The Contributions Of Alexander Hamilton

1716 Words4 Pages

people think of the founders of the United States they think of George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. Many people today can only name some of the many incredible men who founded this country. One man who is often forgotten is not only a founding father, but also the first Treasury Secretary of the United States, Alexander Hamilton. Although Hamilton’s personality arguably made him the most difficult benefactor, he was very important in the early history and founding of the United States. Alexander Hamilton was born on January 11 in either 1755 or 1757. The exact date is unknown, since even he didn’t know the exact year. Born in the West Indies to Rachel Fawcett Lavien and James Hamilton, he was the product of an affair. His mother, Rachel …show more content…

Hamilton had a tough job, though. Due to the Revolutionary War, American debts were high and they had no money to repay said debts. During his times as treasury secretary, Hamilton proposed many plans to accumulate money to pay off our war debts. One of these was instituting a tax collection system to pay the debts, which passed. Hamilton also still had a firm belief that a powerful central government would gain the country power and often argued with other cabinet members about this belief. Sometimes, Hamilton went as far as setting up a “dinner table bargain”, or a bargain that happens without the public and higher authorities knowing about it. One of the most famous bargains Hamilton was a part of was when Alexander traded the U.S capitol for complete financial power. Hamilton turned down the offer of New York being the Capitol of the United States and Madison agreed to promote a strong central government. In his time of treasury secretary, Hamilton became the first person in American history to be in a sex scandal. In the summer of 1791, Maria Reynolds asked Alexander for financial aid, claiming her husband, James Reynolds, had left her. After going to her home to drop off the money, she quickly seduced him and an affair was born. This affair continued for a year, mostly for the fact that James Reynolds had started to blackmail Hamilton for money and in exchange, he wouldn’t tell Eliza about the affair. In late 1792 James Reynolds was arrested for unpaid wages, he quickly found a way out of jail by telling many political figures about Hamilton’s affair. Three men by the names of James Monroe, Abraham Venable, and Frederick Muhlenberg confronted Hamilton about the funds, and Hamilton revealed the affair to them. The men agreed to keep Hamilton’s secret, but still, James Monroe shared this information with Thomas

Open Document