Alexander Hamilton, Revolutionary

ALEXANDER HAMILTON, REVOLUTIONARY came from a background unlike any other Founding Father. Born out of wedlock on Nevis, a small island in the Caribbean, he was orphaned at 13. Through a combination of stunning intellect, hard work, and luck, he won a scholarship to continue his education in America and never looked back. During the Revolutionary War, Hamilton became an aide and eventually chief of staff to George Washington, was sent on horseback in hot pursuit of the traitorous Benedict Arnold, and commanded troops at the Battle of Yorktown. He married the daughter of a wealthy and powerful family and after the war settled in New York City as a lawyer. A delegate to the 1787 Constitutional Convention, he helped write the first seven articles of the Constitution. As the new country's first Secretary of the Treasury, he founded the Coast Guard, the Customs Department, and the Bank of the United States. But, like so many influential characters from history, Hamilton was a flawed man. He cheated on the wife to whom he was devoted and was blackmailed by his mistress' husband. Although he was outspokenly anti-slavery, he negotiated the sale of slaves for his in-laws. He actively tried to sink the presidential aspirations of Jefferson and John Adams. Although he didn't believe in dueling, he would lose his life in a duel with then Vice President Aaron Burr, who felt Hamilton had once too often attacked his reputation.