His military aspirations also flowered with a series of early accomplishments. At King's College he joined a patriot volunteer band known as the "Corsicans" and drilled every morning before classes. In August of 1775, the "Corsicans" participated in a raid to seize the cannon from the Battery. In March of 1776, he was commissioned captain of a company of artillery. He joined Washington's personal staff in March of 1777 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He served four years as Washington's personal secretary and confidential aide. After leaving his staff position in February of 1781, he secured a field command through Washington and won laurels at Yorktown where he led the American column in a final assault in the British works.
As the need for the military diminished, Hamilton sought to acquire a domestic life. On Dec. 14, 1780, he married Elizabeth, the daughter of General Philip Schuyler. The Schuylers were one of the most distinguished families in New York. Hamilton and Elizabeth eventually had eight children. At twenty-five, Hamilton began his popular political efforts from which his greatest fame arises. In letters dated from 1779 to 1780 he correctly diagnosed the ills of the new Confederation and suggested the necessity of centralization. He was also one of the first to suggest adequate checks on the anarchistic tendencies of the time.
At twenty-seven, with the Revolutionary War over, Hamilton began intensive study of the law in Albany, New York, and was admitted to the bar in July of 1783. After the British army evacuated New York City, he opened his law office at 57 Wall Street. He served in Congress from 1782 to 1783, was elected to the Continental Congress, and founded the Bank of New York in February of 1784. Once elected, Hamilton remained politically active all of his life. He became one of the prime movers for calling the Annapolis Convention. At the Annapolis Convention in September of 1786, Hamilton served as one of three delegates from New York. He supported Madison in inducing the Convention to exceed its delegated powers and personally drafted the call to summon the Federal Convention of May 1787 at Philadelphia. At that Convention, Hamilton again represented New York as one of three delegates. Hamilton's own presence at the Convention was limited. His colleagues from New York represented converse political views from Hamilton. They chose to withdraw from the convention, leaving New York without an official delegation and Hamilton without a vote. However, he did make one remarkable speech on June 18th, 1787. In this he attacked the states' rights proposal of William Paterson and he upheld the British government as the best model from the world for the colonists to use. He advocated that the best solution lied in an aristocratic, strongly centralized, coercive, but representative union with devices that would give weight to class and property. Apart from this, Hamilton was largely absent from the convention, having left on June 30, 1787. Washington wrote him saying, "I am sorry you went away. I wish you were back." At the close of the Convention, Hamilton returned to sign the Constitution for his state. Hamilton then won the New York ratification convention vote for the Constitution against great odds in July of 1788.
During Washington's presidency, Hamilton became the first secretary of the Treasury. In this position he secured the traditional strength of American finance. He is chiefly responsible for establishing the credit of the United States, both at home and abroad. Hamilton sometimes overstepped the limits of his office in interfering with other departments. For instance, serious differences between Jefferson and Hamilton developed in the field of foreign affairs. When the French Revolution turned into war against all of Europe, and the French Republic sought to involve the United States, Hamilton advocated strict neutrality, which Washington proclaimed on April 22, 1793. Hamilton defended the proclamation in his "Pacifist" letters and attacked two succeeding French prime ministers for their interference in American domestic affairs.
On January 31, 1795 Hamilton resigned from his position of Secretary of the Treasury and returned to the practice of law in New York. Despite his resignation, Hamilton remained Washington's chief advisor through a continual interchange of letters between the two men. Hamilton even wrote Washington's Farewell Address in 1796. Two years later, Hamilton returned to military service at the age of forty-three. There, he served as active head of the army under Washington that was organized for the impending war with France. Washington himself insisted that Hamilton serve in that position as a condition of accepting the position. Hamilton served from July of 1798 to June of 1800.
After the death of George Washington, the leadership of the Federalist Party became divided between John Adams and Hamilton. After Adams became President Hamilton constantly advised the members of the cabinet and endeavored to control Adams's policy. On the eve of the presidential election of 1800, Hamilton wrote a bitter personal attack on the president that contained much confidential cabinet information. Although this pamphlet was intended for private circulation, the document was secured and published by Aaron Burr, Hamilton's political and legal rival. Based on his opinion of Burr, Hamilton deemed it his patriotic duty to thwart Burr's ambitions. First, Hamilton defeated Burr's hopes of successfully completing a foreign mission. Later, Hamilton ended Burr's goal of attaining the presidency. In the election, Burr was tied in votes for the presidency with Jefferson. Thus, the final vote was thrown onto the House of Representatives, which was strongly Federalist. Hamilton urged the House to side with Jefferson, who consequently won the election. Last, Burr wished to attain the governorship of New York. Failing to get the Republican nomination, Burr solicited the aide of the Federalists. Hamilton denounced Burr as "a man of irregular and insatiable ambition who ought not to be trusted with the reins of government." The denunciations seem to have been largely ignored by Burr until this last defeat. After that, Burr forced a quarrel between the two stating that Hamilton said he had a "despicable" opinion of Burr. Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel.
The duel was set for Weehawken on the New Jersey shore of the Hudson River opposite New York City, the same spot where Philip, Hamilton’s son, had been killed. Hamilton borrowed John Church’s pistols, the same which Philip had used. He wrote two letters to his wife, who, since only a handful of gentlemen had been told of the affair, had no idea his intentions. In one, he explained that he would have avoided “the interview” if possible. “But it was not possible, without sacrifices which would have rendered me unworthy of your esteem.” In the other letter, he explained “The scruples of a Christian have determined me to expose my own life to any extent, rather than subject myself to the guilt of taking the life of another.” Hamilton was shot, fell mortally wounded, and died the following day, July 12th, 1804.
