Alexander Hamilton was a multi-faceted, fascinating individual who helped to shape our nation in its infancy.  History buffs will be excited to learn that the Spring Lake District Library will be hosting a traveling exhibition about the life and times of Alexander Hamilton this summer from July 6 through August 18, entitled "Alexander Hamilton: The Man Who Made Modern America".  The public is invited to view the exhibit during the library's open hours which are 9:30 am through 8:30 pm Monday through Thursday, and 9:30 am to 5:00 pm on Friday and Saturday.

While many of us may know that Hamilton's face is on the ten dollar bill and that he died as a result of injuries he suffered in a duel, many are unaware of Hamilton's other visionary contributions. Alexander Hamilton was an immigrant, born in poverty. He was sent to New York to be educated and became caught up in the Revolutionary War, serving in the army and as an aide to George Washington.

Hamilton wrote the majority of the Federalist Papers, a series of newspaper articles that helped convince the American people to ratify the Constitution.  He foresaw the need for a national currency and created the Bank of the United States. As the first Treasury Secretary of the nation, he worked to unburden the country from staggering Revolutionary war debt.   Hamilton shaped the early republic and set the agenda for the future.  By examining Hamilton's contributions, we can gain a better understanding of why our financial, political, and legal systems are organized the way they are today.

 It's always intriguing to take a look at the private lives of public figures, and Hamilton's personal life was scandalous at times.  Hamilton had a reputation as a ladies man; in fact, Martha Washington chose to name one of her tomcats "Hamilton".  When Hamilton was blackmailed by the husband of a woman he was having an affair with, Hamilton made public the love letters he had written to the woman to prove himself innocent of illegally manipulating federal securities.  Tragedy struck when Hamilton's eldest son died in dual defending his father's honor three years before Hamilton himself was fatally wounded in a duel with then Vice-President Aaron Burr.

If you would like to know more about Alexander Hamilton, click here to take a look at some good books.