.png/250px-James_Alexander_Hamilton,_by_Aimée_Thibault_(1834–1837).png){kind=small}
.png)
Community hub
0 subscribers8 pages, 0 posts
Recent from talks
All channels
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Contribute something
Welcome to the community hub built to collect knowledge and have discussions related to James Alexander Hamilton.
Nothing was collected or created yet.
James Alexander Hamilton
View on Wikipediafrom Wikipedia
James Alexander Hamilton (April 14, 1788 – September 24, 1878)[1] was an American soldier, acting Secretary of State, and the third son of Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He entered politics as a Democrat and supporter of Andrew Jackson.
Key Information
.png)
Early life and education
[edit]Hamilton was born in New York City on April 14, 1788,[1] the fourth child of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton.[2] Hamilton later wrote of his childhood:
[Alexander] Hamilton's gentle nature rendered his house a joyous one to his children...His interaction with his children was always affectionate and confiding, which excited in them a corresponding confidence and devotion. I distinctly recollect the scene at breakfast in the front room of the house in Broadway. My dear mother, seated as was her wont at the head of the table with a napkin in her lap, cutting slices of bread and spreading them with butter for the younger boys...When the lessons were finished the father and the elder children were called to breakfast, after which the boys were packed off to school.[3]
Around Summer 1791, when James was three, he grew ill[4] while his father was away. Luckily, he healed within a month under the care of his mother.
When James was sixteen, his father was killed in a duel with Vice President Aaron Burr. Along with his mother and siblings, James was present in the room, sitting at his father's bedside, when he died the day after the duel.[2] Hamilton graduated from Columbia University in 1805 at the age of seventeen. He later studied law, and in 1809, he was admitted to the bar, and practiced law for a year in Waterford, New York.[3]
Career
[edit]In 1810, Hamilton moved to Hudson, New York, and practiced law there for several years.[2][3] During the War of 1812, Hamilton served as a Brigade Major and Inspector in the New York State Militia.
In March 1829, Hamilton served as acting Secretary of State to President Andrew Jackson, surrendering the office on the regular appointment of Martin Van Buren.[2] That same year he was appointed U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
He sided with Jackson in opposing the Second Bank of the United States, the successor to the bank which had originally been invented by his father.[5] In an 1830 letter to Jackson, Hamilton proposed that a substitute be created for the Bank, and articulated several supposed deficiencies with the present Bank. His arguments made against the institution were quite similar to those of Jackson. He claimed that the Bank was subversive to liberty and that it exerted unfair influence on the election process. The stock, he claimed, was owned mostly by foreigners, and thus the Bank could be controlled by forces hostile to the United States. Hamilton declared that the very institution was unconstitutional because Congress did not have the power to create it.[6]
In 1867, he published a book of memoirs. In the book's preface, he writes that he was "induced to undertake this work by a desire to do justice" to his father "against the aspersions of Mr. Jefferson, and more recently of Martin Van Buren." His father's life and career, friends and rivals, are discussed at length in Hamilton's memoirs.[3]
Personal life
[edit]On October 17, 1810, Hamilton married Mary Morris (1790–1869), the daughter of Robert Morris (1762–1851) and Frances Ludlam (1766–1852).[2][3] Mary was the older sister of Lewis Gouverneur Morris (1808–1900), the granddaughter of Richard Morris (1730–1810), Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court,[7] the great-granddaughter of Lewis Morris, an early colonial governor of New Jersey, and the grandniece of Lewis Morris (1726–1798), a signer of the Declaration of Independence.[8][9] Hamilton later recalled their first years of marriage:
Both I and my wife were without means – our parents not being in a situation to do much for us. This I have always considered the most fortunate event of my life. I realized the embarrassments of my situation, and met them with the determination to overcome them. Nor did my resolution fail of its reward. Our self-denials were great, indeed, but our faith in the future was greater...Our poverty was so extreme that during our first year we boarded at four dollars per week for each. I now look back upon this event as not only the happiest, but the most fortunate occurrence of my long and eventful life. My poverty, with its burdens and responsibilities, nerved me to exertion, and necessity taught me the value of economy and self-denial.[3]
Together, Hamilton and his wife had five children:[3][9][10][11][12]
- Elizabeth "Eliza" Hamilton (1811–1863), who married her first cousin once-removed George Lee Schuyler (1811–1890), the son of Philip Jeremiah Schuyler
- Frances "Fanny" Hamilton (1813–1887), who married George Russel James Bowdoin (1809–1870).
- Alexander Hamilton Jr. (1816–1889), who married Angelica Livingston (1820–1896), the daughter of Maturin Livingston.
- Mary Morris Hamilton (1818–1877), who married George Lee Schuyler (1811–1890), her sister's widower
- Angelica Hamilton (1819–1868), who married Richard Milford Blatchford (1798–1875).
James Alexander Hamilton died on September 24, 1878,[1] in Irvington, New York.
Residence
[edit]
Hamilton built a large home in the Ardsley-on-Hudson section of Irvington, New York, which he named "Nevis" in honor of his father's birthplace in the British West Indies. It was originally "a simple Greek revival building with Doric columns", but in 1889 it was "extensively remodeled" by famed architect Stanford White. In 1934, Mrs. T. Coleman DuPont gave Nevis to Columbia University for the "establishment of a horticultural and landscape architecture center."[13] Today the Nevis estate is a physics and biological research facility operated by Columbia University.[14]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Tucker, Dan (2016). The Hamilton Collection. Hachette Books. p. 189. ISBN 9780316503686.
- ^ a b c d e Fell, A. London (1983). Origins of Legislative Sovereignty and the Legislative State, Volume 1. Greenwood Publishing Co. p. 395. ISBN 9780275939762.
- ^ a b c d e f g Hamilton, James Alexander (1869). Reminiscences of James A. Hamilton: or, Men and events, at home and abroad, during three-quarters of a century. New York: C. Scribner & Co.
- ^ "From Alexander Hamilton to Elizabeth Hamilton, [17 August 1791]". www.founders.archives.gov.
- ^ Fowler, Dorothy Ganfield (1943). The cabinet politician; the postmasters general, 1829–1909. Columbia University Press.
- ^ "James Alexander Hamilton to Andrew Jackson, January 4, 1830". Jackson Papers, LOC. Retrieved September 15, 2017.
- ^ "Richard Morris (1730-1810)". www.nyhistory.org. New-York Historical Society. Retrieved 15 August 2017.
- ^ Van Deusen, Mary S. (2002). "Descendants of Grandson Richard Morris". The Morris Family. Archived from the original on 2014-04-07.
- ^ a b Spooner, W.W. (1906). "The Morris Family of Morrisania". The American Historical Magazine. 1 (1). New York: The Publishing Society of New York: 327.
- ^ Reynolds, Cuyler (1914). Genealogical and Family History of Southern New York and the Hudson River Valley: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Building of a Nation. Vol. 3. Lewis Historical Publishing Co. p. 1380.
- ^ Christoph, Florence (1992). Schuyler Genealogy. Vol. 2. Friends of Schuyler Mansion. p. 146.
- ^ "Finding aid for Hamilton-Schuyler Family Papers, 1820-1924". University of Michigan.
- ^ Adams, Arthur G. (1999). The Hudson River Guidebook. New York: Fordham University Press. p. 128.
- ^ "Nevis Labs" (official website). Columbia University. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
James Alexander Hamilton
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
James Alexander Hamilton (April 14, 1788 – September 24, 1878) was an American lawyer, soldier, and government official, recognized as the third son of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton and for his brief tenure as acting United States Secretary of State under President Andrew Jackson.[1][2]
Born in New York City, Hamilton pursued a legal career after graduating from Columbia College and was admitted to the bar in 1810.[1] During the War of 1812, he served as a brigade-major and inspector in the New York militia, contributing to the defense efforts amid British threats to the region.[3]
In the Jackson administration, Hamilton acted as Secretary of State from March 4 to March 27, 1829, during the transition following Martin Van Buren's appointment as Secretary of State.[2] Later that year, on April 23, 1829, Jackson nominated him as United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, a position he held until 1838, handling significant legal matters including customs enforcement and federal prosecutions.[1][4] Hamilton aligned with Democratic politics, reflecting his father's Federalist legacy through independent public service rather than partisan extremism, and in 1869 published Reminiscences of James A. Hamilton, offering personal insights into early American governance and his family's experiences.[5]
Early life
Family background and birth
James Alexander Hamilton was born on April 14, 1788, in New York City.[1] He was the fourth child and third surviving son of Alexander Hamilton, a Founding Father who served as the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury from 1789 to 1795, and Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton.[1] [6] His father, born around 1755 or 1757 in Charlestown, Nevis, in the British West Indies to a Scottish trader father and a mother of French and British descent, immigrated to the American colonies as a teenager and rose through military service in the Revolutionary War, authorship of the Federalist Papers, and advocacy for the U.S. Constitution.[7] Alexander Hamilton's career positioned the family in elite Federalist circles in New York, though financial strains persisted after his 1804 death in a duel with Aaron Burr. Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, born August 7, 1757, in Albany, New York, hailed from one of the colony's wealthiest Dutch-descended families; her father, Philip Schuyler, was a major general in the Continental Army and U.S. Senator, while her mother, Catharine Van Rensselaer, descended from the patroon owners of vast Rensselaerswyck manor lands.[6] [8] The Hamiltons raised eight children in total, with James following siblings Philip (born 1782, died 1801), Angelica (1784), and Alexander Jr. (1786); two brothers and two sisters followed him before Philip's namesake arrived in 1802.[1] The family's patrician connections provided James early exposure to political and social elites, though his father's 1804 death when James was 16 imposed hardships that Elizabeth mitigated through her management of the estate and advocacy for her husband's legacy.[1]Education and formative influences
James Alexander Hamilton attended Columbia College (then known as King's College) in New York City, enrolling as a student by August 1803.[9] He graduated in 1805, completing a classical liberal arts curriculum typical of the era, which emphasized rhetoric, logic, and moral philosophy.[1] During his time at Columbia, Hamilton contributed to the establishment of the Philolexian Society, a student literary and debating organization that fostered skills in public discourse and argumentation, aligning with his future legal and political pursuits.[10] Following graduation, Hamilton apprenticed in law under Judge Nathaniel Pendleton, a Federalist jurist and close associate of his late father, Alexander Hamilton, who had served as Pendleton's second in the 1804 duel with Aaron Burr.[1] This mentorship provided practical training in legal practice amid New York's post-Revolutionary political landscape, where Federalist influences remained strong; Pendleton's role as executor of Alexander Hamilton's estate further integrated James into familial legal responsibilities.[1] The sudden death of his father in July 1804, shortly before his graduation, profoundly shaped Hamilton's early worldview, thrusting him into managing estate matters and exposing him to the personal costs of partisan conflict in the early republic.[1] This event, combined with his education in an institution steeped in Enlightenment principles and Federalist networks, initially oriented him toward legal and public service, though he later diverged toward Jacksonian Democracy.[1]Military service
Participation in the War of 1812
During the War of 1812, James Alexander Hamilton served in the New York State Militia as a brigade major and inspector, roles that entailed staff and oversight responsibilities for militia brigades mobilized for state defense.[3][1] These positions focused on administrative duties such as coordinating orders, conducting inspections of troops, and ensuring readiness amid threats of British invasion along the northern frontier, including areas near Lake Ontario and the Niagara region.[3] Hamilton's service aligned with broader militia activations in New York, where state forces supplemented federal troops in repelling incursions, though records do not detail his involvement in specific battles like Sackets Harbor or Plattsburgh.[1] His military experience reflected the era's reliance on citizen-soldiers for short-term defense, drawing on his father's Revolutionary War legacy without noted combat engagements.[3]Legal and early professional career
Admission to the bar and initial practice
After graduating from Columbia College in 1805, Hamilton apprenticed in law under federal judge Nathaniel Pendleton, a longtime associate of his father who had served as Alexander Hamilton's second in the 1804 duel with Aaron Burr.[1] Hamilton was admitted to the New York bar in 1809.[1] He began his legal practice that year in Saratoga County, New York, initially in Waterford, where he remained for approximately one year before relocating to Hudson, New York, in 1810 to continue his work amid personal financial constraints.[1]Appointment as U.S. Attorney
In 1829, President Andrew Jackson appointed James Alexander Hamilton as United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, a position he held from 1829 until 1834.[3][4] This appointment occurred amid Jackson's implementation of the spoils system, prioritizing political loyalty over prior partisan affiliations, as Hamilton—despite his father's prominent role in founding the Federalist Party—had shifted allegiance to support Jackson's 1828 campaign and opposed rechartering the Second Bank of the United States.[3] Hamilton's prior legal practice in New York City, following his admission to the bar around 1810, positioned him as a capable prosecutor for federal cases in the district, which encompassed Manhattan and surrounding areas.[4] The role involved enforcing federal laws, including those related to customs, piracy, and early antitrust matters, during a period of economic expansion and partisan tensions in the port of New York.[4]Political career and Jacksonian affiliation
Shift to Democratic politics
Following Andrew Jackson's victory in the 1828 presidential election, James Alexander Hamilton, whose father had been a leading Federalist, aligned himself with the emerging Jacksonian faction that coalesced into the Democratic Party. Prior to this, Hamilton had not supported Jackson during the contentious campaigns of 1824 or 1828, reflecting reservations possibly rooted in his family's Federalist heritage and the policy divides of the era, including debates over internal improvements and executive power.[11][1] This shift positioned him within Democratic politics, emphasizing opposition to the Second Bank of the United States—a stance diverging from his father's advocacy for a national bank—and support for Jackson's vision of limited federal economic intervention.[12] Hamilton's transition was swiftly formalized through key appointments in the new administration. On March 4, 1829, coinciding with Jackson's inauguration, he briefly served as acting Secretary of State until Martin Van Buren's confirmation on March 27. Shortly thereafter, on April 23, 1829, Jackson nominated and the Senate confirmed Hamilton as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, a role he held until 1834, handling federal prosecutions amid rising partisan tensions in the port city.[2][3][1] These positions underscored his integration into Democratic networks, including service on Jackson's informal "Appointing Council," which vetted federal officeholders under the administration's spoils system.[1] This alignment reflected broader realignments in American politics after the Federalist collapse post-1816, where former Republican moderates gravitated toward Jacksonianism amid splits between pro-administration National Republicans and populist Democrats. Hamilton's move, despite his non-campaign support for Jackson, highlighted pragmatic adaptation to the dominant party, enabling influence on legal and advisory matters while advancing Democratic priorities like states' rights in economic policy.[12][3]Advisory role to President Jackson
James Alexander Hamilton emerged as an informal advisor to Andrew Jackson during the presidential transition following the 1828 election, leveraging his legal expertise and political connections in New York to support the incoming administration. As a Democrat who had shifted allegiance from earlier Federalist leanings, Hamilton contributed to the formation of Jackson's initial team by serving on an appointing council tasked with vetting and recommending cabinet members and other key officials. This role involved consultations on patronage appointments, reflecting Jackson's emphasis on loyal supporters over entrenched elites, amid the spoils system's early implementation.[13] A notable contribution was Hamilton's drafting of Jackson's first inaugural address, delivered on March 4, 1829, which emphasized restraint in executive power, fidelity to the Constitution, and responsiveness to the popular will. Arriving in Washington, D.C., within days of the inauguration, Hamilton provided on-the-ground counsel during this chaotic period, including advice on administrative organization before formal roles were filled. His proximity to Jackson facilitated direct input on transitional matters, such as countering rumors and shaping early policy tones.[13][12] Hamilton's advisory influence extended through correspondence and occasional visits, as evidenced by letters exchanged with Jackson on political strategy and appointments into the 1830s. For instance, in July 1831, he offered insights on diplomatic and domestic issues, underscoring his role as a trusted confidant despite lacking a permanent cabinet position at the time. This relationship highlighted Hamilton's ability to bridge New York interests with Jacksonian priorities, though his counsel often prioritized pragmatic governance over ideological purity.[1][14]Key roles in the executive branch
Acting Secretary of State (1831)
![James Alexander Hamilton, by Aimée Thibault (1834–1837)]float-right James Alexander Hamilton served as Acting Secretary of State ad interim from March 4 to March 27, 1829, during the transition following President Andrew Jackson's inauguration.[2] As a trusted advisor in Jackson's informal "Appointing Council," Hamilton assumed the role to maintain continuity in the Department of State until Martin Van Buren, Jackson's nominee for the position, could take office.[1] Van Buren had been nominated on March 7 and confirmed by the Senate on March 9, but his duties as Governor of New York delayed his arrival in Washington.[3] In his 23-day tenure, Hamilton managed the department's administrative duties, including handling diplomatic correspondence and facilitating early cabinet formations under the new administration.[12] This period coincided with Jackson's efforts to reorganize executive appointments, reflecting the president's emphasis on loyal Democrats over entrenched Federalist holdovers. Hamilton's service underscored his alignment with Jacksonian principles, despite his Federalist lineage as the son of Alexander Hamilton. He surrendered the office upon Van Buren's assumption of duties on March 27, 1829, marking the end of his sole cabinet-level appointment.[1] No records indicate a similar acting role for Hamilton in 1831, during which Edward Livingston succeeded Van Buren as Secretary of State.Involvement in financial policy decisions
James Alexander Hamilton, as a trusted advisor to President Andrew Jackson, played a significant role in shaping the administration's opposition to the recharter of the Second Bank of the United States. Despite his father Alexander Hamilton's foundational work in establishing the First Bank, James A. Hamilton aligned with Jacksonian views criticizing the institution as a monopoly exerting undue influence over the economy and politics. In December 1832, he informed Jackson of reports that Bank president Nicholas Biddle's agents were attempting to bribe members of Congress to secure recharter legislation, heightening Jackson's determination to veto the bill introduced that July.[15] Hamilton's involvement extended to the critical 1833 decision to remove federal deposits from the Bank, a move aimed at undermining its power after the veto failed to prevent congressional support. Acting in coordination with Jackson's "Kitchen Cabinet" and during consultations with incoming president Martin Van Buren, Hamilton advocated for executive action to redistribute approximately $10 million in government funds to state-chartered "pet banks," bypassing Treasury Secretary William J. Duane's refusal to comply. This strategy, executed under new Treasury Secretary Roger B. Taney starting September 26, 1833, effectively starved the Bank of federal revenue and contributed to its contraction as a national institution.[16][17] Beyond the Bank War, Hamilton provided counsel on broader fiscal matters, including trade policies and government revenue management, reflecting Jackson's preference for decentralized banking to promote specie circulation and limit elite financial control. His recommendations emphasized practical executive measures over legislative dependence, aligning with the administration's push for "hard money" policies that favored gold and silver over paper credit. However, these decisions drew criticism for precipitating economic instability, as the redistribution of deposits strained state banks and foreshadowed the Panic of 1837.[13]Controversies and criticisms
Role in the Bank War and deposit removal
James Alexander Hamilton, serving as a close advisor to President Andrew Jackson, actively supported the administration's opposition to the Second Bank of the United States during the Bank War. Despite Alexander Hamilton's earlier advocacy for a national bank, James A. Hamilton viewed the Second Bank as an unconstitutional concentration of power that favored elite interests over the democratic will, aligning himself with Jacksonian arguments against its monopoly on currency and credit.[17] In the critical phase of deposit removal commencing in September 1833, Hamilton provided counsel on the executive's authority to redirect federal funds without congressional consent, emphasizing the president's responsibility as steward of public resources. When Treasury Secretary William J. Duane refused to issue orders for the transfer—citing legal constraints—Hamilton endorsed Jackson's dismissal of Duane on September 23, 1833, and the subsequent appointment of Roger B. Taney as acting secretary on the same day. Taney then authorized the withdrawal of approximately $10 million in deposits from the Bank, redistributing them to twenty-three state-chartered "pet banks" by May 1834, a move Hamilton defended as necessary to prevent the Bank's potential retaliation through credit contraction.[1] Hamilton's involvement extended to drafting responses and opinions reinforcing the administration's position, including communications with Taney on the mechanics of the transfer to ensure liquidity and compliance with existing statutes. His support stemmed from a belief in executive prerogative to counteract perceived corruption in the Bank's operations, such as favoritism toward political opponents, though critics later attributed the ensuing economic instability—including the Panic of 1837 partly to disrupted federal finances—to the hasty redistribution.[18]Associations with Jacksonian spoils system and executive overreach
James Alexander Hamilton's alignment with Andrew Jackson's Democratic administration positioned him as a beneficiary and facilitator of the emerging spoils system, whereby federal offices were distributed to political allies to consolidate party loyalty and displace opponents. In March 1829, shortly after Jackson's inauguration, Hamilton received appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, replacing the incumbent despite his limited prior partisan credentials beyond supporting Jackson's campaign; this move reflected the administration's strategy of rewarding supporters, including former Federalists like Hamilton who defected to the Democrats, over merit-based continuity.[19] Jackson himself consulted Hamilton on prospective appointees even before taking office, providing lists for evaluation to ensure ideological alignment, a practice that Hamilton's correspondence and presence in early advisory circles helped operationalize across executive agencies.[20] Hamilton's involvement extended to defending and participating in patronage decisions amid broader criticisms that the system prioritized loyalty over competence, leading to administrative disruptions. As a close correspondent with Martin Van Buren and attendee at cabinet sessions on office rotation—framed by Jacksonians as reform against entrenched corruption—Hamilton later recounted in his reminiscences that explicit "spoils" terminology was absent, yet his actions, including advocating for Treasury personnel changes, aligned with the partisan redistribution that replaced approximately 10% of federal officeholders in Jackson's first term, far exceeding prior precedents.[21] Critics, including National Republicans like Henry Clay, condemned such practices as corrupting public service, arguing they undermined institutional expertise; Hamilton's defense, rooted in Jacksonian egalitarianism, emphasized democratizing access to power but overlooked long-term inefficiencies, as evidenced by subsequent scandals in rotated posts.[22] Hamilton's advisory role further tied him to accusations of executive overreach, particularly in the Bank War, where Jackson's unilateral actions challenged constitutional separations of power. In 1833, Hamilton supported the controversial removal of federal deposits from the Second Bank of the United States, an executive initiative that bypassed congressional appropriations authority and prompted the resignations of Treasury Secretaries Louis McLane and William J. Duane; as a confidant, Hamilton consulted on the policy and helped coordinate with state "pet banks" for redeposit, framing it as safeguarding against perceived Bank monopolism despite lacking legislative mandate.[20] This maneuver, executed via Treasury Order 33 on September 26, 1833, drew Senate censure of Jackson in 1834 for assuming legislative prerogatives, with Whig opponents decrying it as dictatorial overreach akin to monarchical fiat; Hamilton's opposition to the Bank—ironically, the institution his father Alexander Hamilton had architected—underscored his embrace of Jackson's expansive presidential view, prioritizing executive prerogative in fiscal matters over balanced government.[17] While Jacksonians justified it as defending popular sovereignty against elite interests, empirical outcomes included speculative bubbles and the Panic of 1837, highlighting risks of such concentrated authority without checks.[23]Later life and death
Post-administration activities
After his federal government service ended in 1840, James Alexander Hamilton resumed private legal practice in New York City, where he had earlier established himself following admission to the bar in 1809.[1] He maintained involvement in Democratic Party affairs, including service as a delegate to the 1852 national convention, during which he supported Franklin Pierce's successful bid for the presidential nomination.[4] In 1869, at age 81, Hamilton published Reminiscences of James A. Hamilton: Or, Men and Events, at Home and Abroad, During Three Quarters of a Century, a memoir drawing on his experiences in law, military service, and politics while emphasizing defense of his father's financial policies and character against partisan attacks.[24] The work, issued by Charles Scribner's Sons, provided firsthand accounts of interactions with figures like Andrew Jackson and critiqued opponents such as Henry Clay, reflecting Hamilton's commitment to historical vindication amid ongoing debates over early American fiscal systems.[5]Final years and passing
Following the conclusion of the Jackson administration in 1837, James Alexander Hamilton returned to private legal practice in New York, where he had earlier served as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District from 1829 to 1831.[1] In his later decades, he resided primarily at his estate, Nevis, located in Irvington, New York, a property he developed as a country seat reflecting his family's heritage.[1] Hamilton also engaged in historical writing, publishing Reminiscences of James A. Hamilton in 1869, which provided firsthand accounts of early American political figures and events from his unique perspective as a son of Alexander Hamilton and participant in Jacksonian governance.[12] Hamilton maintained involvement in reform causes, including support for abolitionist efforts aligned with his father's early anti-slavery sentiments, though his public role diminished with age.[25] He outlived his wife Mary Morris Hamilton, who died in 1869, as well as three of his five children and five of his seven siblings.[1] On September 24, 1878, Hamilton died at Nevis at the age of ninety.[26] [1] His death was noted in New York newspapers as occurring at his country seat in the 91st year of his life.[26] He was buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, North Tarrytown (now Tarrytown), New York.[1]Personal life
Marriage and family
James Alexander Hamilton married Mary Morris (December 25, 1790 – May 24, 1869) on October 17, 1810.[27][28] Mary Morris was the daughter of Robert Morris.[27] The couple resided primarily in New York, where Hamilton pursued his legal and political career. Hamilton and Morris had five children: Elizabeth "Eliza" Hamilton (October 8, 1811 – 1863), who married her cousin George Lee Schuyler in 1835 and had three children; Frances "Fanny" Hamilton (October 2, 1813 – 1887), who married George Russell James Bowdoin in 1832 and had three children; Alexander Hamilton (1816 – 1889), who married Angelica Livingston and had one child who died young; Mary Morris Hamilton (January 1, 1818 – 1877), who married George Lee Schuyler in 1869 following Eliza's death; and Angelica Hamilton (November 13, 1819 – 1868), who married Richard Milford Blatchford in 1860 and had no children.[1][29][30] The family maintained close ties, with several daughters involved in philanthropy and preservation efforts, such as Mary Morris Hamilton Schuyler's fundraising for Mount Vernon.[29]Residences and lifestyle
James Alexander Hamilton practiced law initially in Saratoga and Hudson, New York, before establishing himself in New York City, where he resided during much of his political career.[1] In 1835, he purchased a property in the Ardsley-on-Hudson section of Irvington, New York, and constructed the Nevis Mansion as his primary residence, naming it after his father's birthplace in the West Indies.[31] [32] The estate originally encompassed over 150 acres along the Hudson River, serving as a rural family home where Hamilton lived with his wife, Mary Morris, and their five children until his death in 1878.[33] Hamilton's lifestyle reflected that of an affluent New York lawyer and public servant, centered on family and estate management at Nevis, which provided a contrast to his earlier urban professional life in Manhattan.[1] He maintained close family ties, as evidenced by his long marriage and upbringing of children in a stable household amid his political involvements.[33] The Nevis property later passed to his son, Colonel Alexander Hamilton, underscoring its role as a familial legacy.[31]Legacy and historiography
Defense of paternal legacy
James Alexander Hamilton dedicated significant efforts to vindicating his father's reputation against contemporary critics and historical misrepresentations. In his 1869 memoir, Reminiscences of James A. Hamilton: Or Men and Events, at Home and Abroad During Three Quarters of a Century, Hamilton articulated in the preface his explicit aim to "do justice" to Alexander Hamilton by rebutting aspersions from Thomas Jefferson and, more recently, Martin Van Buren in the latter's Inquiry into the Origin of the Political Conventions of the United States.[1][12] The 670-page volume incorporated personal correspondence and archival materials to portray his father's contributions to the early republic, particularly emphasizing Alexander Hamilton's fiscal policies and opposition to disunion.[1] Hamilton supplemented his reminiscences with targeted pamphlets addressing specific attacks on his father's legacy. In 1864, he issued The Public Debt and the Public Credit of the United States, which defended Alexander Hamilton's establishment of the national debt and credit system as foundational to American stability.[1] This was followed in 1870 by Martin Van Buren’s Calumnies Repudiated: Hamilton’s Conduct as Secretary of the Treasury Vindicated, a direct refutation of Van Buren's claims regarding Alexander Hamilton's tenure, drawing on primary documents to affirm the elder Hamilton's integrity and policy efficacy.[1] Beyond writings, Hamilton engaged in personal advocacy to counter rumors, such as allegations of his father's sympathy for New England Federalist secessionism after 1800. He corresponded with figures like William Coleman and met with John Quincy Adams to disprove these claims, documenting the exchanges in his memoir as evidence of successful rebuttal.[12] These actions, rooted in Hamilton's access to family papers and his own experiences, positioned him as a key familial guardian of Alexander Hamilton's historical standing amid partisan narratives.[12]Historical assessments and recent scholarship
James A. Hamilton's Reminiscences of James A. Hamilton (1869) served as a primary source for 19th-century historians examining the Jackson administration, offering insider accounts of the Bank War and executive decisions, though its value is tempered by Hamilton's close alignment with Jacksonian policies.[1] Early 20th-century scholarship, such as studies on Jacksonian administrative history, frequently referenced the work to illustrate informal advisory roles and the spoils system, portraying Hamilton as a loyal operative bridging legal expertise with political maneuvering.[34] Mid-20th-century historiography embedded Hamilton within broader narratives of Democratic Party formation and anti-bank sentiment, citing his involvement in deposit removal as evidence of executive assertiveness against entrenched financial interests, while noting his Federalist heritage created ironic tensions in party loyalty. Assessments often highlighted his contributions to Van Buren's acting secretaryship but critiqued the reminiscences for selective emphasis on Jackson's virtues over policy flaws, such as fiscal disruptions from specie circulars.[20] Recent scholarship, including Samantha Wilcoxson's 2025 biography James Alexander Hamilton: Son of the American Revolution, reevaluates him as an independent actor whose abolitionist advocacy and diplomatic efforts extended his influence beyond paternal legacy defense, drawing on unpublished correspondence to underscore his role in antebellum reform networks.[35] This work challenges earlier overshadowing by Alexander Hamilton's fame, presenting James A. as a modulator of partisan extremes through pragmatic legalism, though it relies heavily on family archives prone to hagiographic bias.[36] Limited peer-reviewed studies post-2000 reflect his status as a secondary figure, with analyses in Jackson-era economic histories affirming the reminiscences' utility for causal insights into veto strategies while cautioning against uncritical acceptance due to post-hoc rationalization.[37]References
- https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Civil_Service_and_the_Patronage/Chapter_05