Alexander Hamilton

The purpose of this book is to shed light upon Hamilton's private life and career as a soldier, lawyer, and statesman by using a large number of original letters and documents, written by him and various members of his family as well as his contemporaries. Alexander Hamilton was an American statesman and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was an influential interpreter and promoter of the U.S. Constitution, as well as the founder of the nation's financial system, the Federalist Party, 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 George Washington administration. He took the lead in the funding of the states' debts by the Federal government, as well as the establishment of a national bank, a system of tariffs, and friendly trade relations with Britain. His vision included a strong central government led by a vigorous executive branch, a strong commercial economy, with a national bank and support for manufacturing, plus a strong military.

Allan McLane Hamilton (1848-1919) was an American psychiatrist of Scots descent, specializing in suicide and the impact of accidents and trauma upon mental health, and in criminal insanity, appearing at several trials. He was a founder of the New York Psychiatrical Society. He was a Professor of Psychiatry at Cornell Medical College in New York. He was the grandson of Louis McLane and Alexander Hamilton, the latter of whom he wrote a biography about.