James Alexander Hamilton: Son of the American Revolution
By Samantha Wilcoxson
Publication Date: 30th March 2025
Publisher: Pen and Sword History
Page Length: 211 Pages
Genre: Biography
James Alexander Hamilton, son of Alexander, influenced U.S. history, advising leaders and supporting abolition, with personal historical insights.
Born in the year of the Constitutional Convention, James Alexander Hamilton was uniquely positioned to observe the early republic era and the formation of the experimental United States government. His father, Alexander Hamilton, had been the first US Treasury Secretary, an outspoken and controversial character who was killed in a duel when James was a teenager. With a lifelong devotion to his father's memory, James advised men from Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren to Abraham Lincoln and Salmon P Chase on banking and constitutional matters.
Through his own talents and with the advantage of his father's name, James served as temporary Secretary of State and District Attorney of New York. James enjoyed a close-knit family life with his wife, Mary Morris, at his Hudson River home named Nevis for his father's birthplace. He was part of the crew of the yacht America, for which the America's Cup is named, and on the committee for New York's Crystal Palace in 1853. More importantly, he served his country through the War of 1812, Western Expansion, and the bloody Civil War. His first-hand account of these transformative events gives readers a priceless look at America's past. James supported the abolition of slavery and wrote a draft of the Emancipation Proclamation before settling down to write his own Reminiscences that cover the first seventy-five years of US history.
This biography makes James A Hamilton's life and observations accessible to the modern reader and will leave you with a new appreciation for the Founders' heirs who inherited the difficult work of building a nation.
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James Alexander Hamilton: Son of the American Revolution
Samantha Wilcoxson
Samantha Wilcoxson is an author of emotive biographical fiction and nonfiction featuring history's unsung heroes. She loves sharing trips to historic places with her family and spending time by the lake with a glass of wine. Her most recent work is a biography of James Alexander Hamilton published by Pen & Sword History. Samantha is currently writing a Wars of the Roses trilogy for Sapere Books.
Now this is a book I most definitely need to read. Will it be out in paperback?
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for your interest! Pen & Sword has this book tentatively scheduled for paperback release in Jan 2027, but it is available on Kindle.
DeleteSince the musical, I have been obsessed with all things Hamilton! I have just pre-ordered a copy of your book and I am really looking forward to reading it and learning more about James.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I love the musical too! I first got interested in James when I was writing a chapter about Eliza for my book, Women of the American Revolution. He left behind so many great observations on early US history.
DeleteI am with you, Mary. I love the musical. I am going to put some of my chocolate money aside this week and pre-order the hardback - don't tell my husband!
ReplyDeleteI love it! I hope it is a reading treat just as enjoyable as chocolate. :-)
DeleteI don't much about American history if I am painfully honest, but of course I think we have all seen Hamilton. I know this is question is not directly related to your book, but how much was Hamilton the musical true to the historical facts?
ReplyDelete