Although not an official holiday, as the birthday's of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, today is the birthday of (IMHO) America's second-greatest Founder -- Alexander Hamilton (second only the Washington).
We know that Alexander Hamilton was born on January 11, but the year of his birth remains in dispute. Some contend that Hamilton was born in 1755, because a legal document, written after the death of Hamilton's mother, was located in the 20th century in the Caribbean Islands, where Hamilton was born, which speculated that he was born in 1755.
Alexander Hamilton himself always seemed to be of the opinion that he was born in 1757, because he calculated his age based upon that date in several documents he wrote.
But whatever year he was born, January 11 is definitely his birthday.
Happy Birthday, Alexander Hamilton. Your country has not yet forgotten you.
~President Calvin Coolidge, January 11, 1922~
2 Comments:
Hey Herc,
Cool post. He must have been a bundle of energy, as he was only 5'4" right?
It amazes me, how great he was, and how much Madison and Jefferson despised him. Here is a classic line from Jefferson:
“Nobody answers him, & his doctrine will therefore be taken for confessed. For God’s sake, my dear Sir, take up your pen, select the most striking heresies, and cut him to pieces in the face of the public. There is nobody else who can & will enter the lists with him.” Jefferson to Madison, July 7, 1793, The Papers of James Madison, ed. Thomas A. Mason, Robert A. Rutland, and Jeanne K. Sisson, vol. 15 (Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1985), 43; and below, p. 54. http://oll.libertyfund.org/index.php?option=com_staticxt&staticfile=show.php%3Ftitle=1910&layout=html
It shows how deceived Madison was, to be the pawn for an infidel like Jefferson. Madison, try as he may, did not succeed. Practically speaking, the pacificus, helvidius debate has Madison on the losing end. The Power of making treaties is from the President, with the legislature only a consenting power, could you see the legislature sitting with foreign leaders on policy? The Blues Brothers movie sauna scene comes to mind.
Is that black outline actually Hamilton's face?
OFT.
Hi OFT, glad to hear from you again.
Yes, he was certainly a "bundle of energy," although most books I have read say that he was five-foot and seven inches (I wonder where they get that precise measurement). ;)
It is sad how Madison became a disciple of Jefferson; during the time he, Hamilton, and Jay were working on the Federalist Papers, he was one of Hamilton's best friends, and he seems to have been on the right track. Considering Jefferson's doctrines (especially his religious ones) are rather easy to refute, it is hard to reconcile how Madison became convinced. Toward the end of his life, however, Madison seems to have warmed back up in some degree to Hamilton, and even wrote that "he possessed intellectual powers of the first order, and the moral qualities of integrity and honor in a captivating degree," and ironically, adopted some "Hamiltonian" policies during his presidency. The further irony that exits (and I point this out just to show how curious it is) is that the 2nd U.S. Bank, supported by Madison, was opposed by Hamilton's son James (even though James defended his father's conduct as Treasury Secretary, and seems to have held his father's political views -- even advising Pres. Abraham Lincoln!)
Anyway, I have kinda rambled on along this string, so I somewhat deviated from the point. But yes, the Hamilton/Madison/Jefferson relationship is interesting.
Yes, that black outline is really Hamilton's face, made from life. During the Constitutional Convention, several of the Framers (Including Washington, Franklin, and Madison) had the outlines of the shadow of their faces drawn on paper by an expert. The "photograph" is actually called a silhouette. It was a popular pastime in the 18th century and the Victorian Era -- the closest thing they had to actual photography.
P.S. I hope your book is coming along fine; I can't wait to read it. I, too, hope to write a book extensively documenting Alexander Hamilton's religious beliefs, and their significance to our nation. A shorter book than mind will be has already been written on the subject, entitled, "Alexander Hamilton: How the Mighty Are Redeemed," by Christopher S. Yates of the Family Research Council. I have read the book, and it is excellent! He also includes appendixes containing Hamilton's Christian Constitutional Society letter, and the separate testimonies of Rev. Moore and Rev. Mason.
I have also finished my little research project on the relationship between the Founding Fathers and the Illuminati. The story is eye-opening, and will certainly help discern the truth between all these conspiracy theories about the Founders and the Illuminati! No more endless speculation!
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