composing. He also made efforts to impact our countries culture. However, in order to gain a full understanding of Hamilton's views and his importance during the American Revolution, you must first examine his values and those who influenced him in his early life.

According to Brookhiser, Hamilton came from "nowhere" in comparison to a lot of his political peers (p.3). Born and raised in the sugar Island of the West Indies, the city of St. Croix consisted of three kinds of people: rich whites, poor whites and slaves. There were few middle class inhabitants; either you were rich or very poor. This aspect of Hamilton's society greatly influenced the way he viewed the establishment of a social class system and would eventually contribute to his appeal to the "common people" during his professional career (McDonald, p.11). Sugar farming was labor intensive and as a result, slaves outnumbered their white masters by twenty to one. Families were made up of a mix of nationalities, mainly those who had settled without regard to the islands' formal owners. The people of Croix seemed to hold at high regards ones ancestry and lineage, a concern that Hamilton held loosely due to what he referred to as a birth which was "not free from blemish" (Larson, p.15). He grew up the son of a "whore" mother, as she was called in a divorce document by her first husband and a "Bum" father (Brookhiser, p.15). Such references make it hard to believe that any child of good character could be produced from this union; however Hamilton did adopt some traits that would serve to be very beneficial in his adult years.

His relationship with his mother played an essential role in his public career. As he described her, she was a woman of "superior intellect", "elevated with generous sentiments" and "unusual elegance of person and manner", much different from the appalling indication previously made of her. Hamilton was also known to be very intelligent, one who liked to help others and a person of good etiquette. However the greatest influence that his mother had on him came in the study of finance. She was a very good business woman. As a child, Hamilton worked as a clerk in her provision store where he gained an understanding of both marketing and money management. According to Hamilton when she died, the accounts of her store were in order and she had only a few short-term debts. Regardless of her reputation and how she was viewed by others, her influence is definitely seen in a great deal of Hamilton's accomplishments; the same in regards to his father. (Henderickson, p. 10)

Although he is rarely mentioned in the works of Hamilton, due to the lack of communication between the two, the effect that James Hamilton had on his son Alexander is worth acknowledgment. According to some of Hamilton's writings and the findings of some historians, they both shared the trait of pride. In a few of his letters Hamilton does discuss his father and the proud nature he possessed. He believed that it was this emotion that had the biggest affect on their relationship as father and son, resulting in little to no contact between the two for much of Hamilton's life. After his father's death in 1799, he wrote that he [father] had "too much pride and too large a portion of indolence...but his character was otherwise beyond reproach". James Hamilton was both an arrogant and lazy man, however even after seeing his father's outcome; Alexander Hamilton still could not resist being influenced. (McDonald, Page 16).

Referring back to Hendrickson, Hamilton's pride did not cause him to be viewed as negatively as his father. The emotions he expressed sprang from his need to do well in all his deeds. This was evident in various aspects of his life; ranging from politics, law, family and his feelings regarding his country. But because the results of pride generally act as both a gift and a curse, as previously stated, his legacy as one of our country's most sincere supporters and contributors is overshadowed by what is viewed as an overconfident attitude by many of his peers. It was also his pride as both a man of principle and a man who had served in war, that wouldn't allow him to back down from a duel challenged by his long time political rival Aaron Burr; ultimately resulting in his death. In comparison to Shakespearian literature, the nature he adopted from his father could be viewed as Hamilton's tragic flaw. (Hendrickson, p.15)

However, James Hamilton was not the only male that had a defining effect on his son, Hamilton recognizes two other men that greatly influenced him during his primitive years; one was the Scotch-Irish Presbyterian minister named Hugh Knox and the other was his employer from St. Croix, Nicholas Cruger. Each of these men contributed something uniquely to Hamilton, that as a young man he could not receive from his family. Knox, according to Brookheiser, is credited by Hamilton as introducing him to "two new worlds....learning and North America". Knox was