The Saint Andrew’s Society of the State of New York and the First Families of the New York are co-hosting the annual Hamilton Birthday Celebration at the Harvard Club on January 11th.

We took a look back into some facts about Alexander Hamilton that may be of interest.  These will be posted on Social media leading up to the event. Click on the READ NOW button to see the images.  Below is more information about the event and text from the social media posts.

The Saint Andrew's Society of New York: Alexander Hamilton

The first image is about the event. At the center is Alexander Hamilton who was among the Saint Andrew's Society's most gifted members. On the left are the three Scots who were also members of the Society and signers of the Declaration of Independence, Robert Morris, Philip Livingston, and Dr. John Witherspoon. On the right are the Schuylers,  Elizabeth (Van Rensselaer) Schuyler Hamilton, and her father General Phillip Schuyler. 

The talk, "Who Had More Influence on Hamilton: the Schuylers or the Scots?", will be given by Luke Thompson is a political consultant, commentator, and lecturer. He co-hosts the podcast Constitutionally Speaking and his writing has appeared in National Review, The Spectator, The Washington Examiner, USA Today, and other publications. He holds a PhD in political science from Yale and lives with his wife and daughter in Baltimore. 

To summarize, Alexander Hamilton was an American Revolution military officer and Founding Father who served as the first secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795. Hamilton is widely regarded as a military genius and a brilliant visionary. His ideas of a strong central government are credited with laying the foundation for America. Hamilton’s father was a Scot. Alexander was born in the Caribbean, orphaned as a child, and taken in by a prosperous merchant who sent him to be educated at King’s College in NY where his military career began by joining a volunteer militia to fight in the American Revolution. He rose in ranks to become an aide de camp for General Washington and credited with the climactic victory at Yorktown with the British surrendering, thus ending the war. Hamilton imbued the qualities and values of a great leader. What contributed to making him a military genius and visionary force as a Founding Father? Was it his Scottish heritage and connections with Scots? Hamilton was also greatly influenced by the Schuyler family – one of the prominent First Families of New York -- into which he married and which gave him access and influence in the highest levels of the young American government. The combination of Scottish resolve and ideals and the Schuylers’ power and influence created a unique personality whose influence on American society continues unabated to this day. 

Image 2. Born on the island of Nevis in the British West Indies, teenage Hamilton wrote a letter about a hurricane that struck Saint Croix. The letter was published in The Royal Danish American Gazette, and local readers impressed by his writing talent took up a collection to send him to King’s College (later known as Columbia University) in the British North American colonies. The Power of his pen...

Image 3: Alexander Hamilton's most famous quote on Power: "Give all the power to the many, they will oppress the few. Give all the power to the few, they will oppress the many." Celebrate Hamilton January 11th. #HamiltonBirthday

Image 4: Hamilton studied the law and passed a legal examination within just six months! He was lucky to study with two future Supreme Court justices, John Jay and William Paterson. Celebrate Hamilton January 11th. #HamiltonBirthday Celebrate Hamilton January 11th.

Image 5: Alexander Hamilton founded the Treasury and was the first Secretary of the Treasury of the United States. He founded the first bank of the United States and convinced other nations that the US was financially sound. He influenced many economic policies that helped strengthen the new country. Happy Birthday Hamilton! #HamiltonBirthday