to the scandalous ?X, Y, Z? affair. Hamilton soon turned away from his own
party. In 1800, the Federalists nominated John Adams for president. Hamilton did
not like Adams because he did not seek his advice on important issues as
president. The election of 1800 ended up being a tie between Aaron Burr and
Thomas Jefferson. The Federalist House wanted to vote for Burr since Jefferson
was their main antagonist. Alexander Hamilton hated and did not trust Burr and
urged Federalists to vote for Jefferson. The state and national elections of
1800 was the end of the Federalists in power. Alexander Hamilton and the
Infamous Duel Aaron Burr decided to run for governor of New York in 1804. He had
asked for the Federalists? support, but Hamilton refused to give him any and
the Republican candidate soundly defeated Burr. Burr blamed his defeat on
Hamilton and demanded Hamilton to apologize for his comments about him. Hamilton
refused and the date was set for a duel on July 11, 1804. The place was
Weehawken, New Jersey, where dueling was still legal. Burr shot Hamilton in the
abdomen and Hamilton shot in the air. Hamilton suffered the same fate as his son
did three years earlier and on the following day he died. There was an immense
outpouring of public grief at the news of Hamilton?s death. He had meant so
much to the United States as it meant so much to him. He had created an economic
system that would make the United States a global power in a short time. He was
the first one to use the Constitution?s extended powers in order to set up the
national bank. He was one of the first to defend the freedom of the press
(People v. Croswell 1804.) Hamilton kept a positive approach on America as he
built for the future. Jefferson even admitted, ?We can pay off his debt in 15
years: but we will never get rid of his financial system.? He often felt that
his efforts fell short for his country: ?Mine is an odd destiny. Perhaps no
man has sacrificed or done more the present constitution than myself?Yet I
have the murmurs of its friends no less than the curses of its foes for my
reward. What can I do better than withdraw from the Scene? Every day proves to
me more and more that this American world was not made for me.? For doing what
he did America owes much of its existence to a, as John Adams described
Hamilton, ??bastard brat of a Scottish peddler.?
5bd
Bowers, Claude G. Jefferson and Hamilton. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company,
1953. Cooke, Jacob E. Alexander Hamilton. New York: Charles Scribner?s Sons,
1982. Cooke, Jacob E. The Reports of Alexander Hamilton. New York: Harper &
Row, 1964. Finkleman, Paul ?Hamilton, Alexander.? U.S. Government Leaders.
Alan Greenspan- James Monroe. Volume 2. 309-602. Pasadena CA: Salem, 1997.
Nevins, Allan. ?Hamilton, Alexander.? Dictionary of American Biography.
Volume IV. New York: Charles Scribner?s Sons, 1960. Roche, John F. Illustrious
Americans: Alexander Hamilton. Morristown NJ: Silver Burdett, 1967.