Alexander Hamilton’s time in the military gave him a different political and philosophical point of view than some of the other Founders

Alexander Hamilton’s time in the military gave him a different political and philosophical point of view than some of the other Founders, argues Ron Chernow in his biography, Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton’s (and Washington’s) experience fighting in the American Revolution is crucial to understanding his conception of how America should be. It is also vastly different than the experiences of John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison, none of whom served in combat in the Revolution.

Hamilton begins service in George Washington’s army as a captain of artillery, serving through the New York campaign, and later through Valley Forge. As the war proceeded, Hamilton became attached to Washington’s staff, where he helped in the day-to-day management of the army. As the war...