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“Gates’s chagrin at being compelled, in the end, to go along with the young [Colonel Hamilton’s] use of Washington’s authority is plain in a passage that, on second thought, he struck out. It reads: ‘Although it is Customary & even Absolutely necessary to direct Implicit Obedience to be paid to the Verbal Orders of Aids de Camp in Action, or while upon the Spot–yet I believe it is never practiced to Delegate that Dictatorial power, to One Aid de Camp sent to an Army 300 Miles distant.“”

—

From “Alexander Hamilton: Youth to Maturity 1755-1788″ by Broadus Mitchell, p.137-138.

Always fun to see Hamilton making people absolutely furious with him.

Alexander Hamilton on his 16th birthday. The back reads “A. Hamilton, Drawn from life, Jan. 11. 1773.”

Source: “Hamilton: Founding Father” by Marie Raphael and Ray Raphael

Happy Birthday, Hamilton!

“This portrait of Hamilton was drawn from memory by Gordon Fairman the year after Hamilton’s death.”

I find this sketch so striking: not only can you see how much Hamilton had aged in his last years, but his shadowed eyes seem to denote the grief he carried after losing Philip. Such a compelling posthumous portrait.

Source: Alexander Hamilton: A Biography in His Own Words, originally from the New York Historical Society

Hello! I’ve been reading a variety of Hamilton bios and a lot of historians keep referring Ham as the most controversial founding father. Now, I may have some idea where their coming from with that conclusion, but honestly I still don’t really see what makes him “controversial” or more so than compared to others. What’s your take on it?

Interesting question! Hamilton certainly had plenty of controversy in his life: bruising political battles, the nation’s first sex scandal, and dueling, to name a few. But I think the impression of him as the most controversial Founder comes about more from when most people are introduced to him. In America, we learn about most of the Founders at a young age in a very simplified, apolitical fashion: George Washington was the first president, Thomas Jefferson is the reason we get the Fourth of July, Benjamin Franklin flying his kite in a storm, etc. By the time you get to an age where more of their complexity is discussed, you’ve already had years of easy, positive impressions of these men. Hamilton, however, usually didn’t make it into those early lessons, because his contributions as Treasury Secretary tended to be viewed as too complicated for children. The result was that, unlike the other Founders, Hamilton was only taken in at an age where political ideology was more likely to color the first impression of him. Hamilton’s policies and strategies are anathema to fiscal conservatives, even today. With the number of children exposed to the musical now, though, I do wonder how much of that will change in the coming years.

#When a widow equates her grief with that of someone who isn't family #irreparable

"Mrs. Washington has put into my hands your letter of the 12th instant, and requests me to acknowledge the receipt of it. While she expresses the most grateful sensibility for your kind and affectionate condolence, she is sensible that your loss, as well as hers, is irreparable."

Tobias Lear to Alexander Hamilton, 23 January 1800 (x)

alls-well-with-the-world

Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe (all painted by Gilbert Stuart) Hamilton painted by John Trumbull

A sketch of the character of Alexander Hamilton - Fisher Ames (x)

-Excerpt of description of Alexander Hamilton's funeral, from A Collection of Facts and Documents Relative to the Death of Major General Alexander Hamilton, by William Coleman (p.40).

#late duel day but in wham way

#alexander hamilton #george washington #ref

Hi. I hope it does not sound so dumb from me to ask, but, was there noticeable grief from Hamilton after Washington's passing in 1799?

Hi, and no, not at all! And to be honest, I myself don’t have that deep of a knowledge on this topic, but I’ll try my best to answer as much as I can- though some of this(or all) may already be familiar to you.

As far as I know, Hamilton’s noticeable grief over Washington’s passing can be seen in his letters to Charles Cotesworth Pinckney (1), Martha Washington (2), and Tobias Lear (3).

#1.

“I can be at no loss to anticipate what have been your feelings. I need not tell you what are mine. Perhaps no friend of his has more cause to lament, on personal account, than my self. The public misfortune is one which all the friends of our Government will view in the same light. I will not dwell on the subject. My Imagination is gloomy my heart sad.”

-Alexander Hamilton to Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, [22] December 1799 (x)

#2.

“I did not thing it proper, Madam, to intrude amidst the first effusions of your grief. But I can no longer restrain my sensibility from conveying to you an imperfect expression of my affectionate sympathy in the sorrows you experience. No one, better than myself, knows the greatness of your loss, or how much your excellent heart is formed to feel it in all its extent. Satisfied that you cannot receive consolation, I will attempt to offer none. Resignation to the will of Heaven, which the practice of your life ensures, can alone alleviate the sufferings of so heart-rending an affliction.

There can be few, who equally with me participate in the loss you deplore. In expressing this sentiment, I may without impropriety allude to the numerous and distinguished marks of confidence and friendship, of which you have yourself been a Witness; but I cannot say in how many ways the continuance of that confidence and friendship was necessary to me in future relations.

Vain, however, are regrets. From a calamity, which is common to a mourning nation, who can expect to be exempt? Perhaps it is even a privilege to have a claim to a larger portion of it than others.”

-Alexander Hamilton to Martha Washington, 12 January 1800 (x)

#3.

“The very painful event which it announces had, previously to the receipt of it, filled my heart with bitterness. Perhaps no man in this community has equal cause with myself to deplore the loss. I have been much indebted to the kindness of the General, and he was an Aegis very essential to me. But regrets are unavailing. For great misfortunes it is the business of reason to seek consolation. The friends of General Washington have very noble ones. If virtue can secure happiness in another world he is happy. In this the Seal is now put upon his Glory. It is no longer in jeopardy from the fickleness of fortune.”

-Alexander Hamilton to Tobias Lear, 2 January 1800 (x)

In my opinion, Tobias Lear’s reply to Hamilton is also quite interesting and revealing in this context, as he was the person most involved in handling Washington and Hamilton’s correspondence.

“No one living, besides yourself, knows so well as I do, the loss which you have sustained by the General’s death. And I know, at the same time, that no one, under these circumstances, could find a greater resource in himself than you can.”

-Tobias Lear to Alexander Hamilton, 16 January 1800 (x)

Wait, wait, wait!! What's this thing about Ham gaining weight in his 30s? Did it really happen?

Yes, he really did gain some weight in the 1790s. He was always fairly slender, so I think it was a difference of maybe fifteen pounds, but it was enough to be noticeable–and to make international news. Angelica Church wrote a letter to Eliza Hamilton that she’d heard reports of Hamilton gaining weight in London:

Colonel Beckwith tells me that our dear Hamilton writes too much and takes no exercise, and grows too fat. I hate both the word and the thing, and I desire you will take care of his health and his good looks, why I should find him on my return a dull, heavy fellow! (Intimate Life, p. 73).

Angelica wasn’t the only one concerned about him during this period. Baron Von Steuben wrote to Hamilton on 16 December 1790 about his own concerns for Hamilton’s health. The letter is in french, but to paraphrase, he expresses concern for Hamilton’s recent indispositions, and is convinced that a lack of exercise is the cause. He recommends Hamilton ride eight or ten miles every morning, as his daily walks aren’t enough, and a diet of few meats and copious root vegetables. Enclosing a copy of Clément Joseph Tissot’s pamphlet from which he’d derived the diet, Von Steuben entrusted it’s execution to Eliza.

Hamilton also corresponded with Henry Lee in 1791 regarding a horse to help him get out and exercise more. He’d requested a gentle horse, though, and Lee took pains to find one that would meet with Hamilton’s needs. On 12 August 1791, Lee wrote to Hamilton:

Mr Cox1 was about taking to you my riding horse, but my apprehension of yr. necessary hurry & my wish to compare him with a horse I have sent for, concluded a procrastination of my execution of your request & my ardent desire.2 No other consideration could have induced me to postpone a measure you reckon essential to your health. Nor shall time be lost in presenting you with this trivial testimony of the zeal with which I engage in any matter which goes to your comfort.

The change was visible even in art from this period. In the 1792 portrait by John Trumbull, for example, you can see the hint of extra weight in his face:

#alexander hamilton #george washington #whamilton #temp

what do you think would've killed Ham had he survived the duel?

Hamilton never had particularly robust health, and he seemed to be especially struggling in the months leading up to the duel. In October of 1803 he wrote a series of letters to Eliza reporting on his health every few days as he headed up to Albany for a case. He’d suffered an “attack” before he left home, presumably alluding either to his ongoing kidney ailment or his ongoing digestive troubles (or a combination of both), and he was trying to reassure Eliza that he was all right. On October 22, 1803, he wrote:

“I am here, my beloved Eliza, on my way to Albany—in much better health than I have been since my first attack at home. To avoid the risk of bringing on a relapse by too much exercise, it is my intention to continue here ’till tomorrow morning. Judge Benson is with me.The Arbitrators are gone to view the land in which business they will be engaged till Wednesday. On that day I must be back at Claverack, if my health proceeds in mending—otherwise I shall embark in an Albany Sloop for Greenwich. But there is every present appearance of progressive amendment. Affecty Yrs.A H”

Additionally, David Hosack wrote an account of attending Hamilton after the duel where, after detailing the treatments he administered, he explained, “As his habit was delicate and had been lately rendered more feeble by ill health, particularly by a disorder of the stomach and bowels, I carefully avoided all those remedies which are usually indicated on such occasions.” Hosack billed Hamilton’s estate for medial treatment and advice rendered in January, February, March, May and June of 1804. One of the heartbreaking aspects of Eliza being told Hamilton was suffering stomach spasms rather than that he had been shot when she was collected from the Grange is it would have made a lot of sense to her, as he’d been suffering from a stomach ailment for several months.

All this to say, Hamilton’s health was never particularly good, and seemed to only be growing worse in his later years. Whether this series of illnesses would have proved fatal, or if he would have continued to experience years of a slow decline, it’s hard to say, but I just don’t see him living a particularly long life.