12 IMMIGRANTS WHO MADE STORY LIBRARY by Diane Marczely Gimpel AMERICAN POLITICS GREAT
1 Alexander Hamilton Helps Found the United States Hamilton arrived in Boston Massachusetts in 1772 It was a tense time in the American colonies Many people wanted to break free from British rule In 1775 the colonies went to war with England Hamilton wanted independence He joined the army Soon he became an advisor to General George Washington The colonists won the war in 1783 The United States became an independent country But the government was weak Hamilton and others believed it should be stronger In 1787 leaders met in Philadelphia At the meeting the US Constitution was written This document would create a stronger central government But first it had to be ratified by 9 of the 13 states Hamilton wrote essays to help The Constitution was ratified in 1788 George Washington became the first US president in 1789 He chose Alexander Hamilton was born in the 1750s on Nevis This small island in the Caribbean Sea was a British colony Hamilton’s family was poor He had to get a job early in life As a teen he was a store clerk He managed the money Hamilton was so good at his job that the store owner sent him to college New York 4
Official portrait of Alexander Hamilton the first US Secretary of the Treasury Hamilton to be the first secretary of the US Treasury In that job Hamilton helped manage the new country’s money It was a hard job The United States had a lot of debt New financial systems had to be created But Hamilton persisted By the time he stepped down Hamilton had helped strengthen the US government and economy 11 Hamilton’s age in years when he started working Hamilton’s ability to manage money helped him attend college in the American colonies Hamilton fought against the British during the American Revolution After independence he helped strengthen the government and economy 5
