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Difference between revisions of "Alexander Hamilton and Adoption"

(Created page with "==Biography== Hamilton was adopted at six weeks of age by two university professors, joining an older born-to daughter. Later his family adopted another son. He stopped grow...")
 
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{{#eimage: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/05/Alexander_Hamilton_portrait_by_John_Trumbull_1806.jpg/506px-Alexander_Hamilton_portrait_by_John_Trumbull_1806.jpg |410x579px|thumb|'''Portrait of Alexander Hamilton by John Trumbull'''<br />Source: Wikipedia.org.}}
 
==Biography==
 
==Biography==
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Hamilton was adopted at six weeks of age by two university professors, joining an older born-to daughter. Later his family adopted another son.  
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Hamilton and his older brother were the illegitimate sons of James Hamilton, a Scottish trader, and a married Frenchwoman, Rachel Faucett Lavien. Alexander Hamilton was born on the Caribbean island of Nevis. Not long after his mother moved in with his birth father, James Hamilton abandoned the family on St. Croix. They then went to live with his mother's relatives. She died in 1768, but he and his older brother were left destitute after her legal husband successfully sued for all of their mother's estate. The boys were made wards of their cousin, but he died very soon afterwards. The boys were separated, with Alexander going to live with his best friend's family until he sailed for the American colonies in 1772.  
  
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He stopped growing when he was three or four years old, and spent four or five years going the rounds of doctors and hospitals in an attempt to diagnose his condition. Several diagnoses were made, including cystic fibrosis and Schwachman-Diamond syndrome, but none was correct, and he was put on a number of different diets to correct the problem, which was an inability of his body to absorb nutrients. When he was nine, however, the problem simply went away and he began to grow again, although he never grew to be more than 5' 3½" (1.61m) tall and 108 lb. (49kg). His mother died in 1977.  
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He soon became part of the colonists' struggle for independence and wrote revolutionary pamphlets, including over half of ''The Federalist Papers''. He joined the colonial army in 1775 or 1776 and quickly became George [[Washington]]'s aide. He was elected to the Continental Congress in 1782 but resigned in 1783 and became a lawyer in [[New York]]. He reorganized the US financial [[system]] in the 1790s, after [[Washington]] appointed him the country's first secretary of the treasury (1789-95).  
  
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He began skating when he was nine and became a champion at 22, winning 16 championships in a row. He won the Olympic gold medal in 1984 and the World Championships in 1981-84. He has been elected to the Figure Skating Hall of Fame and received the Jacques Favart Award, the highest award of the International Skating Union. Since 1984 he has been a professional entertaining skater and is very involved in medical charities for children. In 1997 he was diagnosed with testicular cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy.
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He continued in politics until his death in 1804 in a duel with Aaron Burr.
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As a boy he once asked his mother who his birth parents might be, and her hurt response has put him off making any further enquiries.
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==References==
 
==References==
  
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Dever, Maria, and Dever, Aileen. Relative Origins: Famous Foster and Adopted People. (Portland: National Book Company, 1992)
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Dever, Maria, and Dever, Aileen. Relative Origins: Famous Foster and [[Adopted]] People. (Portland: National Book Company, 1992)
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Microsoft Encarta 98 Encyclopedia, 1993-97
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Microsoft Encarta 98 [[Encyclopedia]], 1993-97
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Who's Who in America, 1996
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Dictionary of American Biography
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Shaughnessy, Linda. [[Scott Hamilton]]: Fireworks on Ice. (Parsippany: Crestwood House, 1998) (Figure Skaters)
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Lodge, Henry Cabot. Alexander Hamilton. (Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 1997) (American Statesmen Series; 7)
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Steere, Michael. [[Scott Hamilton]]: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Life and Competitive Times of America's Favorite Figure Skaters: An Unauthorized Biography. ([[New York]]: St. Martins Press, 1985)
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O'Brien, Steven. Alexander Hamilton. ([[New York]]: Chelsea House, 1989) (World Leaders Past and Present)
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"Hamilton, Scott," Current Biography Yearbook, 1985
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McDonald, Forrest. Alexander Hamilton: A Biography. ([[New York]]: W.W. Norton, 1979)
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"Joelle's [[Scott Hamilton]] Fan Page." [Includes portraits]. Available at: [http://members.aol.com/Revjoelle/index.html]
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Flexner, James Thomas. The Young Hamilton: A Biography. ([[New York]]: Fordham University Press, 1997)
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Brookhiser, Richard. Alexander Hamilton, American. ([[New York]]: Free Press, 1999)
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DeCarolis, Lisa Marie. "A Biography of Alexander Hamilton. [Includes portrait]. Available at: odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/B/hamilton/hamilxx.htm
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US Congress. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress: Hamilton, Alexander, 1757-1804." Available at: bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=H000101
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"American Str@tegy: Biography: Alexander Hamilton." Available at: artsedge.kennedy-center.org/american/bios/ahamilton.html
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"Alexander Hamilton." 2014. The Biography.com website. Apr 30 2014
  
 
[[Category: Adoption Celebrities]]
 
[[Category: Adoption Celebrities]]
 
[[Category: Adopted Persons]]
 
[[Category: Adopted Persons]]
 
[[Category: European]]
 
[[Category: European]]
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[[Category: Saint Kitts and Nevis]]
 
[[Category: USA]]
 
[[Category: USA]]
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[[Category: 20th Century]]
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[[Category: USA Overseas Territories]]
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[[Category: 21st Century]]
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[[Category: 18th Century]]
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[[Category: Sports]]
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[[Category: 19th Century]]
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[[Category: Theater, Broadcasting, Cinema]]
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[[Category: Business and Industry]]
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[[Category: Medical Problems, Chronic Illness]]
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[[Category: Finance]]
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[[Category: Formal, American/European-Type Adoption]]
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[[Category: Government, Politics, Civil Service, Public Administration]]
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[[Category: Birth or Infancy]]
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[[Category: Journalism]]
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[[Category: Others ("Strangers")]]
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[[Category: Law]]
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[[Category: Adoptive/Foster Family Included Birth Child(ren)]]
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[[Category: Military and Defense]]
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[[Category: Adoptee/Fosteree Not Interested in Tracing]]
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[[Category: School-age Years, Adolescence]]
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[[Category: Parental Relationship Breakdown, Divorce]]
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[[Category: Mother Married, but Not to Father]]
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[[Category: Cousins, Parents' Cousins]]
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[[Category: Family Friends or Acquaintances]]
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[[Category: Adoptive or Foster Parent(s) Died]]
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[[Category: Divorce or Premature Death of Adoptive Parent(s)]]
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[[Category: Mother Married but Not to Birth Father]]
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[[Category: Parents Separated or Divorced]]
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[[Category: Birth Siblings Placed Together]]
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[[Category: Birth Sibling(s) Separated]]

Latest revision as of 03:45, 24 February 2018

Portrait of Alexander Hamilton by John Trumbull
Source: Wikipedia.org.

Biography

Hamilton and his older brother were the illegitimate sons of James Hamilton, a Scottish trader, and a married Frenchwoman, Rachel Faucett Lavien. Alexander Hamilton was born on the Caribbean island of Nevis. Not long after his mother moved in with his birth father, James Hamilton abandoned the family on St. Croix. They then went to live with his mother's relatives. She died in 1768, but he and his older brother were left destitute after her legal husband successfully sued for all of their mother's estate. The boys were made wards of their cousin, but he died very soon afterwards. The boys were separated, with Alexander going to live with his best friend's family until he sailed for the American colonies in 1772.

He soon became part of the colonists' struggle for independence and wrote revolutionary pamphlets, including over half of The Federalist Papers. He joined the colonial army in 1775 or 1776 and quickly became George Washington's aide. He was elected to the Continental Congress in 1782 but resigned in 1783 and became a lawyer in New York. He reorganized the US financial system in the 1790s, after Washington appointed him the country's first secretary of the treasury (1789-95).

He continued in politics until his death in 1804 in a duel with Aaron Burr.

References

Dever, Maria, and Dever, Aileen. Relative Origins: Famous Foster and Adopted People. (Portland: National Book Company, 1992) Microsoft Encarta 98 Encyclopedia, 1993-97 Dictionary of American Biography Lodge, Henry Cabot. Alexander Hamilton. (Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 1997) (American Statesmen Series; 7) O'Brien, Steven. Alexander Hamilton. (New York: Chelsea House, 1989) (World Leaders Past and Present) McDonald, Forrest. Alexander Hamilton: A Biography. (New York: W.W. Norton, 1979) Flexner, James Thomas. The Young Hamilton: A Biography. (New York: Fordham University Press, 1997) Brookhiser, Richard. Alexander Hamilton, American. (New York: Free Press, 1999) DeCarolis, Lisa Marie. "A Biography of Alexander Hamilton. [Includes portrait]. Available at: odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/B/hamilton/hamilxx.htm US Congress. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress: Hamilton, Alexander, 1757-1804." Available at: bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=H000101 "American Str@tegy: Biography: Alexander Hamilton." Available at: artsedge.kennedy-center.org/american/bios/ahamilton.html "Alexander Hamilton." 2014. The Biography.com website. Apr 30 2014