Biography hamilton is based on

However, there was also a part of him that knew he could die, since he was so thorough and conscientious in his handling of his affairs. And writing a poignant, final letter to Eliza which if I had been her I'm sure I would have pulled my hair out. Yet she persevered and would survive to accomplish many remarkable things in her own right, not the least of which was to ensure her husband's rightful, prominent place in the history books.

Because I can't stop. The musical has brought much publicity to this early founding father. I have never seen the musical before, but a few Goodreads friends whose reviews I trust recently read this biography. I had been following their discussions in the nonfiction book club, but still wasn't sure. What finally pushed me to read this book is that a Chicago Cubs player posted that it took him eighteen months but he finally finished.

I was sold. With much being written about Hamilton his is what I took away from this award winning biography: -Hamilton was the first rags to riches immigrant who embodied the American dream and achieved lofty goals, from being Washington's advisor to the first secretary of the treasury of the United States. Hamilton was a love story between him and Eliza and between him and America.

It was deeply researched and had all the elements of a quality written history book that read like a story; I finished the last third in a day. I finally took the plunge and read a Chernow biography and am glad that I did, and I have a feeling that it won't be my last. This was such a compelling book about a compelling man and will most likely be in my top five nonfiction books for this year.

I am now prepared to see the Hamilton musical. Despite its length, the book stayed generally interesting throughout. There was a section in the middle that got into the establishment of the US banking system where I got a little lost, but overall the book stayed accessible. Another thing that helped keep things interesting was that the audio was read by Scott Brick.

Brick has to be my favorite audio narrator. The book covers a great deal of early US history - not just Hamilton. While I am sure the the author did great research and kept things factual, he definitely spun most of the storylines with Hamilton in a positive light. Because of this, many of the forefathers whom I thought were well regarded are demonized.

Hardcore Hamilton fans and history fans - check this one out! The ten dollar founding father without a father got a lot further by working a lot harder, by being a lot smarter, by being a self starter, by fourteen, they placed him in charge of a trading charter. And ev'ry day while slaves were being slaughtered and carted away across the waves, he struggled and kept his guard up.

Inside, he was longing for something to be a part of, the brother was ready to beg, steal, borrow or barter. Then a hurricane came, and devastation reigned, our man saw his future drip, dripping down the drain, put a pencil to his temple, connected it to his brain, and he wrote his first refraina testament to his pain. Well, the word got around, they said, " This kid is insane, man.

What's your name, man? My name is Alexander Hamilton. From bastardy and poverty, a man of many flaws, still a visionary, genius and maker of laws. Driven by ambition, a financial wiz of a fledgling nation, controversial, tragic, sadly ironic, American icon, Alexander Hamilton. Pulitzer Prize winning author Ron Chernow's sprawling, weighty biography was first published in and seems to be enjoying a much deserved popularity resurgence, basking in the limelight of Lin-Manuel Miranda's smashing, 11 Tony Award-winning broadway musical inspired by its subject.

Chernow's biographical treatment might be considered the most extensively researched to date of the life of Alexander Hamilton, nevertheless, it may be found slightly biased as the reader will note, even if his patience wanes and skimming parts becomes the only alternative to fleshing out the pertinent bits in this lifetime. Hamilton's story, in contemporary terms as Miranda has implied in his musical, is the immigrant story where dreams come true.

Illegitimate, orphaned and impoverished, he never looked at his personal misfortunes as roadblocks to his future. Instead, his hard work, intelligence and drive to improve his circumstances got him noticed by benefactors who sent him to the U. Though a rebel at heart, he had " a profound dread that popular sentiment would boil over into dangerous excess [and] Truly a visionary, " where other minds groped in the fog of war… Hamilton seemed to perceive everything in a sudden flash.

Hard to imagine that this blatant act of marital suicide didn't actually end that way. Hamilton had his share of ideological opponents who in turn had no great love for him, among them Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison, with whom he exerted his quick tempered, hot headedness, verbal tongue lashing, character assassinations and nasty mudslinging quite a familiar political climate at present, no?

His most incomprehensible act in a manner of speaking, an unintentional suicide? In these times, this example of hatred is very potent and thought provoking, that even the most intelligent in a crowd would stoop to resolve their differences in the most destructive, senseless, fatalistic manner, by point blank pulling the trigger. For a talented visionary as Hamilton who helped lay the groundwork for a country in which freedom, justice, harmony and equality among its citizens are paved, the manner of his death seemed very shortsighted.

Furthermore, by that same sort of shortsightedness, base animosity and violence would the country that this founding father helped 'birth' come to the same demise? What would our Founding Father think of US now? Integrity, Valour, Wisdom, Virtue In an ongoing project to better educate myself about important political figures in history, I sought to return to another member of the American Founding Fathers.

However, to call Alexander Hamilton a 'father' when surrounded by Washington, Franklin, and Jefferson seems slightly odd, as he was much younger than the others around the table. While that may be true, Ron Chernow effectively argues that Hamilton was a substantial, even quintessential, player in the founding and early establishment of America.

Depicting the man as one who was mature beyond his years, a brilliant constitutionalist, and a stalwart statesman, Chernow illustrates how Hamilton utilised his presence around these other political giants to lay the cornerstone for the American political and economic systems in place today. A masterful piece of work that any reader with a passion for political biography ought not to miss, Chernow educates and entertains in equal measure.

Hamilton's maturity can be traced as far back as his formative years in the West Indies. Born illegitimately, Hamilton's life was further shaped when his mother died at a young age and he was shuffled off to many relatives, all of whom met the same fate in a short span. Hamilton's social and emotional maturity led his quest for knowledge and the ability to set himself apart from those around him.

Chernow illustrates that Hamilton was given much responsibility while working as a young man, holding things together for his proprietor who was off in New York tending to business interests. The curiosity towards learning spurned Hamilton to arrive on the shores of the Empire State at a time when unrest was brewing, but before it reached its zenith in British-colonial clashes.

While studying at what would soon be called Columbia College, Hamilton devoured all that was put before him and became a lawyer, before he found a spot within the continental army. Hamilton climbed the ranks, becoming a colonel and was handpicked by George Washington to serve as one of his aides de camp. That Hamilton was not on the front lines of the battles irked him, but this connection to Washington would curry favour between the two men and eventually lead to greater things.

As shall be seen below, Hamilton's maturity seeped into his work at the Continental Congress and during the biography hamilton is based on of the US Constitution, as well as work in the early years at Treasury. It is not lost on the reader that Hamilton was able to effectively serve alongside other political juggernauts, as Chernow weaves many intricate stories surrounding Hamilton's abilities and effective progress in forming the America with which many are familiar today.

Hamilton was not only a key figure in the creation of the US Constitution, but a brilliant author whose absence would surely have made for a much weaker document. As Chernow argues, using historical documents and well-known publications to substantiate, Hamilton understood the nuances of constitutional creation, as well as the need to cherrypick from that which had worked before.

Labelled at times as a monarchist, whose interest in keeping some aspects of Britain's system in the American sphere, Hamilton did not deny that utilising that which biography hamilton is based on effectively is better than trying to reinvent the wheel. Not only did Hamilton help forge a document that would encompass key elements necessary for running the new republic, but he wrote a large collection of papers, alongside John Jay and James Madison, to sell the state delegates whose job it was to ratify the constitution within their respective legislatures.

These writings became known as The Federalist Papers and are still quoted to best understand the core elements of the Founding Fathers' mindset and general constitutional framework at the documents inception. Chernow refers to these essays throughout this section of the biography and highlights the ease with which Hamilton utilised his power of the written work to persuade and support the clauses enshrined in the constitutional document.

The reader is left to wonder how a man so young could have such a strong worldly sense about him, especially since he did not travel to Europe or return to his birthplace. Chernow presents Hamilton as an effective and detailed scholar in these most important months of the new republic, crafting a document alongside Jefferson, Franklin and a handful of others, whose content has been amended 27 times as of the writing of this review.

Hamilton's constitutional capabilities cannot be lost on the reader, as Chernow details the battle to create an effective set of rules by which America would run. In the latter section of the biography, Chernow exemplifies Hamilton's legal mind and constitutional prowess to argue cases before the courts, effectively presenting sound arguments to support or nullify state and federal laws on numerous occasions.

A constitutional Goliath, a moniker Chernow resurrects from historical documents, properly depicts Hamilton and his vast knowledge of this key aspect of early America's founding. Hamilton moved from being a Founding Father to an effective statesman in the first Cabinet under Washington, formulating essential laws and laying the groundwork for many plans taken for granted in the 21st century.

In choosing Hamilton to serve in his first Cabinet of three! Hamilton coveted the chance to serve as Secretary to the Treasury and was given the chance to impress with his significant understanding of financial issues. The position allowed Hamilton to formulate some of the early financial, economic, and monetary policy for America, which could serve it well in its infancy.

With a mind well-tuned to the nuances of financial matters was there anything this man could not do? The greatest issue that Hamilton faced was creating policy and legislation for Congress that set in place certain taxes, levies, and money garnering endeavours that did not sour the populace. As Chernow reminds the reader, the Revolutionary War was fuelled by a push not to allow many of the same taxes that Hamilton now proposed.

However, with the need to sustain the coffers of America, now that the British were gone, these plans had to return, alongside a means of communicating the essential nature of their presence to a populace still stinging.

Biography hamilton is based on

Hamilton also created what is now the Coast Guard to inspect ships looking to bring goods into America, as well as a Mint to strike coins and print paper money for use within the states, as well as unifying the monies used and permitting inter-state travel. These were major struggles, but Hamilton effectively navigated the waters and brought about key fiscal elements to unite rather than divide the country.

Even after leaving Washington's Cabinet, Hamilton used his statesman abilities and knowledge of the constitution to pen essays on various topics, swinging sentiment in one way or the other. Hamilton always sought to use well-grounded arguments to support his views, which would sway public and congressional opinions as major pieces of legislation came up for debate or vote.

Chernow exemplifies this statesman persona quite seamlessly and does offer a thorough examination of the decisions Hamilton undertook while a member of America's political elite. Chernow's book also examines some other highly interesting aspects in the American biography hamilton is based on development. Hamilton was at the heart of the first political schism that saw the creation of the Republican Party, as well as the Federalist and anti-Federalist labels affixed to certain segments of the political population.

The birth of this non-constitutionally recognised political animal proves highly intriguing to the curious reader and Chernow does a wonderful job in narrating its methodical emergence. As well, no political biography is complete without a little scandal and Chernow attributes the first American political sex scandal to Hamilton, who was fond of women in all their glory.

Again, Chernow delves into this story, but, as might be a sign of the times, things remain above board and the gaudy details remain hidden, which may depress any reader seeking salacious crumbs within these pages. Any attentive reader who reaches the point of the biography when Hamilton leaves Treasury is sure to ask, 'why no presidential run in '96?

This book is full of many anecdotes and keeps history's ever-changing narrative as a key driving force to propel the biography hamilton is based on forward. Chernow does a wonderful job examining the life and times of Alexander Hamilton, from the mysteries of his birth in the West Indies through to his death at the hands of Aaron Burr in a duel, itself a dramatic and detailed story in the waning chapters of the biography.

The narrative is full of wonderful tidbits of information and stories to better exemplify some of the larger events in early American political history, as well as some key sub-plots showing that Hamilton had his detractors, including: Thomas Jefferson, George Clinton, James Madison, and Aaron Burr. The book is very well laid out and its detail shows considerable effort on Chernow's part to offer as full a picture as possible for the reader to better understand how Hamilton shaped the world around him and was influenced by its happenings.

Kudos Mr. Chernow for this wonderful political biography that touches on many aspects of Hamilton's life and that of the early America. Full of poignant vignettes that include other political heavyweights, Chernow shows the breadth of Hamilton's influence during his life, cut short by a draconian means of settling disputes. Rise Up!

Time to Take a Shot! Reviewing a historical biography can be a difficult task, a genre for which the writing can veer to the monotonous. Here, Ron Chernow does a kingly job with his impeccable research and suaviloquent writing. More significantly of late, this bio served as the basis for the fantastic new blockbuster Broadway musical Hamilton. I'll step back and let Lin-Manuel Miranda's daedal lyrics give you the players and a sketch of part of the story.

And well, you know how it ends. It's history, after all. You want answers to the question? Time to take a shot! The Schuyler Sisters. So men say that I'm intense or I'm insane. You want a revolution? I want a revelation. So listen to my declaration: "We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal. My sister made her way across the room to you and I got nervous thinking 'What's she gonna do?

I will fight the fight and win the war for your love, for your praise, and I'll love you till my dying days. When you're gone I'll go mad, so don't throw away this thing we had. Cuz when push comes to shove, I will kill your friends and family to remind you of my love. We gotta make an all out stand. Ayo, I'm gonna need a right hand man. Can I be real a second?

Let down my guard and tell the people how I feel a second? Now I'm the model of a modern major general, the venerated Virginian veteran whose men are all lining up, to put me up on a pedestal, writin' letters to relatives embellishin' my elegance and eloquence, but the elephant is in the room, the truth is in ya face when ya hear the British cannons go We rise and we fall and we break and we make our mistakes.

And if there's a reason I'm still alive when everyone who loves me has died. I'm willing to wait for it I am the one thing in life I can control. I am inimitable. I am an original. I'm not falling behind or running late. I'm not standing still, I am lying in wait. Hamilton faces an endless uphill climb. He has something to prove. He has nothing to lose.

Hamilton's pace is relentless he wastes no time. What's it like in his shoes? Hamilton doesn't hesitate. He exhibits no restraint. He takes and he takes and he takes and he keeps winning anyway. He changes the game. He plays and he raises the stakes. And if there's a reason he seems to thrive when so few survive, then Goddamnit- I'm willing to wait for it.

This is where it gets me: on my feet, the enemy ahead of me. If this is the end of me, at least I have a friend with me, weapon in my hand, a command, and my men with me. We gotta go, gotta get the job done. Gotta start a new nation, gotta meet my son! Take the bullets out your gun! We move under cover and we move as one through the night. There are references to Jefferson being elitist, while Burr is approachable and someone you can grab a beer with.

As shown in the musical, there was no love lost between Hamilton and Jefferson. However, Hamilton felt that Burr was a man of little principle, who simply wanted to be president as a matter of personal ambition. Unexpectedly, Hamilton wrote a series of letters calling on his fellow Federalists to vote for Jefferson over Burr. After 36 different ballots, Jefferson finally won the presidency.

In fact, it was not until Hamilton disparaged Burr in a separate election for the governorship of New York in that pistols were drawn. To stop such a tiebreak election occurring again, a 12th Amendment to the Constitution was passed. No longer would the runner-up automatically become vice-president. In fact, Angelica was already married with two children by the time of their supposed meeting.

She and her British husband John Church later moved to Paris. Hamilton and Angelica did keep in contact over the years through letters, which have been pored over for signs of a hidden romance. Archived from the original on October 29, Retrieved October 16, Grand Central Publishing. ISBN Archived from the original on September 21, Retrieved September 22, Archived from the original on September 25, Retrieved September 25, Archived from the original on September 19, July 12, Archived from the original on July 13, Retrieved July 13, November 16, Archived from the original on December 20, Retrieved December 20, Archived from the original on January 9, Retrieved December 8, Archived from the original on September 18, LA Music Blog.

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Though we learn the story of the birth of America, this is truly the story of Alexander Hamilton and those around him. Hamilton is born poor and becomes an orphan young. Despite his troubled start, his ambition and his intelligence propel him into a good position in the War of Independence and later into government. Hamilton biographer, Don Chernow, seems to think Lin-Manunel Miranda did a pretty good job with his character.

His marriage, his political moves and achievements, and even his affair are all based on real events — though there is debate over whether Martha Washington actually did name her feral tomcat after him! Though Hamilton has an initial spark with the eldest, Angelica, he marries Eliza who remains a loyal and supportive wife. In real life, the Schuyler family actually had several sons, too!

In real life, alongside Angelica, Eliza and Peggy, there were five more children, including two more Schuyler sisters Cornelia and Catherine and three sons John, Philip and Rensselaer.