Alexander Hamilton once said, “Give all the power to the many, they will oppress the few. Give all the power to the few, they will oppress the many.” Taking a look at modern day America, the latter seems to ring true. The “few,” those in political power – whether or not their decisions are made by monetary influences – seem to act in the best interests of the upper class rather than the lower. The “many” have taken note of this, and attempt to elect those with platforms that reflect the needs of the oppressed only to be let down once in office, coming second to those that line the pockets of legislature. It’s possible that this pinnacle of injustice could bring about another Revolution. If Americans feel as though nothing will change no matter …show more content…
He was born in the British-claimed West Indies of the Caribbean Sea in the mid-seventeen fifties. His mother had wanted a divorce from an abusive husband that was not granted to her, so she committed adultery with the man that became Alexander’s father. The couple never wed, and he later abandoned them in poverty. Because young Hamilton was an illegitimate child, when his mother died of a fever that almost took him as well, he was not granted the inheritance. It instead was given to his mother’s estranged first husband. Alexander was not given proper schooling at the Church of England due to him being the fruit of infidelity, but he received minor tutoring from a Jewish schoolteacher. At a young age, Hamilton supported himself by working for an accounting firm in St. Croix, which is now a part of the United States Virgin Islands. What got Alexander noticed was his extremely well-written column about a hurricane that hit the area. He was brought to America to study at King’s College in colonial New York. George Washington took him under his wing and became his assistant during the Revolutionary war …show more content…
One of his most notable achievements was drafting the Federalist Papers, which, written by himself and a few others, were a compilation of essays advocating the ratification of the United States Constitution. When he was thirty-two, George Washington appointed him to be the Secretary of the Treasury, which gave him the power to “organize the federal bureaucracy, establish the credit of the United States as the envy of the world and lay the foundation for America becoming an economic colossus” (Fowler). The biggest aspect of this agenda was the establishment of the Bank of the United States. During this time in Hamilton’s life, he was in a rivalry with Thomas Jefferson – neither man saw eye to eye on how to run the government. Thomas favored a state-run government, while Alexander preferred a federally run government. To combat Hamilton’s Federalist Papers, Jefferson started the National Gazette, a newspaper that sought to influence readers against Federalism (McDonald). When Jefferson became president in 1800, he wanted to purge the government of Hamiltonian Federalism. This only fueled the rivalry (Chernow). When Alexander decided to retire from working for the government, he put his law degree to very good use. He became a pro bono lawyer that represented the poor for no fees. No matter what the richer clients were willing to pay, if he knew they were guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt,