Alexander Hamilton was born on the small West Indies island of Nevis in 1755. He was the son of James Hamilton, a merchant, and Rachel Faucett. The couple was not married, because Danish law forbade the once-divorced Rachel from marrying again.

As a teen, Hamilton worked as a bookkeeper on the island of St. Croix. In 1773, he sailed to Boston, Massachusetts, and within a year entered King's College (now Columbia University ) in New York. At eighteen, he published two articles that concluded that the colonies had every right to protect themselves from the tyranny of British Parliament.

Hamilton joined the New York infantry as a captain in the Revolutionary War (1775-83). In 1777, he was named the highest assistant for General George Washington, writing letters and handling appointments. Hamilton, however, desired a position in command of troops. In 1781, Washington gave Hamilton command of a battalion of light infantry...