If you happen to have a $10 in your pocket, the individual in the portrait is no other than Alexander Hamilton. And for people who couldn’t care less, they might ask the most telling question of all, “so what?”
During the early stage of the British-American war, he served as a captain in an artillery company where he distinguished himself and caught the attention of General George Washington. Eventually, he became the most trusted secretary of the first American president. He served as the first Secretary of Treasury of the American Government, reconstructing and rebuilding continental America from the ruins brought about by the above-mentioned war.
You would have to imagine that during the tenure of President George Washington, there were no precedents to speak of when it comes to governance, people were afraid of taxes and the very reason that there was war with Britain was because of its excessive taxes levied against the colony.
There were two contrasting views that serve as a demarcation line. It is either that one is for a stronger federal government or for a stronger republican (local) government.
When Alexander Hamilton assumed the position of Secretary of Treasury, he espoused a stronger federal government, calling for the establishment of a central bank and a coherent fiscal system, for the collection and payment of taxes, for the creation of customs, the creation of a navy and a standing army over the objections of the faction led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Without precedence, he argued for the “implied” powers of government before the Supreme Court, winning a monumental brick for the establishment of what is America today. Undoubtedly, he is credited as the father of American government.
The dark side of this story is that he was killed in a duel with then American Vice-President Aaron Burr. He personally thwarted the ploy of Burr in becoming president and governor of New York and was inevitably challenged to a duel. The duel and death of Hamilton ruined the career of Burr, eventually leading to a conspiracy charge (an acquittal) of trying to establish a separate confederate state in the West allied with Spain.
Did I also mention that Alexander Hamilton was a foreigner? He was born in the colony of British West Indies and only migrated to continental America to pursue a degree. The shape of American history and government would have been different if it weren’t for this poor immigrant.
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