Alexander Hamilton: Soldier, Patriot, Lawyer

Born in 1755, Alexander Hamilton wore many hats. He was George Washington's lieutenant colonel in the Continental Army. After the war, he returned to New York and continued his law practice, later signing the Constitution as a representative from New York. He was a financial genius at a time when the new nation was desperate for money. Hamilton, Madison, and Jay co-authored the Federalist Papers, a series of articles published in New York newspapers under the pseudonym Publius that advocated a strong central government.

Publius was a reference to an ancient Roman. It was common among the founders to write under a pseudonym, especially the name of someone from ancient Rome. Judge Yates of New York, for example, wrote under the pseudonym Bruno.

Hamilton was not overwhelmed with the idea of a Bill of Rights. He preferred a strong central government that could protect the country from Europe. Any constraints on that power such as a Bill of Rights were simply a hindrance of the national security effort. Some of his ideas lend support to the concept of an evolving constitution: "Constitutions should consist only of general provisions; the reason is that they must necessarily be permanent, and that they cannot calculate for the possible change of things."

As one of the signers of the Constitution, he confronted basic problems of governance: "In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men the great difficulty lies in this: You must first enable the government to control the governed, and in the next place, oblige it to control itself." The latter problem is an ancient one: Who will watch the watchers? Though he advocated a strong central government, it was to be a government of limited powers: "It's not tyranny we desire; it's a just, limited, federal government." And justice is not always easy.

According to Hamilton, "the first duty of society is justice." Hamilton, as one of the original Federalists, was not impressed by democratic arguments. "The voice of the people has been said to be the voice of God; and, however generally this maxim has been quoted and believed, it is not true to fact. The people are turbulent and changing, they seldom judge or determine right," he wrote.

Hamilton owned no slaves; he was leader on that issue.

He died in an 1804 duel with Aaron Burr.