Alexander Hamilton
Just like Marquis de Lafayette felt compelled to venture into the americas and fight in the American Revolution, something similar was set ablaze in young Hamilton while he was still in the west indies, and in the recesses of his mind, he felt that America is where he is destined for glory.
Hamilton arrives in the americas, and the first thing he does is try to find a way to compress all his studies in as short a time as possible while also producing other writings on the side that was to elevate him in the eyes of refined readers. Hamilton’s beginnings in America happened to coincide with the American Revolution which made his incandescent rise possible, he once lamented: "revolutions serve to bring to light talents and virtues which might otherwise have languished in obscurity or only shot forth a few scattered and wandering rays".
General Washington saw in him a formidable second-hand and an ally. The unity of the wisdom derived of real life experience that Washington had, and the immense capacity for knowledge and writing that Hamilton possessed, was what made for a successful duo during the revolutionary war and beyond. Hamilton had his eyes set on the prize, the army leader. But that didn’t square well with Washington who saw it fit to maintain him as his aide. During the subsequent years, the relationship between Hamilton and Washington ebbed and flowed, but the respect between them never waned.
Thanks partly to John Adams’ efforts, the treaty of Paris is signed, and the revolutionary war ends, and the debate ensues for the need for a constitutional convention and a system that governs the union. With help from John Jay and Madison, Hamilton, in record time, writes the federalist papers that were to delineate the form of the new government, while also harshly decimating the articles of confederation and minutely dissecting why they won’t make sense for an independent union, by citing numerous historical precedents.
Hamilton goes on to produce several treatises on the new fiscal policy that made the first bank of the United States possible, and later on, inspired by the industrial revolution in Europe, a treatise on manufacturing that portended a new prosperous economy that welcomes new innovations and adoption of novel ways of doing things. At that time, Jefferson scoffed Hamilton’s vision of a nation with banks, credit and manufacturing, and wanted to preserve the agrarian essence of America. But soon time seemed to vindicate Hamilton’s vision.
The support from Washington through all of this was exemplary, and Hamilton couldn’t have sided with a better father figure than the wise Washington who was supervising all of Hamilton’s ideas and approving what he saw fit the purposes of the union. But what happened to Hamilton after Washingnton dies? Hamilton starts entertaining ideas of expansion and land aquisition via a standing army led by him, an idea that would have defied Washington’s neutrality principle.
With all this prodigious output and cast of mind, Hamilton remained subject to the whims of his desire, and unexplainably fell to the wiles of a lowly figure in the name of Maria Reynolds, who was abetted by her husband, and he later had to expose himself in excruciating detail to the public to offset the attacks on his integrity hailed at him by republicans for possibly being an manipulator of government money. How does one with Hamilton’s mind fall for this?
Hamilton’s honor was very dear to him, so much so, that he had rather die in a duel which he abhorred the practice of, than live with a blemished reputation. It was so infra-dig for him to concede to Aron Burr’s request for a general apology when the latter demanded his apology as it regards the phrase “still more despicable” in Cooper's letters. For Hamilton, despicable was too broad a word, and he wanted Burr_who had plans to intice secession in the union which Hamilton feared_ to be specific on what to apologize for. But “The interview” was bound to take place, and Hamilton, being Hamilton, found himself face to face with his arch nemesis Burr, and promising to shoot in the air( using his son's Philip's pistol who also died in a duel previously) found himself writhing in pain after realizing he was fatally shot.
Having lived for the union’s cause, it was one of the last things on his mind before his death, in addition to the religious fervor that also ingited in him at the end. He feared the secession, and he wanted to face the end with some reassurance.
A lot had happened to Hamilton since he'd arrived in America 30 years ago. He made allies. He made enemies. He rose and fell with the federalists. He implemented his vision of America. He reached glory. But at what cost?