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Show Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton, the first secretary of the treasury, and an aide to Gen. George Washington during the Revolution, Re-volution, was born Jan. II, 1757, in the West Indies. He was the son of a Scotch father and a French Huguenot mother. HE WENT to work as a young boy on the island of St. Croix and later moved to Boston Bos-ton and then New York. He attended Columbia University and joined in the fight for American independence, having hav-ing fought at Long Island, Trenton and Princeton. HE WAS soon recognized as one of the most brilliant leaders lead-ers of the new nation. He was a member of the Continental Congress and President Washington's first treasury secretary. IN 1800, he threw his influ ence behind John Adams, who was tied in the voting in the House of Representatives with Aaron Burr in the presidential election. Adams was elected. Four years later Burr challenged chal-lenged Hamilton to a duel. Hamilton accepted though he didn't duel, and fired his pistol in the air. Burr cold bloodedly shot and killed Hamilton. His name has lived in infamy ever since. |