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Alexander Hamilton
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Key Figures
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton is the subject of the book. His life is a study in contrasts. The traits that come to exemplify Hamilton all appear to have roots in his childhood in the Caribbean. Throughout his life, Hamilton was intellectually curious and courageous. He detested any sort of authoritarian regime or institution, and his loathing of slavery resulted from the injustices and cruelties he witnessed as a child.
Hamilton was ambitious, but few critics portray his actions as self-serving. As he rose through the ranks of the military, and then of American politics, Hamilton kept looking toward the future in mind. He studied so that he could understand subjects, not to secure a better job or to gain intellectual acclaim. When he sought an elevation of stature or position, it was typically to place himself in circumstances where he would have more influence or control over large outcomes. For instance, he coveted the position of Treasury secretary, but it was primarily because he trusted that he could devise a fair, methodical system that would benefit future generations.
Despite his bravery, and though Chernow portrays Hamilton in this book as thick-skinned, Hamilton was also unable to resist responding to criticism. He is quick to respond to any perceived insult to his honor, but there are also elements of his personality that incline towards self-sabotage—such as his lengthy, revealing pamphlet that went into unnecessary details about his affair with Maria Reynolds. He often found himself in difficult situations that he had created through his own impulsive actions.
Hamilton was driven by compassion, curiosity, idealism, a hatred of injustice, and by love for his wife and children. When he was killed by Aaron Burr, his final thoughts and writings were for the welfare of others, not of his own legacy.
George Washington
George Washington served as general of the Continental Army and won two terms as president of the United States. He was reserved, stoic, and often described as aloof by those who knew him. However, there was an internal price he paid for keeping his emotions inscrutable: Washington would inevitably lose his temper after he spent too long masking his feelings. His involvement in the book was largely to show how complementary Hamilton was to his presidency and command of the war. Chernow’s portrays Washington as a man of few words, but who retained a confidante in Hamilton, someone more loquacious and tireless in writing than anyone else in the story. Washington eventually grew tired of politics and governmental infighting. When he retired to Mount Vernon, he felt relief that his most demanding duties had ended. He died of a throat infection in 1799.
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson is not studied in depth in Alexander Hamilton, but serves as a useful foil for Hamilton, and as the face of the anti-Federalists. Jefferson was a calculating politician, but rather than relying on bombastic rhetoric, he cultivated favor with the common man. Jefferson dressed humbly and often pretended to know less than he did so that others were under the impression they were instructing him, making them feel kindlier and more loyal to him.
He was a complicated personality. A bookish man who claimed to desire his treasured private life in Monticello more than anything, his ambitions for political power were nevertheless obvious, as was his fear of a central government that might grow too strong. Jefferson appeared frequently irrational and paranoid when it came to Hamilton. He insisted that Hamilton was behind a plot to return America to a monarchy, but there is no evidence for his claim. He grew increasingly bitter towards Hamilton, and his resentment was disproportionate and confusing. After he won the presidency, he hypocritically began using his office to purge it of those who disagreed with him, the precise type of act of which he accused Hamilton.
Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr was a lawyer and politician who eventually killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel. The characters in the book who disagreed most vehemently with each other were still, for the most part, guided by clear visions and ideals, though they took different political positions. Burr showed no signs of caring about anything but himself. He was a womanizer, a liar, a cynical lawyer willing to employ unethical tactics to win cases, and he lusted for power simply to enrich himself and his ego. After Hamilton’s death, Burr, though vilified, remained unrepentant.
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