PATRIOT Statesman Alexander Hamilton^{[1, 2]}

1755 - 1804  (49 years)

• Name	Alexander Hamilton
  Title	PATRIOT
  Prefix	Statesman
  Born	11 Jan 1755	Charlestown, Nevis, Leeward Islands, Brittish West Indies
  Gender	Male
  Died	12 Jul 1804	Manhattan, New York
  Person ID	I1800	My Reynolds Line
  Last Modified	2 Nov 2022

  
  

  Father	James A. Hamilton,   b. Est 1725, Charlestown, Nevis, Leeward Islands, Brittish West Indies ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Mother	Rachael Faucette,   b. Abt 1728, British West Indies ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Married	unmarried
  Family ID	F9079	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	'Betsy' Elizabeth Schuyler,   b. 9 Aug 1757, Albany, New York Colony ,   d. 9 Nov 1854, Washington, District of Columbia  (Age 97 years)
  Married	9 Dec 1780
  Last Modified	2 Nov 2022
  Family ID	F9077	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Photos

  Alexander Hamilton Portrait by John Trumbull 1800Alexander_Hamilton_portrait_by_John_Trumbull_1806,_detail.jpg

  
  

  Documents » Slide Show		Alexander Hamilton 1800Alexander_Hamilton_portrait_by_John_Trumbull_1806,_detail.jpg
  		Alexander Hamilton-Killed in Duel Aurora General Advertiser Jul 13, 1804
  		Elizabeth S Hamilton-Obit New York Daily Herald Nov 11, 1854

  
  

  Histories

  Alexander Hamilton-History The North Carolina Circular and Newbern Weekly Advertiser Nov 23, 1804

  
  

• Sources

  [S130] Wikipedia, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Hamilton. Alexander Hamilton was born and spent part of his childhood in Charlestown, the capital of the island of Nevis in the Leeward Islands (then part of the British West Indies). Hamilton and his older brother James Jr. (1753?1786)[3] were born out of wedlock to Rachel Faucette,[note 1][note 2] a married woman of half-British and half-French Huguenot descent,[12] and James A. Hamilton, a Scotsman who was the fourth son of Alexander Hamilton, the laird of Grange in Ayrshire.[13] It is not clear whether Hamilton was born in 1755 or 1757.[14] Most historical evidence, after Hamilton's arrival in North America, supports the idea that he was born in 1757, including Hamilton's own writings.[15][16] Hamilton listed his birth year as 1757 when he first arrived in the Thirteen Colonies, and celebrated his birthday on January 11. In later life, he tended to give his age only in round figures. Historians accepted 1757 as his birth year until about 1930, when additional documentation of his early life in the Caribbean was published, initially in Danish. A probate paper from St. Croix in 1768, drafted after the death of Hamilton's mother, listed him as 13 years old, which has caused some historians since the 1930s to favor a birth year of 1755.[1] The Museum of Nevis History, Charlestown The Hamilton House, Charlestown, Nevis. The current structure was rebuilt from the ruins of the house where it was thought that Alexander Hamilton was born and lived as a young child. Historians have speculated on possible reasons for two different years of birth to have appeared in historical documents. If 1755 is correct, Hamilton might have been trying to appear younger than his college classmates, or perhaps wished to avoid standing out as older.[1] If 1757 is correct, the single probate document indicating a birth year of 1755 may have simply included an error, or Hamilton might once have given his age as 13 after his mother's death in an attempt to appear older and more employable.[17] Historians have pointed out that the probate document contained other proven inaccuracies, demonstrating it was not entirely reliable. Richard Brookhiser noted that "a man is more likely to know his own birthday than a probate court."[15] Hamilton's mother had been married previously on St. Croix[18] in the Virgin Islands, then ruled by Denmark, to a Danish[6] or German merchant,[19][20] Johann Michael Lavien. They had one son, Peter Lavien.[18] In 1750, Faucette left her husband and first son; then traveled to Saint Kitts where she met James Hamilton.[18] Hamilton and Faucette moved together to Nevis, her birthplace, where she had inherited a seaside lot in town from her father.[1] James Hamilton later abandoned Rachel Faucette and their two sons, James Jr. and Alexander, allegedly to "spar[e] [her] a charge of bigamy... after finding out that her first husband intend[ed] to divorce her under Danish law on grounds of adultery and desertion."[13] Thereafter, Rachel moved with her two children to St. Croix, where she supported them by keeping a small store in Christiansted. She contracted yellow fever and died on February 19, 1768, leaving Hamilton orphaned.[21] This may have had severe emotional consequences for him, even by the standards of an 18th-century childhood.[22] In probate court, Faucette's "first husband seized her estate"[13] and obtained the few valuables that she had owned, including some household silver. Many items were auctioned off, but a friend purchased the family's books and returned them to Hamilton.[23] Hamilton in his youth Hamilton became a clerk at Beekman and Cruger, a local import-export firm that traded with New York and New England.[24] He and James Jr. were briefly taken in by their cousin Peter Lytton; however, Lytton took his own life in July 1769, leaving his property to his mistress and their son, and the Hamilton brothers were subsequently separated.[23] James apprenticed with a local carpenter, while Alexander was given a home by Thomas Stevens a merchant from Nevis.[25] Some clues have led to speculation that Stevens was Alexander Hamilton's biological father: his son Edward Stevens became a close friend of Hamilton, the two boys were described as looking much alike, both were fluent in French and shared similar interests.[23] However, this allegation, mostly based on the comments of Timothy Pickering on the resemblance between the two men, has always been vague and unsupported.[26] Rachel Faucette had been living on St. Kitts and Nevis for years at the time when Alexander was conceived, while Thomas Stevens lived on Antigua and St. Croix; also, James Hamilton never disclaimed paternity, and even in later years, signed his letters to Hamilton with "Your very Affectionate Father."[27][28] Hamilton, despite being only in his teenage years, proved capable enough as a trader to be left in charge of the firm for five months in 1771 while the owner was at sea.[29] He remained an avid reader and later developed an interest in writing. He began to desire a life outside the island where he lived. He wrote a letter to his father that was a detailed account of a hurricane that had devastated Christiansted on August 30, 1772.[30] The Presbyterian Reverend Hugh Knox, a tutor and mentor to Hamilton, submitted the letter for publication in the Royal Danish-American Gazette. The biographer Ron Chernow found the letter astounding for two reasons; first, that "for all its bombastic excesses, it does seem wondrous [that a] self-educated clerk could write with such verve and gusto," and second, that a teenage boy produced an apocalyptic "fire-and-brimstone sermon" viewing the hurricane as a "divine rebuke to human vanity and pomposity."[31] The essay impressed community leaders, who collected a fund to send Hamilton to the North American colonies for his education.[32] Hamilton had a long-time rivalry with Jefferson's vice president Aaron Burr. This resulted in the Burr?Hamilton duel of 1804 in which Burr killed Hamilton. Hamilton kept Burr from being re-nominated for vice president.[4] He also kept him from becoming Governor of New York.[4] Burr responded by challenging Hamilton to a duel.[4] They agreed to meet July 11, 1804 at Weehawken, New Jersey.[5] Dueling was illegal in New York which is why they chose Weehawken.[6] It was also the site where Philip Hamilton, Alexander Hamilton's son, had been killed in a duel three years earlier.[6] The night before the duel, Hamilton wrote his will, letters to friends, and finally a letter to his wife.[7] At dawn the next morning the two met at Weehawken. Without any discussion, the two men took their positions.[7] Unusual for a duel of this kind, the two fired about 4?5 seconds apart.[7] Who fired first is not known today. Burr's bullet struck Hamilton and knocked him down.[7] Then Burr promptly turned and left. The bullet went through Hamilton's ribs, and damaged his lungs and liver. Hamilton was taken to a friend's house in Manhattan where his wife and children joined him.[7] He asked two ministers to give him Communion but was refused.[7] Finally the Episcopal Bishop Benjamin Moore gave him the sacrament.[7] Hamilton died the next morning.[7] Hamilton had a long-time rivalry with Jefferson's vice president Aaron Burr. This resulted in the Burr?Hamilton duel of 1804 in which Burr killed Hamilton. Hamilton kept Burr from being re-nominated for vice president.[4] He also kept him from becoming Governor of New York.[4] Burr responded by challenging Hamilton to a duel.[4] They agreed to meet July 11, 1804 at Weehawken, New Jersey.[5] Dueling was illegal in New York which is why they chose Weehawken.[6] It was also the site where Philip Hamilton, Alexander Hamilton's son, had been killed in a duel three years earlier.[6] The night before the duel, Hamilton wrote his will, letters to friends, and finally a letter to his wife.[7] At dawn the next morning the two met at Weehawken. Without any discussion, the two men took their positions.[7] Unusual for a duel of this kind, the two fired about 4?5 seconds apart.[7] Who fired first is not known today. Burr's bullet struck Hamilton and knocked him down.[7] Then Burr promptly turned and left. The bullet went through Hamilton's ribs, and damaged his lungs and liver. Hamilton was taken to a friend's house in Manhattan where his wife and children joined him.[7] He asked two ministers to give him Communion but was refused.[7] Finally the Episcopal Bishop Benjamin Moore gave him the sacrament.[7] Hamilton died the next morning.[7] Legacy Hamilton on the US $10 bill Hamilton is shown on the face of the U.S. 10-dollar bill. Hamilton is one of only two non-presidents honored on commonly used notes.[8] Some of Hamilton's words are still quoted. For example, "I never expect a perfect work from imperfect man." -The Federalist #25[9] Hamilton was the founder of the United States Revenue Cutter Service, which in 1915 became the United States Coast Guard.[10] For that reason, he is considered the father of the United States Coast Guard.[10] He was a staunch constitutionalist who, unlike several of the founding fathers, believed in a strong central government.[11] During his life he was involved in nearly every major political event from the Revolution to the election of 1800.[12] His writings fill a staggering 27 volumes.[12] Yet he is probably the least well understood of any of the founding fathers.[12] By the time of Hamilton's death, the Federalist Party he had helped start was in decline.[13] Hamilton and the Federalists had convinced Washington to create a central bank, assume the debts of the states and pass tax laws.[13] There is little doubt these moves helped save the new democracy.[13] Hamilton is the subject of the 2015 Broadway Musical, Hamilton. It was written by and stars Lin-Manuel Miranda in the title role.[14] [S130] Wikipedia, https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Hamilton. References "Federalist Papers". History. A&E Television Networks, LLC. Retrieved October 7, 2016. "Alexander Hamilton (1789 - 1795)". U.S. Department of the Treasury. Retrieved October 7, 2016. "Did Hamilton own slaves? New research paper says he did". Yahoo! Finance. November 10, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2020. "Duel At Dawn, 1804". Eyewitness to History.com. Retrieved September 8, 2016. "Weehawken Dueling Grounds". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved September 8, 2016. Thomas J. Fleming, Duel: Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, and the Future of America (New York: Basic Books, 1999), p. 87 John Sedgwick, War of Two: Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, and the Duel That Stunned the Nation (New York: Berkley Books, 2015), pp. 339?342 The other non-president honored on US money is Benjamin Franklin. GoodReads.com, "Alexander Hamilton Quotes"; retrieved 2012-10-9. Katie Braynard (March 3, 2016). "The Long Blue Line: Alexander Hamilton ? first member of the long blue line". Coast Guard Compass. United States Coast Guard, U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Archived from the original on August 15, 2016. Retrieved October 23, 2016. Michael Federici (July 12, 2012). "The Legacy of Alexander Hamilton". The Imaginative Conservative. Retrieved October 23, 2016. Douglas Ambrose; Robert W. T. Martin, The Many Faces of Alexander Hamilton: The Life and Legacy of America's Most Elusive Founding Father, (New York: New York University Press, 2007), pp. 1?2 "The Federalist Party". The American Experience. PBS; WGBH. Retrieved October 24, 2016. Kelly Lawler (December 25, 2016). "USA TODAY Entertainer of the Year runner up: Lin-Manuel Miranda". USA Today. Retrieved December 25, 2016. [S82] Wikitree, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton%E2%80%93Reynolds_affair?fbclid=IwAR1t9EOrykksgv_CnUl6rBhM2cNeo8R2Y5lorTfukp8Wp0sX1Oho7oU9jaM. Hamilton-Reynolds affair "The Reynolds Pamphlet" redirects here. The Hamilton?Reynolds affair was the first major sex scandal in American political history. It involved Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, who conducted an affair with Maria Reynolds from 1791 to 1792, during the presidency of George Washington. When he discovered the affair, Reynolds' husband, James Reynolds, subsequently blackmailed Hamilton over the affair, who paid him over $1,300; about a third of his annual income, to maintain the secrecy. In 1797, Hamilton publicly admitted to the affair after his political enemies attacked and accused him of financial corruption during his time as the Treasury Secretary. Hamilton responded by writing, "The charge against me is a connection with one James Reynolds for purposes of improper pecuniary speculation. My real crime is an amorous connection with his wife, for a considerable time with his privity and connivance."[1] Alexander Hamilton In the summer of 1791, 23-year-old Maria Reynolds allegedly approached the married 34-year-old Alexander Hamilton in Philadelphia to request his help and financial aid by claiming that her husband, James, had abandoned her. Hamilton did not have any money on his person and so he retrieved her address to deliver the funds in person. Once Hamilton arrived at the boarding house at which Maria was lodging, she brought him upstairs and led him into her bedroom. He later recounted, "I took the bill out of my pocket and gave it to her. Some conversation ensued from which it was quickly apparent that other than pecuniary consolation would be acceptable."[2] The two began an illicit affair that would last, with varying frequency, until approximately June 1792. Over the course of those months, while the affair took place, James Reynolds was well aware of his wife's unfaithfulness. He continually supported their relationship to gain regular blackmail money from Hamilton. In the Reynolds Pamphlet, Hamilton goes as far as to argue that James Reynolds, along with his wife, had conspired the scheme to "extort money from me."[3] The common practice in the day was for the wronged husband to seek retribution in a pistol duel, but Reynolds, realizing how much Hamilton had to lose if the activity came into public view, insisted on monetary compensation instead.[4] After Hamilton had shown unequivocal signs that he wanted to end the affair in autumn 1791,[5] Hamilton received two letters on December 15, 1791, one each from Mrs. and Mr. Reynolds.[6] The first letter, from Maria,[7] warned of her husband's knowledge and of James' attempting to blackmail Hamilton. By then, Hamilton discontinued the affair and briefly ceased to visit, but both James and Maria were apparently involved in the blackmailing scheme, as both sent letters inviting Hamilton to continue his visits.[6] After extorting $1000 in exchange for secrecy over Hamilton's adultery,[8] James Reynolds rethought his request for Hamilton to cease his relationship with Maria and wrote inviting him to renew his visits "as a friend,"[9] only to extort forced "loans" after each visit, which the most-likely-colluding Maria solicited with her letters.[2] By May 2, 1792, James changed his mind again and requested for Hamilton to stop seeing his wife[10] but not before James had received additional payment. In the end, the blackmail payments totaled over $1,300 including the initial extortion (equivalent to $21,000 in 2021).[11] Hamilton had possibly become aware of both Reynoldses being involved in the blackmail[12] and both welcomed and strictly complied with James' request to end the affair.[2] The historian Tilar J. Mazzeo has advanced a theory that the affair never happened. Outside of the Reynolds Pamphlet, there is no evidence that the affair actually occurred. Others connected with the scandal, from James Monroe, who held the papers relating to James Reynolds, to Maria Reynolds herself, said that it was a coverup for a financial scandal.[13] Hamilton never produced the manuscript copies of Maria's letters, but both the newspapers and Maria suggested obtaining a handwriting sample. Hamilton said that they had been placed with a friend, who claimed that he had never seen them, which suggests that the letters may have been forged. The newspaper writers also pointed out that Maria's letters correctly spell long, complex words but sometimes misspelled simple words in a way that made no phonetic sense. As the Thomas Jefferson biographer Julian P. Boyd stated, the letters could resemble what an educated man believed an uneducated woman's love letters to look like. A Hamilton biographer also stated that the letters look like the letters between Alexander and his wife, Eliza, which could explain why Eliza burned her letters.[14] ScandalEdit In November 1792, after James Reynolds was jailed for participation in a scheme involving unpaid back wages intended for Revolutionary War veterans, he used his own knowledge about Hamilton's sex affair to bargain his way out of his own troubles. Reynolds knew that Hamilton would have to choose between revealing his affair with Maria or falsely admitting complicity to the charges. James Monroe, Abraham Venable, and Frederick Muhlenberg were the first men to hear of this possible corruption within the nation's new government, and on December 15, 1792, they decided to confront Hamilton personally with the information that they had received, supported by the notes of Hamilton's payments to Reynolds that Maria had given them to corroborate her husband's accusations. Denying any financial impropriety, Hamilton revealed the true nature of his relationship with the Reynoldses in all of its unsavory details. He turned over the letters from both of them.[15] Observations on Certain Documents Contained in No. V & VI of "The History of the United States for the Year 1796," In which the Charge of Speculation Against Alexander Hamilton, Late Secretary of the Treasury, is Fully Refuted, commonly referred to as The Reynolds Pamphlet Apparently convinced that Hamilton was not guilty of the charge of public misconduct, Monroe, Venable, and Muhlenberg agreed not to make public the information and documents on the Reynolds Affair. Monroe and his colleagues assured Hamilton that the matter was settled. However, Monroe, sent the letters to his close personal friend, Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson and Hamilton were self-described nemeses, and five years after receiving the letters, Jefferson used the knowledge to start rumors about Hamilton's private life. Also in 1797, when Hamilton no longer held the post of Secretary of the Treasury, the details of his relationship with Maria and James Reynolds came to light in a series of pamphlets authored by the journalist James Thomson Callender. Included were copies of the documents that Hamilton had furnished to the Monroe commission in December 1792. Hamilton confronted Monroe over the leakage of the supposedly-confidential documents. Monroe denied any responsibility. Hamilton came very close to calling Monroe a liar, and Monroe retorted that Hamilton was a scoundrel and challenged him to a duel. The duel was averted by the intercession of none other than Aaron Burr, who years later would ironically challenge and kill Hamilton in a duel.[16][17] After writing a first draft in July 1797,[5] on August 25, Hamilton responded to Callender's revelations by printing his own 95-page pamphlet, Observations on Certain Documents, later known as the "Reynolds Pamphlet,"[18] in which he denied all charges of corruption. However, he openly admitted his relationship with Maria Reynolds and apologized for it. While his candor was admired, the affair severely damaged his reputation. While Hamilton's admitted affair served to confirm rival Jefferson's conviction that he was untrustworthy, it did nothing to change Washington's opinion of him, who still held him in "very high esteem" and still viewed him as the dominant force in establishing the federal law and government.[19] Alexander Hamilton was an American revolutionary, statesman and Founding Father of the United States. He was an influential interpreter and promoter of the U.S. Constitution, and was the founder of the Federalist Party, the nation's financial system, the United States Coast Guard, and the New York Post newspaper. As the first secretary of the treasury, Hamilton was the main author of the economic policies of the administration of President George Washington. He took the lead in the federal government's funding of the states' American Revolutionary War debts, as well as establishing the nation's first two de facto central banks (i.e. the Bank of North America and the First Bank of the United States), a system of tariffs, and the resumption of friendly trade relations with Britain. His vision included a strong central government led by a vigorous executive branch, a strong commercial economy, support for manufacturing, and a strong national defense. 1st United States Secretary of the Treasury In office September 11, 1789 ? January 31, 1795 President: George Washington Preceded by Office established Succeeded by Oliver Wolcott Jr. Senior Officer of the United States Army In office December 14, 1799 ? June 15, 1800 President John Adams Preceded by George Washington Succeeded by James Wilkinson Delegate to the Congress of the Confederation from New York In office November 3, 1788 ? March 2, 1789 Preceded by Egbert Benson Succeeded by Seat abolished In office November 4, 1782 ? June 21, 1783 Preceded by Seat established Succeeded by Seat abolished Personal details Born January 11, 1755 or 1757[1] Charlestown, Nevis, British Leeward Islands (now St. Kitts and Nevis) Died July 12, 1804 (aged 47 or 49) Manhattan, New York, U.S. Cause of death: Gunshot wound Resting place Trinity Church Cemetery Political party Federalist Spouse Elizabeth Schuyler, (m. 1780)? Children Philip Angelica AlexanderJames AlexanderJohn Church William Eliza Philip Parent(s) James A. Hamilton Rachel Faucette Relatives Hamilton family Education King's College (now Columbia University) Signature Military service Allegiance New York (1775?1777) United States (1777?1800) Branch/service New York Provincial Company of Artillery Continental Army United States Army Years of service 1775?1776 (Militia) 1776?1782 1798?1800 Rank Major general Commands U.S. Army Senior Officer Battles/wars American Revolutionary War Battle of Harlem Heights Battle of White Plains Battle of Trenton Battle of Princeton Battle of Brandywine Battle of Germantown Battle of Monmouth Siege of Yorktown Quasi-War Hamilton was born out of wedlock in Charlestown, Nevis. He was orphaned as a child and taken in by a prosperous merchant. When he reached his teens, local patrons sent him to New York to pursue his education. While a student, his opinion pieces supporting the Continental Congress were published under a pen name, and he also addressed crowds on the subject. He took an early role in the militia as the American Revolutionary War began. As an artillery officer in the new Continental Army he saw action in the New York and New Jersey campaign. In 1777, he became a senior aide to Commander in Chief General George Washington, but returned to field command in time for a pivotal action securing victory at the Siege of Yorktown, effectively ending hostilities. After the war, he was elected as a representative from New York to the Congress of the Confederation. He resigned to practice law and founded the Bank of New York before returning to politics. Hamilton was a leader in seeking to replace the weak confederal government under the Articles of Confederation; he led the Annapolis Convention of 1786, which spurred Congress to call a Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, where he then served as a delegate from New York. He helped ratify the Constitution by writing 51 of the 85 installments of The Federalist Papers, which are still used as one of the most important references for Constitutional interpretation. Hamilton led the Treasury Department as a trusted member of President Washington's first cabinet. To this day he remains the youngest U.S. cabinet member to take office since the beginning of the Republic. Hamilton successfully argued that the implied powers of the Constitution provided the legal authority to fund the national debt, to assume states' debts, and to create the government-backed Bank of the United States (i.e. the First Bank of the United States). These programs were funded primarily by a tariff on imports, and later by a controversial whiskey tax. He opposed administration entanglement with the series of unstable French revolutionary governments. Hamilton's views became the basis for the Federalist Party, which was opposed by the Democratic-Republican Party led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. In 1795, he returned to the practice of law in New York. He called for mobilization under President John Adams in 1798?99 against French First Republic military aggression, and was commissioned Commanding General of the U.S. Army, which he reconstituted, modernized, and readied for war. The army did not see combat in the Quasi-War fought entirely at sea, and Hamilton was outraged by Adams' diplomatic approach to the crisis with France. His opposition to Adams' re-election helped cause the Federalist Party defeat in 1800. Jefferson and Aaron Burr tied for the presidency in the electoral college, and Hamilton helped to defeat Burr, whom he found unprincipled, and to elect Jefferson despite philosophical differences. Hamilton continued his legal and business activities in New York City, and was active in ending the legality of the international slave trade. Vice President Burr ran for governor of New York State in 1804, and Hamilton campaigned against him as unworthy. Taking offense, Burr challenged him to a duel on July 11, 1804, in which Burr shot and mortally wounded Hamilton, who died the following day. Hamilton is generally regarded as an astute and intellectually brilliant administrator, politician and financier, if often impetuous. His ideas are also credited with laying the foundation for American government and finance. Alexander Hamilton was born and spent part of his childhood in Charlestown, the capital of the island of Nevis in the Leeward Islands (then part of the British West Indies). Hamilton and his older brother James Jr. (1753?1786)[3] were born out of wedlock to Rachel Faucette,[note 1][note 2] a married woman of half-British and half-French Huguenot descent,[12] and James A. Hamilton, a Scotsman who was the fourth son of Alexander Hamilton, the laird of Grange in Ayrshire.[13] It is not clear whether Hamilton was born in 1755 or 1757.[14] Most historical evidence, after Hamilton's arrival in North America, supports the idea that he was born in 1757, including Hamilton's own writings.[15][16] Hamilton listed his birth year as 1757 when he first arrived in the Thirteen Colonies, and celebrated his birthday on January 11. In later life, he tended to give his age only in round figures. Historians accepted 1757 as his birth year until about 1930, when additional documentation of his early life in the Caribbean was published, initially in Danish. A probate paper from St. Croix in 1768, drafted after the death of Hamilton's mother, listed him as 13 years old, which has caused some historians since the 1930s to favor a birth year of 1755.[1] The Museum of Nevis History, Charlestown The Hamilton House, Charlestown, Nevis. The current structure was rebuilt from the ruins of the house where it was thought that Alexander Hamilton was born and lived as a young child. Historians have speculated on possible reasons for two different years of birth to have appeared in historical documents. If 1755 is correct, Hamilton might have been trying to appear younger than his college classmates, or perhaps wished to avoid standing out as older.[1] If 1757 is correct, the single probate document indicating a birth year of 1755 may have simply included an error, or Hamilton might once have given his age as 13 after his mother's death in an attempt to appear older and more employable.[17] Historians have pointed out that the probate document contained other proven inaccuracies, demonstrating it was not entirely reliable. Richard Brookhiser noted that "a man is more likely to know his own birthday than a probate court."[15] Hamilton's mother had been married previously on St. Croix[18] in the Virgin Islands, then ruled by Denmark, to a Danish[6] or German merchant,[19][20] Johann Michael Lavien. They had one son, Peter Lavien.[18] In 1750, Faucette left her husband and first son; then traveled to Saint Kitts where she met James Hamilton.[18] Hamilton and Faucette moved together to Nevis, her birthplace, where she had inherited a seaside lot in town from her father.[1] James Hamilton later abandoned Rachel Faucette and their two sons, James Jr. and Alexander, allegedly to "spar[e] [her] a charge of bigamy... after finding out that her first husband intend[ed] to divorce her under Danish law on grounds of adultery and desertion."[13] Thereafter, Rachel moved with her two children to St. Croix, where she supported them by keeping a small store in Christiansted. She contracted yellow fever and died on February 19, 1768, leaving Hamilton orphaned.[21] This may have had severe emotional consequences for him, even by the standards of an 18th-century childhood.[22] In probate court, Faucette's "first husband seized her estate"[13] and obtained the few valuables that she had owned, including some household silver. Many items were auctioned off, but a friend purchased the family's books and returned them to Hamilton.[23] Hamilton in his youth Hamilton became a clerk at Beekman and Cruger, a local import-export firm that traded with New York and New England.[24] He and James Jr. were briefly taken in by their cousin Peter Lytton; however, Lytton took his own life in July 1769, leaving his property to his mistress and their son, and the Hamilton brothers were subsequently separated.[23] James apprenticed with a local carpenter, while Alexander was given a home by Thomas Stevens a merchant from Nevis.[25] Some clues have led to speculation that Stevens was Alexander Hamilton's biological father: his son Edward Stevens became a close friend of Hamilton, the two boys were described as looking much alike, both were fluent in French and shared similar interests.[23] However, this allegation, mostly based on the comments of Timothy Pickering on the resemblance between the two men, has always been vague and unsupported.[26] Rachel Faucette had been living on St. Kitts and Nevis for years at the time when Alexander was conceived, while Thomas Stevens lived on Antigua and St. Croix; also, James Hamilton never disclaimed paternity, and even in later years, signed his letters to Hamilton with "Your very Affectionate Father."[27][28] Hamilton, despite being only in his teenage years, proved capable enough as a trader to be left in charge of the firm for five months in 1771 while the owner was at sea.[29] He remained an avid reader and later developed an interest in writing. He began to desire a life outside the island where he lived. He wrote a letter to his father that was a detailed account of a hurricane that had devastated Christiansted on August 30, 1772.[30] The Presbyterian Reverend Hugh Knox, a tutor and mentor to Hamilton, submitted the letter for publication in the Royal Danish-American Gazette. The biographer Ron Chernow found the letter astounding for two reasons; first, that "for all its bombastic excesses, it does seem wondrous [that a] self-educated clerk could write with such verve and gusto," and second, that a teenage boy produced an apocalyptic "fire-and-brimstone sermon" viewing the hurricane as a "divine rebuke to human vanity and pomposity."[31] The essay impressed community leaders, who collected a fund to send Hamilton to the North American colonies for his education.