Alexander Hamilton

Born the illegitimate son of James Hamilton and Rachel Fawcett Lavien on the island of Nevis, the British West Indies on January 11, 1755, Alexander Hamilton early on demonstrated the audacity, perseverance, intensity, and genius associated with his name. Denied the opportunity for extensive formal schooling, his education consisted of voracious reading and experience as a clerk in the St. Croix mercantile firm of David Beekman and Nicholas Cruger.

In 1772, Hamilton gained a measure of fame with his so-called "Hurricane Letter" in The Royal Danish American Gazette in which he described in vivid terms the devastating tropical storm which destroyed much of St. Croix. Perhaps because opportunities were limited in the West Indies, and because of his acknowledged precociousness,...