Heroism of Hamilton: A review of rhetorical choices Born on January, 1757, Alexander Hamilton was the son of an unknown immigrant planter who defied many odds to become an American statesman and advisor to the president at a tender age. He rose through the ranks to serve as the first Secretary of the Treasury, where he used his extraordinary skills to control the country’s finances during the tumultuous American Revolution. Hamilton was hailed for his support towards the establishment of a strong and big government. Through his “Doctrine of Implied Powers”, Hamilton insisted that the federal government had power that could only be suggested by the Constitution. In the pursuit of developing his legacy as the first great nationalist, Hamilton …show more content…
As an orphan, he worked as clerk, a position that enabled him to master several business skills that he would later use to transform America’s finances in the midst of a brutal war. When his native island was devastated by a hurricane, Hamilton “penned his way out of absolute poverty” by capturing a profound description of the event that the local merchants fundraised for his schooling at the King’s College. In the Musical, the narrator wonders how an orphan who grew up in squalor could become a hero and a prominent scholar. This crucial question is answered by Hamilton himself when he tells his future wife “All I have’s my honor, a tolerance for pain…and my top-notch brain.” (III, …show more content…
Through his writing, war tactics, financial prowess, and leadership skills, Hamilton succeeded in demonstrating how previously marginalized people took on the responsibility and burden of shaping the American history. Miranda’s Hamilton—though presented as an ambitious immigrant hustler and the protagonist in one of the Republic’s early sex scandals is also unambiguously and properly shown as the godfather of the idea that America should be a place of speculative enterprise backed up by big money. It is due to his unfailing effort that Hamilton’s legacy of heroism lives through his portrait in the ten-dollar
Did you know that Alexander Hamilton is on the 10 dollar bill? The american revolution started when the english redcoats fired into a crowd of unarmed innocent people. The news spread around america quicker than it got to the king. This was a very big point in history. Alexander Hamilton grew up on the island of Nevis, British West Indies on January 1755 or 1747. During the revolution Hamilton was appointed first secretary of the treasury where he helped a lot with the debt that the revolution caused. In 1777 hamilton became George Washington's assistant. Hamilton was also promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the Continental Army. When he was washington's assistant he wrote a lot of washington's letters and wrote reports on
Hamilton believed in a strong central government and to acquire this, wealth was the key. He wanted to make the United States rich in order for it to become a very powerful government. Hamilton learned first hand what it is like to earn a living, and that is why he believed, that wealth was the foundation in building a strong nation. He felt that those with wealth, merchants known now as businessman, would launch the U.S. into wealth and power. He also believed that with wealth came knowledge. When Hamilton started his journey as Secretary of Treasury, he was faced with many difficulties; The National Debt was such an obstacle. However, he considered it a necessary one, “A national debt, if it is not excessive, will be to us a national blessing. It will be a powerful cement of our Union.” (From Thomas Jefferson to James Duane September 3, 1781) He felt the utmost importance in paying off all of our debts. This was significant in order to build exemplary credit and creating our first National Bank, the Bank of the United States. On the other hand, Jefferson’s idea of America was one built by farmers and not merchants. He thought the only person who was truly free were indeed the farmers. In a letter he says, “I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.” (From Thomas Jefferson to Archibald Stuart December
The discourse of America, a nation built upon the foundations written by men, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton contributed a great ordeal of their lives into the creation of it. From similar childhoods to conflicting perceptions of government, Jefferson and Hamilton paved the way for the future of the nation. Through the comparison of Jefferson and Hamilton, by using factors of character, politics, and legacy, it is beyond question that Hamilton’s ambitious personality, politically involved nature, and estate truly resonates with history on a higher account compared to Jefferson.
Everyone has heard the name Alexander Hamilton, but few are familiar with his views and actions regarding the survival of the young American republic. He could be recognized for anything from serving our fledgling country by fighting in the New York militia; to serving his community as a lawyer and as a national tax agent; to beginning his political career as a representative for New York at the National Congress. Though most would agree his most important contribution to our struggling republic was to spearhead the project which formed the doctrine helping to establish the foundation in which modern democracy is based, the Articles of Confederation.
The day that Alexander Hamilton was first placed into the United States Government would be the day which would forever change our nation. The time when he would start and create a fantastic economy out of scratch. He did it with one brilliant five point plan. But there were three parts of the plan which were the body of this project. These were the assumption of state debt, the whiskey tax, and the construction of a national bank. All of these together would enhance our economy, before the tyrant Jackson would destroy them (bank). Nevertheless, his plan dealt with and solved the tough issues such as federal debt, government money supply, and economical shape throughout our nation. So for these answers he gave to our people, we must be grateful
Hamilton was President Washington’s Secretary of the Treasury in the Cabinet in 1789-1795. The first task that Hamilton took care of for President Washington, was the problem of public credit. Since the government had taken on so much debt during the Revolution they deeded a plan to pay it all off. When proposing this idea the vow to pay them back was not taken very seriously. Toward the end of the 1780s, the state IOU's, or money borrowed to finance the Revolution, were seen as nearly valueless. Hamilton then issued a bold proposal that the federal government should pay off all the state’s debts at face value. To raise money for this, Hamilton offered to issue new securities bonds. The people who bought these would pay a huge profit.
Of the many figures in American History, Alexander Hamilton has proven himself one of the most versatile and influential. His policies and ideals have helped the United States blossom into a prosperous world power. Through his power as secretary of Treasury and his convincing intellectual efforts, he was able to dominate the nations early political environment. Hamilton’s patriotic endeavors have proven themselves to be durable and in the best interests of the United States.
Alexander Hamilton was born an illegitimate child in 1755 in the West Indies to a financially struggling family (Alexander Hamilton, n.d., para. 2). He did not receive his formal education until he was sponsored by family friends who were impressed by his ambition. He chose a military career and served as George Washington’s secretary and aid. After the revolutionary war, he became a lawyer, served Congress, and founded the Bank of New York. He was also the first secretary of the Treasury. Hamilton had no faith in common people and wanted to control them, “In the general course of human nature, a power over a man's subsistence amounts to a power over his will” (brainquote.com, 2011, p.1).
Alexander Hamilton was born a bastard child in the West Indies and demonstrated great intellectual potential at an early age. He was sent to New York City for schooling and studied at King’s College, now Columbia University. His vision of America took a more capitalistic tone and “he was determined to transform an economically weak and fractious cluster of states into a powerful global force” (Tindall & Shi, 2010). Hamilton advocated a strong central government. He was bold and persuasive and his philosophies quite extraordinary for his time.
In Hamilton, a musical written by Lin-Manuel Miranda about the first Treasury Secretary of the United States, Miranda’s portrayal and interpretation of Alexander Hamilton is one that conveys many messages and teaches many lessons to the audience. In this play, Hamilton’s ambition and pride are what drives him to all of his accomplishments. He has the need to prove himself worthy to his fellow founding fathers and, much like Atticus, does not like to admit his mistakes or listen to others. The opening number of this musical begins with Hamilton telling the audience “There’s a million things I haven’t done, just you wait, just you wait.” His achievements throughout the play reflect this statement as he goes on to become George Washington’s aide-de-camp in the Revolutionary War, become the first Treasury Secretary of the newfounded America, and single-handedly create a new form of government and financial plan for the United States. These were results of his ambition and his belief in himself, which brings one to realize the importance of those two things. Self confidence is something that many lack and Lin’s written portrayal of Hamilton is one that shows the importance of that very thing. Though his ambition is a defining quality of his, his political partner, Aaron Burr warns him of the dangers of this as he questions “Why do you assume
Alexander Hamilton was a bastard son, orphan, immigrant, political scientist, soldier, and the first Secretary of the Treasury of the United States of America who transformed not only the country’s banking system but also left a rich legacy that changed America forever. A forgotten founding father, he wrote his way out of poverty at fourteen and later became George Washington’s aide-de-camp and a respected soldier before becoming apart of the first cabinet of the United States. Hamilton not only had a notorious political career, but also personal life, which captivated Americans and heavily influenced his career. Alexander Hamilton’s early life, revolutionary years, years in public service and the cabinet as well as his scandal and devastating
This narrative is a very brief look on the life of how Alexander Hamilton was able to shape the new country through hard work, superior intellect, and persuasion. If nothing less, Alexander Hamilton is the absolute definition of an American; he proves that hard work and dedication can make one rise to a very influential position. The ten brief chapters are chronologically ordered to give this biography a story-time feel; each chapter documents a very specific time in his life.
Hamilton was the son of a respectable French woman, Rachel Faucett, and a Scottish nobleman, James Hamilton. Alexander’s parents separated when he was two. His mother took custody of himself and his brother. Living in a single parent home, truly a rarity in the 18th century, young Hamilton was forced to labor tirelessly as a child to help support the family. It was this hard work, however, that gave Hamilton the work ethic that he would later so frequently employ. His mother died nine years later. Hamilton, thus, continued his pattern of self-reliance. Most revealingly, the boy longed for fame. This lust, a direct result of his ro...
“[T]he man on the ten-dollar bill is the father of the American treasury system, a signer of the Constitution, one of the primary authors of the Federalist Papers, and the loser of the infamous duel with Vice President Aaron Burr. Alexander Hamilton's earlier career as a Continental Army officer is less well known. Yet Hamilton's first experience in public service is important, not only because it was the springboard to his later career, but because it also deeply influenced his values and thinking” (Hamilton).
Alexander Hamilton, one of the most important people of the time, was the first Secretary of the Treasury. Utilising federal power to modernize the nation, he convinced Congress to use an elastic interpretation of the Constitution to pass laws that Jefferson deemed unconstitutional. These laws included federal assumption of the state debts, creation of a national bank, and a system of taxes through a tariff on imports and a tax on whiskey. Hamilton was also the creator of the Federalist party. In contrast, Thomas Jefferson was born to a wealthy family but was nonetheless an anti-federalist. He was sypathetic towards the poor people and advocated state’s rights. afgads