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Alexander Hamilton Position: Federalist

Representative of New York Around the time of the Constitutional Convention New York had a population of around 235,000. It was a middle colony, and because of it’s location had an economy supporting both industry (including shipbuilding) and agriculture (mainly cattle and grain). New York was one of the more political and law-like colonies at the time.

Occupation and Background Born in the West Indian Island of Nevis on November 20, 1755, Alexander Hamilton was noticed by many for his talent in reading and writing, despite lacking a formal education. He became sponsored by readers of the Royal-Danish American Gazette and first attended King’s College, located in New York City. Here he was introduced, and soon joined, the numerous debates regarding the rebellion before the Revolutionary War. In March of 1776 he joined the New York Artillery, where he was noted for arguing on the behalf of his troop’s conditions. He was soon noticed by George Washington, and became one of his aides-de-camp. He later became a member of Congress, where he always supported financing the national government. After attending both the Annapolis and Constitutional Convention he became the first Secretary of Treasury and was a member of Washington’s cabinets. He married the daughter of General Philip J. Schuyler, Elizabeth Schuyler, and they had eight children. Hamilton’s life ended on July 12, 1804, after he was mortally wounded in a pistol duel with his worst enemy, Aaron Burr.

Constitutional Convention During the Constitutional Convention, Hamilton was one of the largest supporters for a strong, powerful, national government. Many of his ideas were based on systems active in Britain. If he were to have had his way, under the Hamilton Plan senators and a “national governor” would serve for life and be chosen by special electors. Along with this would be an assembly, directly elected by the citizens, and serving for three years. State governor would be chosen by the National Governor. Alexander Hamilton gave a five hour speech to persuade his fellow delegates to adopt his plan, but he convinced no one.

The Ratification of the Constitution A strong supporter of the Constitution, he played a role in helping New York to ratify it. During the process of ratification, New York had Anti-Federalists in power. Hamilton, along with James Madison and John Jay, helped to publish papers convincing the nation to approve the constitution, known as The Federalist. Hamilton was a major contribution to this, writing 51 of the 85 papers. New York became the eleventh state to ratify the constitution.

Position During the Constitution Along with advocating for a strong government, Hamilton also saw the need for and industrial and manufacturing increase in order to improve America’s economy. He sided with fellow Federalists, including delegates such as John Jay and James Madison He was opposed to the Anti-Federalists, like Patrick Henry and Samuel Adams. Throughout his political career he had many clashes with Thomas Jefferson, and also surprisingly with fellow Federalist John Adams, whom Hamilton criticized intensely while he was in office. Though no man would Hamilton hate more than Aaron Burr.

Biblography: "Alexander Hamilton." United States History. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. . "Alexander Hamilton." Ushistory.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. <http://www.ushistory.org/brandywine/special/art08.htm>. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">*Hamilton, Alexander, James Madison, and John Jay. The Federalist: A Commentary on the Constitution of the United States. N.p.: Henry Holt, 1898. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Hamilton and the U.S. Constitution." PBS. PBS Online, n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/duel/sfeature/hamiltonusconstituion.html>. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"New York." Delegates to the Constitutional Convention:. National Archives and Records Administration, n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Population Estimates Used at the Philadelphia Convention in 1787 First Federal Census Data 1790." Delaware University, n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. <http://www.dcte.udel.edu/hlp/resources/newnation/pdfs/PopEstim.pdf>.