Alexander Hamilton was one of the most brilliant thinkers at the Philadelphia Convention.
His origins were modest, having been born to unmarried parents in the British West Indies.
As a young man, Hamilton traveled to New York City with the help of people who recognized his intelligence.
He attended college until the Revolution, during which he served as secretary and aide to General Washington.
After the war, he studied law and entered practice.
He served in the Continental Congress and was one of the leaders in calling for a constitutional convention.
As a delegate to the Philadelphia Convention, Hamilton played a rather small role, partly because he had to miss many sessions due to legal business, partly because he wanted a much stronger national government than did most delegates, and partly because he did not get along with the other delegates from New York.
He was one of the authors of The Federalist and worked hard for ratification in New York.
Hamilton served in Washington’s government as Secretary of the Treasury and was a leader of the Federalist party.
In 1804, he was killed in a duel with Aaron Burr.
