12 Lesser Known Facts About Alexander Hamilton, Was He Really Bisexual Or Gay?

Have you ever wondered how the almighty United States of America came into existence and who started this movement? Do not be surprised because this article will not fail to enlighten you. Alexander Hamilton’s name is one that cannot be erased from the history of the great country because of his role in founding the most powerful nation in the world. Hamilton is considered one of America’s Founding Fathers, meaning he was one of the few men to lead the American Revolution in the mid-1700s when America rose in revolt and waged war against its former colonial master, Great Britain.

Apart from Hamilton, there were other key philosophers, politicians and writers who orchestrated and led the revolution. Some of these great men include John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and George Washington.

Besides being a founding father, Alexander Hamilton is also an interpreter of the US constitution. He has also been credited with other accomplishments such as founding the Federalist Party, the US Coast Guard, the US financial system and one of America’s oldest newspapers, the New York Post – which is almost as old as the America itself..

Was he really bisexual or gay?

Alexander Hamilton was bisexual. This conclusion was drawn because Alexander had romantic relationships with both male and female acquaintances. In 1779, while working as an aide to General Washington, he had a romantic relationship with a fellow soldier, John Laurens. Letters on which Alexander professed his love to John were later found among Alexander’s possessions. At that time, there were no LGBT rights and being gay or bisexual was considered a punishable taboo in the 13 colonies. Therefore, Alexander’s relationship with John Laurens was clandestine.

12 Lesser Known Facts About Alexander Hamilton

His year of birth was controversial

Alexander Hamilton’s birth year has been a matter of controversy over the years. It is not known whether he was born in 1755 or 1757. The reason for this is that most of his historical evidence and writings suggest that he was born in 1757. This was accepted as his age until 1930 when a document about his early days originally written in Danish has been discovered. The facts on this paper indicated that Alexander Hamilton was born in 1755. However, his date of birth is recorded as January 12, a day in history when the patriot celebrated his birthday.

He was born out of wedlock

To be born out of wedlock means to be born into parents who are not married and while that may not be an issue now, it was in the 1750s and stands out in Alexander Hamilton’s profile. He was born to a married woman named Rachel Faucette, of British and French descent, and James Hamilton, a Scot. She was first married to a Danish or German merchant, who was named Michael Lavien. Rachel ran away from her husband, that’s when she met Alexander’s father. They never married but had two children.

Alexander Hamilton had a brother

Not much is known about the older brother of Alexanderbut it is a common fact that he was named after their father – James. Both were left alone when their mother died and were briefly taken in by a cousin. In 1769, when this cousin committed suicide, the young Hamiltons were separated as James opted to become an apprentice to a local carpenter while Alexander moved in with a foster family in Nevis.

His mother died of yellow fever

Rachael Faucette fled her husband, Michael Lavien after she had a son for him. She then had two more sons for a man named James Hamilton. However, this time the table turned and James had to leave her so she wouldn’t suffer the punishment given to a practitioner of bigamy. Rachael was forced to care for her sons on her own but was unable to complete this task as she died in 1769 of yellow fever. After her death, the house she lived in was taken over by her husband, Michael, along with most of the personal belongings, leaving Alexander and his brother with nothing.

He was adopted

After his mother’s death, Hamilton went to live with one of his cousins. However, his cousin died soon after and in the years that followed was adopted by a wealthy merchant, Thomas Stevens. Stevens trained Alexander on the trade and in 1771 Alexander ran a business for his adoptive father, while at sea. He and Thomas lived on Nevis.

Hamilton was a writer

Alexander Hamilton became a prolific writer after a few years of self-study. There are no records that show he learned to read and write in a formal school, rather he was self-taught. He started reading a lot of books in his teens and also wrote well. He once wrote his biological father a letter describing a hurricane. His writing skills would later delight his community leaders. This led them to raise funds for his studies in the North American colonies.

His school career

Alexander was sent to receive a formal education in the North American colonies. However, he was unable to gain admission to a church school as the Church of England refused him membership and therefore admission to their schools. Faced with this situation, he began to take classes in a private school and was taught by a Jewish headmistress. The name of the school is unknown. He also supplemented his courses with a library of 34 books.

Also, while preparing for college, he attended the preparatory school, Elizabethtown Academy. He was later admitted to King’s College where he was a daring and outstanding speaker and writer.

He was in the army

At the time of the American Revolutionary War, Alexander Hamilton joined the militia company along with several other boys from his college. They first started drilling with the company and then went on a raid. His company name at the time was Corses, but was later changed to Heart of Oaks. He learned military tactics, as well as its history on his own and led victorious raids. Soon he was on promotion and rose to the rank of captain.

He worked for George Washington

George Washington was a Commander-in-Chief and General of the Colonial Armies and later became the first President of the United States of America. While Washington was an army general, he sent a request to Alexander Hamilton to become his aide-de-camp. Surprisingly, Hamilton agreed. This came as a surprise as he had turned down about 3 similar offers from other generals. He worked tirelessly as Washington’s assistant, but later had a falling out with him that led to his retirement.

sex scandal

In 1791, Alexander was involved in an affair with a married woman named Maria Reynold. According to Hamilton’s account, Maria came to his home in Philadelphia to ask him to help her return to her family as she claimed her husband had abandoned her. Alexander felt compassion and decided to help her by giving her $30. While she was at home, she invited him to her bedroom and this marked the beginning of their affair which lasted until 1797. Maria’s husband knew about the relationship and instead of denouncing them, he decided to blackmail Alexander Hamilton into giving him money.

Also Read – Abraham Lincoln Height, Weight and Body Net Worth

Battle and war victories

During his lifetime, Alexander was a popular congressman, lawyer, political aide, and military personnel. While in the military he participated in several battles and wars including the American Revolutionary War, Battle of Harlem Heights, Battle of White Plains, Battle of Trenton, Battle of Princeton, Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth, Siege of Yorktown and the Quasi-War.

Wedded life

In 1780, Alexander tied the knot with his one and only wife, Elizabeth Schuyler. His wife was the daughter of a general and the exact date of their marriage is December 14. Elizabeth had eight children for Alexander, they are – Philip Hamilton, Angelica Hamilton. Alexander Hamilton Jr., James Alexander Hamilton, John Church Hamilton, William S. Hamilton, Eliza Hamilton Holly and Philip Hamilton (the second).

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7r63Io5innaeoe6S7zGiZrrKqZL2mu8%2BlnGhpYmK5pr%2FSnqlmo56kxK95xZqaratdlq%2BwwdNmmKWdqJa7pbHRZp%2BapZmhwbC6jLCYrGWYmnqzscClo7Jlkp7ApsTUmqNmp6JitKLFjg%3D%3D