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    Alexander Hamilton: A Short Biography
    Alexander Hamilton: A Short Biography
    Alexander Hamilton: A Short Biography
    Ebook61 pages36 minutes

    Alexander Hamilton: A Short Biography

    By Doug West

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    About this ebook

    Alexander Hamilton, born in the British West Indies, was an outsider from the very beginning. His illegitimate birth drove him to prove his worthiness to others throughout his life. His quest for honor was one of the defining characteristics that colored his decisions. Hamilton was a small man with a large ambition, and this would drive him to greatness and create some powerful enemies in his wake.
    Alexander Hamilton’s life was not without its share of tragedy. Before his fifteenth birthday, his father had abandoned the family and his mother had died of yellow fever. Luckily for young Alexander, a group of benefactors realized his potential and paid to have him sent to the British colony, America, for an education.
    After serving as General Washington’s aide-de-camp during the Revolutionary War, Hamilton returned to his law practice and soon entered politics. In 1787, he would help draft the Constitution of the United States and then write a series of critical essays, called the Federalist Papers, which were key to ratification of the Constitution. Hamilton’s position on the role of government was for a strong Federal government.
    President Washington nominated Hamilton to become the first Secretary of the Treasury. During his tenure as Secretary of the Treasury, he set the nation on a sound fiscal footing, established the first national bank, and a mint to produce coinage. Hamilton was a master of setting up institutions within the government and making bitter enemies of powerful men, such as John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Aaron Burr.
    One of Hamilton’s political rivalries would turn very personal as Aaron Burr, the sitting Vice President of the United States, was seeking retaliation for Hamilton’s disparaging remarks. Hamilton’s honor would not let him decline Burr’s challenge to a duel. The outcome of the duel was fatal for Alexander Hamilton — dead at age forty-nine, leaving behind a wife, seven living children, and a legacy that would survive the centuries .

    Spend some time with this distinguished American and buy the book, Alexander Hamilton – A Short Biography.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDoug West
    Release dateJan 15, 2017
    ISBN9781370077045
    Alexander Hamilton: A Short Biography
    Author

    Doug West

    Doug West is a retired engineer, small business owner, and an experienced non-fiction writer with several books to his credit. His writing interests are general, with expertise in science, history, biographies, numismatics, and “How to” topics. Doug has a B.S. in Physics from the Missouri School of Science and Technology and a Ph.D. in General Engineering from Oklahoma State University. He lives with his wife and little dog “Millie” near Kansas City, Missouri.

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      Book preview

      Alexander Hamilton - Doug West

      Alexander Hamilton – A Short Biography

      By Doug West, Ph.D.

      Alexander Hamilton – A Short Biography

      Copyright © 2016 Doug West

      All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author. Reviewers may quote brief passages in reviews.

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      Table of Contents

      Preface

      Introduction

      Chapter 1 – The Early Years

      Chapter 2 – Making of a Revolutionary

      Chapter 3 – United States Constitution

      Chapter 4 – Secretary of the Treasury

      Chapter 5 – The Maria Reynolds Affair

      Chapter 6 – Return to Private Life

      Chapter 7 – Like Father Like Son – Duels to the Death

      Chronology

      Acknowledgments

      Further Reading

      About the Author

      Preface

      Welcome to the book Alexander Hamilton – A Short Biography. This book is part of the 30 Minute Book Series and, as the name of the series implies, if you are an average reader this book will take around 30 minutes to read or a little longer to listen to in audio format. Since this book is not meant to be an all-encompassing biography of Alexander Hamilton, you may want to know more about this great man and his accomplishments. To help you with this, there are several good references at the end of this book. Thank you for purchasing this book and I hope you enjoy your time reading about Alexander Hamilton.

      Doug West

      January 2016

      Introduction

      Alexander Hamilton, born in the British West Indies, was an outsider from the very beginning. His illegitimate birth drove him to prove his worthiness to others throughout his life. His quest for honor was one of the defining characteristics that colored his decisions. Hamilton was a small man with a large ambition, and this would drive him to greatness and create some powerful enemies in his wake.

      Alexander Hamilton’s life was not without its share of tragedy. Before his fifteenth birthday, his father had abandoned the family and his mother had died of yellow fever. Luckily for young Alexander, a group of benefactors realized his potential and paid to

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