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Alexander Hamilton letter to James Stevenson, Jr.

 Item — Folder: 1
Identifier: Vault MSS 18

Scope and Contents

Handwritten and signed letter from Alexander Hamilton, dated September 13, 1801, and addressed to James Stevenson, Jr. Hamilton writes about reconciling a business debt.

Dates

  • Creation: 1801 September 13

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Open for public research.

Conditions Governing Use

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances. Permission to use material from this collection must be obtained from Reference Services at specialcollections@byu.edu.

Biographical / Historical

Alexander Hamilton was born on January 11, 1755, in Charleston, Nevis to James Alexander Hamilton and Rachel Faucette. He was orphaned as a child and taken in by a prosperous merchant. In October 1772, after arriving in New York, Hamilton found lodging with Hercules Mulligan, who assisted Hamilton in earning money to pay for his education. He entered King's College, now Columbia University, in New York City, in the fall of 1773. Hamilton was a prolific writer advocating for the American revolutionary cause. Hamilton served as an artillery officer in the American Revolutionary War where he saw the New York and New Jersey campaigns. After meeting Elizabeth Schuyler in 1780, they were married on December 14, 1780, at the Schuyler Mansion in Albany, New York. Together they had eight children. He served for years as an aide to General George Washington but sought a field assignment. In an effort to obtain a field command position, Hamilton left the front in March 1781 to settle with his wife, Elizabeth, close to Washington's headquarters. After repeated requests for assignment, Washington relented on July 31, 1781, and assigned Hamilton as a commander of a battalion of companies. Hamilton led these battalions in the successful Siege of Yorktown. After the Revolutionary War, Hamilton served as a delegate from New York for the Congress of the Confederation. He resigned from law and founded the Bank of New York. In 1786, Hamilton led the Annapolis Convention that would replace the Articles of Confederation with the Constitution of the United States. Hamilton also wrote 51 of the 85 installments of The Federalist papers. He served as the Secretary of the Treasury from September 11, 1789, until January 31, 1795. After resigning as Secretary, he resumed his legal and business activities. Hamilton was a leader in the abolition of the slave trade. Hamilton actively campaigned against Aaron Burr in multiple elections, by which Burr took offense. Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel in Weehawken, New Jersey on July 11, 1804. Hamilton was shot in the stomach and immediately transported to the home of William Bayard Jr. in Greenwich Village for medical attention. Hamilton died from his wounds the next day, July 12, 1804.

Biographical / Historical

James Stevenson, Jr. was born between 1733 and 1739, in Albany, New York to James Stevenson and Sara Groenendyck. He became a lieutenant in the British Army by 1762. He married an indigenous American referred to as Seneca Woman in November 1769. He was presumed to be a surgeon in Niagra around 1769. He died in the 1790s.

Extent

1 sheet (2 pages) : paper, ink ; 24 x 18 cm

Language of Materials

English

Appraisal

19th Century Western and Mormon Manuscripts.

Processing Information

Processed; Jamie Wiser; 2024.

Title
Register of Alexander Hamilton letter to James Stevenson, Jr.
Status
Under Revision
Author
Rose Frank
Date
2011 September 15
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English in Latin script.

Repository Details

Part of the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Repository

Contact:
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Brigham Young University
Provo Utah 84602 United States