From an Orphan in St. Croix to Wall Street: Hamilton’s American Dream

On September 11, 1789, Alexander Hamilton was appointed by George Washington as the nation’s first Secretary of the Treasury.

Hamilton’s path to that office was anything but ordinary. Raised on the island of St. Croix, he lost both parents by the time he was a teenager. To support himself, he began working as a clerk in a local trading company, where he gained the practical financial skills that would later serve him — and the United States — so well.

After coming to the colonies, Hamilton distinguished himself as an officer in the Revolutionary War and as a trusted aide to George Washington. As Treasury Secretary, he designed a bold plan to consolidate and repay the young nation’s wartime debts, laying the foundation for America’s financial system and credit.

From an orphaned boy on a Caribbean island to one of the most influential Founding Fathers — Hamilton’s story is one of resilience, brilliance, and vision. More than two centuries later, his legacy endures — on Wall Street and, of course, on Broadway.