Alexander Hamilton is born, January 11th, 1757
He was born on the West Indian island of Nevis, the illegitimate son of a Scottish merchant and a divorced young woman. He proved to be a brilliant student and at seventeen was sent to the colonies by several patrons to further his education. He finally settled at King’s College, which is now Columbia University. In 1775, his passions aroused by the growing demands for freedom, he dropped out of school and organized his own volunteer militia unit. His mathematical prowess earned him a reputation as an outstanding artillery officer, capable of plotting and adjusting the trajectory of his cannons.