“Hamilton had a genius and was hard-working but did not come from an illustrious family like most of the Founding Fathers. Newton, author of Alexander Hamilton: The Formative Years. “In Hamilton's day, showing courage on the field of battle was one of just a few ways for an unknown person to win fame,” says historian Michael E. The double-pronged advance led General Cornwallis to surrender. The siege lasted from September 28 to October 19, 1781, with the French attacking the British fort at Redoubt 9 and Hamilton attacking Redoubt 10 simultaneously. In that decisive clash, Hamilton acquitted himself brilliantly, leading a successful assault that contributed to the surrender of British General Lord Charles Cornwallis.Īppointed by Washington in 1781 to command a light infantry battalion in Marquis de Lafayette’s Division, Hamilton helped lead the attack at the Battle of Yorktown in Yorktown, Virginia, which would become the war’s last major land battle. Hamilton left Washington’s staff in 1781, but returned to the army briefly later that year when Washington gave him a field command at the Battle of Yorktown. WATCH NOW Alexander Hamilton's Role in the Revolutionary War Philip's death devastated the Hamiltons, and many historians believe it led to Hamilton's own reluctance to fire directly at Aaron Burr during their legendary duel just three years later. They would have eight children together, many of whom went on to have celebrated careers in law, politics and the military.Įlizabeth remained a key source of loyalty and stability for him throughout the many tumultuous years to come.ĭid you know? Alexander Hamilton's beloved first-born son, Philip, was killed in a duel in 1801 while attempting to defend his father's honor against attacks by New York lawyer George Eacker. In 1780, he married Elizabeth Schuyler, the daughter of a wealthy and influential New York landowner and military officer. Hamilton’s writing prowess and military skills helped him thrive as Washington’s aide-de-camp, and built his reputation in Revolution-era society. By 1777, he had captured the attention of the army’s commander-in-chief, General George Washington, who gave him a position on his staff. When the Revolutionary War began, he was commissioned to lead an artillery company in the Continental Army and fought bravely in the Battles of Trenton and Princeton, among others. While studying at King’s College in New York (now Columbia University), Hamilton got involved in the colonial cause, writing pamphlets like “A Full Vindication of the Measures of Congress,” in which he defended the First Continental Congress’s proposal to embargo trade with Britain.
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