Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757 – July 12, 1804) was an American statesman and one of the . He was an influential interpreter and promoter of the , as well as the founder of the nation's financial system, the , the , and newspaper. As the first , Hamilton was the main author of the economic policies of the . He took the lead in the funding of the states' debts by the , as well as the , a system of tariffs, and friendly trade relations with Britain. His vision included a strong central government led by a vigorous executive branch, a strong commercial economy, with a national bank and support for manufacturing, plus a strong military. Thomas Jefferson was his leading opponent.
Hamilton was born out of wedlock in , . Orphaned as a child he was taken in by a prosperous merchant. As a precocious young teenager he was sent to New York to pursue his education. Hamilton took an early role as the began. In 1777, he became a senior aide to General Washington in running the new . After the war, Hamilton was elected as a representative to the from New York. He resigned to practice law, and founded the .
Hamilton was a leader in seeking to replace the weak national government, and led the in 1786, which spurred Congress to call a in Philadelphia. He helped achieve ratification by writing 51 of the 85 installments of , which to this day remain the single most important reference for .
Hamilton led the as a trusted member of President Washington's first . He was a nationalist who emphasized strong central government and successfully argued that the of the Constitution provided the legal authority to fund the , assume states' debts, and create the government-backed . These programs were funded primarily by , and later also by a controversial . To overcome localism, Hamilton mobilized a nationwide network of friends of the government, especially bankers and businessmen, which became the . A major issue in the emergence of the was the , largely designed by Hamilton in 1794. It established friendly trade relations with Britain, to the chagrin of France and supporters of the . Hamilton played a central role in the Federalist party, which dominated national and state politics until it lost the to 's .
In 1795, he returned to the practice of law in New York. In 1798–99, under , Hamilton called for mobilization against and became of a newly reconstituted U.S. Army, which he modernized and readied for war. Hamilton's army did not see combat in the , and Hamilton was outraged by Adams' diplomatic avoidance of combat with France. His opposition to Adams' re-election helped cause the Federalist party defeat in 1800. Jefferson and tied for the presidency in the in 1801, and Hamilton helped to defeat Burr, whom he found unprincipled, and to elect Jefferson despite philosophical differences.
Hamilton continued his legal and business activities in New York City, and was active in ending the legality of the international slave trade. Vice President Burr ran for governor of New York State in 1804, and Hamilton crusaded against him as unworthy. Taking offense, Burr in which Burr mortally wounded Hamilton, who died the next day on July 7, 1804.
