Rough Diamond: The Life of Colonel William Stephen Hamilton, Alexander Hamilton's Forgotten Son

by Angelina Kaul

Solider, politician, miner, pioneer, scion of a Founding Father, William Stephen Hamilton led a prolific life. Rough Diamond: The Life of Colonel William Stephen Hamilton examines the tumultuous early Republic period of American history through the life of Alexander Hamilton's son.

Born in New York in 1797, the fifth son of Alexander Hamilton, he was only seven when his father was infamously killed in a duel with Vice President Aaron Burr. After resigning from West Point, Hamilton moved to frontier Illinois in 1817. The famous name of Hamilton that may have acquired him rank and prestige at one time was meaningless in a Midwestern frontier society driven by the Jacksonians. Yet, despite being hurled into a clash of economic, political, and cultural cultures, Hamilton determined to live his life by his own rules. A veteran of the Winnebago and Black Hawk Wars, Hamilton was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives before moving to the Wisconsin territory, where he founded the mining town of Hamilton's Diggings (Wiota, WI). When gold was discovered in California in 1848, he traveled west, where he would die in Sacramento in 1850.

In Rough Diamond: The Life of Colonel William Stephen Hamilton, author A. K. Fielding expands the story of the Hamilton family. Hamilton's life offers a firsthand account of the formation of the Midwestern states, the realities of life on the frontier, and mass migration caused by the California Gold Rush.

Genres: Nonfiction

144 pages, Hardcover

Published June 8, 2021

About the author

Angelina Kaul is an historian and artist. She is the author of A Little Book of Revolutionary Quotes series. Her articles have appeared in a variety of publications including, "American History Magazine," "PieceWork Magazine," "The Old Schoolhouse Magazine," "Journal of American Revolution," "Hoosier Heritage Magazine," and "Illinois Heritage Magazine." She also illustrated Benjamin Franklin's "Poor Richard's Almanack" for kids. Her latest book, a biography of Colonel William Stephen Hamilton, an old Northwest pioneer and son of Alexander Hamilton, is due out in 2020.

Angelina Kaul lives in the land of the free and the home of the brave with the papers of America’s Founding Generation, her paints, an amazing assortment of literary classics, and a relentless rabbit in her backyard. For more information on her work, please visit: http://trehanstreasures.com/.

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A.K. Fielding brings to life one of the pioneers who began the drive west in the early 19th century in this delightful, engaging biography. William Stephen Hamilton is often just remembered as one of the sons of Alexander Hamilton, a hero of the American Revolution and Founding Father, but in fact he lived a remarkable and fascinating life in his own right.

I absolutely loved this biography! I’ve been curious about the family of Eliza and Alexander Hamilton for a long time, and this book was chock full of new stories and information about their children and even some of their grandchildren, so I was thrilled to read it. Fielding has a great style of writing and easily kept me engrossed.

I particularly enjoyed hearing about William Hamilton’s relationships with his family. There seems to have been some friction between him and his brothers, which could have had multiple sources – political differences (William was a Whig, while most of his brothers seem to have been Jacksonian Democrats [the successors to Jeffersonian Republicans]), and perhaps even behavioral differences (William did not appear to fit in the more refined circles in the Eastern states, preferring an outdoorsy kind of life even from a young age). He was, however, very close to both his mother, the formidable Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton of whom so many sing of nowadays, and his younger sister, Eliza Hamilton Holly, to the point that he at one time planned and hoped to bring the latter out west to live with him after her husband died.

Fielding utilizes her study of William Hamilton’s life to highlight the man’s generation. He, like so many, pushed further west, settling areas in Illinois and in Wisconsin. (It was during his time in the latter state that his mother, by then well into old age, traveled from the East to visit him, a remarkable journey for the time.) We see the events of that time, such as the Black Hawk War, which William served in (and may have even met future President Abraham Lincoln).

This book is definitely worth a read! It’s not overly long, only 144 pages, so the time commitment isn’t overly large, and it’s very informative and readable! Fielding has done an amazing job bringing William Hamilton’s story into the light and I look forward to seeing more of her research in the future!

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Rough Diamond offers an intimate look into the life of an extraordinary individual, capturing both their triumphs and struggles. Through compelling storytelling and detailed insights, it brings their story to life and leaves a lasting impression on readers.