You may have read the name Alexander Hamilton in your history textbook or watched the theatrical play but do you actually know what Alexander Hamilton did for America? Joseph Tartakovsky, senior fellow at the Claremont Institute, tells all in his PragerU video titled, “Hamilton: The Man Who Invented America.” Tartakovsky states while Alexander Hamilton may have had help from George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin, Hamilton was the true pioneer who got the job done.
Alexander Hamilton was born on January 11, 1755 on the island of Nevis. Hamilton’s homeland was a breeding ground for slavery which turned him into a harsh abolitionist. Hamilton’s father abandoned him and his mother at an early age and Hamilton ultimately lost his mother at the age of fourteen. Hamilton was subsequently forced to step up and take a job as a clerk for a local merchant who sold mules and codfish. This ultimately led him to running the business and being in charge of coordinating shipments. As narrated by Tartakovsky, Hamilton had it very hard from a young age but he made the best out of his bad situation.
Hamilton continued to prosper and went to King’s College in New York. He then dropped out of college to join the Continental Army which quickly gained the attention of George Washington. Hamilton was appointed to Staff Officer and Washington became a father figure to Hamilton. Hamilton played a significant role in the Revolutionary War. As the war was ending, Hamilton wrote a six-part essay that explicitly stated his views regarding government. This deed led to Hamilton being named the first Secretary of Treasury by Washington. During his time in office, Hamilton worked to make America more financially sound and succeeded in six short years. Hamilton lived in a time where the government was too weak to maintain itself contradictory to current times where the government is too strong, Tartakovsky stated. Tartakovsky goes on to say that, “perhaps America will have to wait for another Hamilton to achieve that happy medium.” Hamilton was a headstrong human who fought for our country. Tartakovsky even goes on to state, “there’s no telling what Hamilton might have achieved had he lived a longer life.”
PragerU Video: https://www.prageru.com/videos/hamilton-man-who-invented-america
