Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804) was an American statesman, political theorist, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was an influential interpreter and promoter of the U.S. Constitution, as well as the founder of the nation's financial system, the Federalist Party, the United States Coast Guard, and the New York Post newspaper. As the first Secretary of the Treasury, Hamilton was the main author of the economic policies of the George Washington administration. He took the lead in the funding of the states' debts by the Federal government, as well as the establishment of a national bank, 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, a national bank and support for manufacturing, and a strong military. He was opposed by the Democratic-Republican Party led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Hamilton was born out of wedlock in the British West Indies and was orphaned as a child. He was taken in by a prosperous merchant family in the British colony of Nevis and was later sent to New York for schooling. He attended King's College (now Columbia University) and joined a volunteer militia company. During the American Revolutionary War, he served in the Continental Army as the senior aide-de-camp and confidant to General George Washington. After the war, he was elected to the Continental Congress, and was chosen as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention. He was an active participant in the convention and, along with James Madison, is credited with playing a major role in the drafting of the United States Constitution. Hamilton was the co-author of the Federalist Papers, a series of 85 essays that promoted the ratification of the Constitution. After the ratification of the Constitution, he was appointed by President Washington as the first Secretary of the Treasury. Hamilton's vision included a strong central government led by a vigorous executive branch, a strong commercial economy, a national bank and support for manufacturing, and a strong military. He was opposed by the Democratic-Republican Party led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Hamilton died in a duel with Aaron Burr in 1804.
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