Alexander Hamilton-Signer of the Constitution

"If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary.  In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself."  -The Federalist, by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison

The lone delegate from New York, Alexander Hamilton was extremely instrumental in forming the Constitution.  Hamilton was born on January 11, 1757 on the island of Nevis in the British West Indies and he died July 12, 1804 in New York City after being shot in a duel with Aaron Burr.

Alexander Hamilton was born to unmarried parents and his mom died when he was eleven years old.  From then on he had to look our for himself.  He finally made it off the British West Indies at the age of fourteen when his employer, a merchant, recognized his intelligence and sent him to New York City for education.  While in New York and attending school he stayed for a year with William Livingston (a future Signer of the Constitution).  Hamilton never did graduate from college.  In 1775, however, he joined the militia.  By 1776 he was given a Captain's commission and he was placed in charge of an artillery group on Manhattan Island.  Because New York City was England's next target, Hamilton got to work with Henry Knox and Nathaniel Greene, two of General Washington's greatest military leaders.  He reported to Knox for quite some time.  Knox, seeing the military skill of Alexander Hamilton, suggested him as an aid to General Washington.  Through the war Hamilton served very closely with General George Washington.  Washington and Hamilton eventually had a feud from which Hamilton resigned.  Their feud was later overcome and Hamilton again worked against the British.  At the battle of Yorktown Alexander Hamilton led his own battalion against the British fortifications.  After the war he took up the study of law and in a few short months was admitted to the bar.

As a delegate at the Constitutional Convention Alexander Hamilton was instrumental.  Just previous to the Constitutional Convention Hamilton, along with James Madison, was the guiding leader of the Annapolis Convention.  In the Constitutional Convention, Hamilton did a great deal in pushing for a strong national union, one that would be able to fight of opposing countries.  Along with John Jay and James Madison, Alexander Hamilton wrote The Federalist to help persuade the states to ratify the newly formed Constitution.  William Pierce wrote the following about Alexander Hamilton:

"Colo. Hamilton requires time to think; he enquires into every part of his subject with the searching of philosophy, and when he comes forward he comes highly charged with interesting matter; there is no skimming over the surfaces of a subject with him; he must sink to the bottom to see what foundation it rests on."

Even though Hamilton may have never gotten along with one of our greatest presidents, Thomas Jefferson, he was an essential founder in the forming and convincing of the states of the greatness of our Constitution.