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1-Page Summary of Alexander Hamilton

Overall Summary

Alexander Hamilton is a biography of Alexander Hamilton, written by Ron Chernow. The book begins with his birth in the Caribbean and continues through his early years in America to his rise as one of the most admired—and reviled—politicians and statesmen that this country has ever seen. It’s based on popular music that shows how both America and its founder developed over time.

Alexander Hamilton was born in 1757 on a Caribbean island, but he spent most of his childhood on another island. He hated slavery and admired rebellions.

After his mother’s death, a hurricane hit St. Croix and destroyed much of the island. Hamilton wrote a letter to influential people about the destruction it caused and how many families were affected by it. The tone of the letter was impressive, so they sent him to New York for formal education in 1772.

Alexander Hamilton attended a prep school in Elizabethtown, New Jersey. He then matriculated to King’s College (now Columbia University) where he studied mathematics, Greek, Latin and law. The American Revolution interrupted his studies; however, after joining an American militia unit led by General George Washington as aide-de-camp (military assistant), Hamilton distinguished himself both in military tactics and combat. He was a natural leader who was courageous and well liked by his men.

After the war, Hamilton continued to participate in politics. He was very influential and planned for a new government. This led to the Second Continental Congress where they outlined the Constitution.

Hamilton believed that America would only succeed if it operated as a union, with the federal government having the power to tax and unify the states. He argued in favor of this idea in essays known as The Federalist Papers. Those who disagreed with him were called antifederalists. They tried to undermine his plans at every turn but failed because he was right about how important a strong central government is for success.

George Washington was the first president of the United States, and he relied on Alexander Hamilton to help him. Washington appointed Hamilton as secretary of treasury. As a result, Hamilton helped set up many innovations that are still in place today, such as financial systems and banks. His enemies were worried about his influence over Washington and thought he had too much power.

Despite being married and having a family, Hamilton began an affair with Maria Reynolds. She blackmailed him for money over the course of one year before he ended it. After resigning from his position as Secretary of Treasury in 1975, news about his adultery became public knowledge. He spent the rest of his career trying to maintain or repair his reputation since honor was very important to him besides infidelity.

Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson didn’t like each other, but they worked together to help elect the former president. Burr was a much worse choice for president than Jefferson. Hamilton and Jefferson ended up insulting each other in public, which led to a duel between them that resulted in Hamilton’s death.

Alexander Hamilton was a successful statesman and one of the greatest figures produced by the American Revolution. He is also one of the most fascinating and frustrating figures in history. The musical about him has brought renewed interest to his life story, which is well told in Ron Chernow’s book Alexander Hamilton.

Prologue: “The Oldest Revolutionary War Widow”

Chernow discusses Eliza Hamilton’s efforts to protect her husband, Alexander Hamilton. He also talks about the reasons why he wrote this particular biography when there are other books about him.