Discovering Hamilton: New Discoveries in the Lives of Alexander Hamilton, His Family, Friends, and Colleagues, From Various Archives Around the World

by Michael E. Newton

For over two centuries, Alexander Hamilton’s birth, youth, and family background have been shrouded in mystery. For the first time ever, Michael E. Newton has conducted a systematic examination of the primary source material to discover the truth about Alexander Hamilton’s early life.
In the greatest and most significant collection of original Hamilton discoveries to be made in decades, Newton separates fact from fiction to create a new portrait of the tempestuous early years of America’s most remarkable and enigmatic Founding Father and the people that comprised his world.
An icon in life and a legend in death, Alexander Hamilton continues to fascinate. 'Discovering Hamilton' answers some of the most important and intriguing questions about Hamilton’s biography and introduces abundant new material about the lives of Alexander Hamilton, his family, friends, and colleagues.

294 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 11, 2019

About the author

Michael E. Newton graduated Summa Cum Laude with honors from Arizona State University with degrees in finance and computer information systems. He was a portfolio manager for ten years and writes about economics, finance, and the market. Michael Newton has always had a passion for history, politics, and economics, which led him write The Path To Tyranny: A History of Free Society's Descent Into Tyranny. His newest book, Angry Mobs and Founding Fathers: The Fight for Control of the American Revolution, was just published in July 2011.

Reviews

[Sophie Schiller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This gem of a book was born of years of meticulous research by historian Michael Newton using records from the Royal Danish Archives that were untouched and unseen by human eyes for hundreds of years. Since most of the records were written in Gothic Danish script, Newton hired a bevy of experts that could translate it into English. And what a treasure trove indeed! The book reads like an opening of a vault of a time in history that is long gone, but full of memorable characters like Alexander Hamilton, his parents James Hamilton and Rachel Faucett Lavien, Reverend Hugh Knox, Edward Stevens, Nicholas Cruger, the mapmaker Johan Cronenberg, the fortune-hunter John Michael Lavien, and assorted other personalities that figured into the rich, colorful history of St. Croix, Danish West Indies. Alexander Hamilton was a founding father like no other: he created himself. And in so doing he created a nation. We owe him a debt of gratitude for his far-reaching vision in creating America’s financial system. And Michael Newton has gone further than any other historian in bringing this fascinating character to life, the people in his world, his trials and struggles, and ultimately, his triumph. Pick up a copy of Discovering Hamilton and be prepared to journey back to the 18th century West Indies where privateers and smugglers consorted with founding fathers, planters, beggars, sailors, and wenches. You will be glad you did!

[Emilija · Rating 3 out of 5]

2021 52 Book Challenge - 35) Set in a country that starts with the letter "S"

With a book titled "Discovering Hamilton" I would have presumed that the book would be about Hamilton. However, I was wrong. Barely any of this book was actually about Hamilton, and rather, it was about all these variously linked individuals to Hamilton's life.

The book itself is clearly well researched, which considering its aim in trying to disprove every other historian that has ever written in this topic, it would have to be. I found it rather interesting and I thought that it was well written. I didn't necessarily agree with some of the statements that the author made, but I admire the author's strength in arguing against established "facts".

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent survey of the latest research and discoveries about Alexander Hamilton, his early life, his family, and the world in which he was born into. Michael Newton delivers a book that is easily read and understood, with each chapter covering a certain subject and the latest documents that have been found in various archives that had not been previously explored. I mean, who before today would have thought to look in Danish archives for information about the Ten-Dollar Founding Father?

I very much enjoyed reading about what Newton has discovered about Hamilton since the publication of his previous biography, Alexander Hamilton: The Formative Years Alexander Hamilton: The Formative Years . I was fascinated by the information he was able to uncover about Hamilton's extended family (on both the maternal and the paternal sides), particularly about his cousin, Anne Mitchell - the woman he mentions to Eliza in the very last letter Hamilton wrote to her, the day before the duel with Aaron Burr. I had often wondered why this woman was so important to Hamilton that he would take the time to write one last missive to his wife, urging Eliza to do whatever she could for her. Reading about what Newton had discovered about her and her role in Hamilton's life was so informative and engaging!

This is definitely a must-read for anyone who is interested in the latest information about Alexander Hamilton's early life and background! Well worth your time!