The Intimate Life of Alexander Hamilton: Based Chiefly Upon Original Family Letters and Other Documents, Many of which Have Never Been Published (1910)
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The Intimate Life of Alexander Hamilton: Based Chiefly Upon Original Family Letters and Other Documents, Many of which Have Never Been Published (1910)
Allan McLane Hamilton (1848–1919) was the son of Phillip Hamilton and Rebecca McLane and the grandson of Founding Father: Alexander Hamilton. Standing at the head of his own profession, he had come into close contact with many prominent men both here and abroad.
Any life of Hamilton could hardly fail to be interesting, but this one is absorbingly so and especially by reason of its giving a more intimate view of his life and character. His public achievements were already well known, but much remained to be told about his private career. It is in this respect that the present biography is of exceptional value. Many of the letters are of peculiar charm, revealing the tender, domestic side of Hamilton's character.
The author writes: "THE purpose of the writer is to utilize a large number of original letters and documents, written by Alexander Hamilton and various members of his family as well as his contemporaries, and which in some measure throw light upon his private life and career as a soldier, lawyer, and statesman. Most of these have never been published, and were left to me by my father, the late Philip Hamilton, who was his youngest son. I have no more ambitious purpose than to produce a simple narrative, for there are several important works that fully and formally describe his public services. The latest of these is Oliver's excellent book, which is a noble monument to the memory of Hamilton. If I have gone into detail very minutely it is because of the belief that the familiar side of his life will be of interest to a great many people who have hitherto been furnished only with unauthentic generalities."
The present publication dispels much of the mystery that has always surrounded Hamilton's early life and at the same time supplements the information contained in the earlier biographies. Dr. Hamilton tells us nothing new about his grandfather's Revolutionary career, but devotes the greater part of his book to Hamilton's domestic life, his professional career, and his relations with Burr culminating in the duel.
CONTENTS I. Origin And Parentage II. Personal Characteristics III. As A Writer And Orator IV. Elizabeth Hamilton V. Courtship And Marriage VI. Hamilton The Lawyer VII. Hamilton The Lawyer (concluded) VIII. Family Life IX. Friends And Enemies X. The Years From 1790 To 1800 XI. Building A Home XII. Hamilton And Burr XIII. The Duel
This book originally published in 1910 has been reformatted for the Kindle and may contain an occasional imperfection from the original publication or from the reformatting.