Who+Killed+Alexander+Hamilton?

Alexander Hamilton was an abolitionist (against slavery) - Jayel
 * oThis is the page to include your summaries of your suspects. **

Philip Schuyler Was born November 1733, the first surviving child after six infant deaths. He had been raised to become head of the household. In 1751 he went to America to become involved in trade, once he received his inheritance he became one of the wealthiest landowners in America, who greatly supported the revolution. He was Hamilton's father in law. Jayel

I don't think Schuyler would be a good suspect for the murder of Hamilton. He was rich, and Hamilton's ideals would greatly benefit the rich an give them more influence on government activities. Also, Schuyler must have liked Hamilton if he let his daughter marry him. Jayel

Melancton Smith Was a strong opposer of the federalists and even wrote the anti-federalist papers in response to the federalist papers. He was born in Long Island on may 7, 1744. Melancton became involved in the mercantile business around the same time he became involved in politics. He was especially involved in aspects that dealt with independence for the colonies. During the revolutionary war he became captain of the Duchess County minutemen in New York. Jayel

Smith would be a very good suspect for this murder. Having worked with the revolutionary army, smith could probably sympathize with the rebellions that the veterans had staged after the war. He was obviously in strong opposition of the federalist since he even wrote the anti-federalist papers. Hamilton would be seen as a great rival when it came to politics. Jayel

William DuerI don't think William Duer would have killed Alexander Hamilton. He was an American lawyer, developer, and speculator from New York. He was a Federalist who wrote supporting __#|the United States Constitution__ under the pen name "Philo-Publius." He was part of the Continental Congress and the convention that framed the New York Constitution. He also signed the Articles of Confederation. Luke Phillip FreneauPhillip Freneau was a close friend of James Madison. He later became the editor of the National Gazette. He was a poet and is sometimes called the, "Poet of the American Revolution." He could be a conspirator with Madison in the killing of Alexander Hamilton, but only because he was close friends of Madison. Luke Charles TalleyrandTalleyrand was a French diplomat and worked under the guidance of Louis XVI. He was involved with the politics of the French Revolution by "strongly supporting the anti-clericalism of the revolutionaries". He was even thought to have been a part of the kidnapping and murder of the Duke of Enghien. This occurrence supposedly influenced the execution of Louis XVI in later years. I believe that with his background, he could of (*have: This revision was made by Alex Higinbotham) killed Alexander Hamilton. Also, Talleyrand was a close acquaintance of Napoleon, who made him his foreign minister and later titled him Prince de Benevento. As for his relations with America, he was involved with the XYZ affair and forced Americans to pay $250,000 to him before the French government "would even deal with them". This angered the Americans and probably even Alexander Hamilton back then because some Federalists were anti-French and would be anti-Talleyrand too. This relationship could be a pivotal point in the murder of Hamilton. Hannah Mercy Otis WarrenWarren was a revolutionary-time woman who pioneered through the world of politics which was often thought of a "man's job". She was a political writer and often influenced the colonists through her writing to "resist British infringements on colonial rights and liberties". She was anti-Federalist and could of definitely been a conspirator of murdering Alexander Hamilton. Warren was married to James Warren who was also into politics and a speaker of the House and the President of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress. She was close friends with Martha Washington and Abigail Adams. Warren's pen name in her literary works was "A Columbian Patriot". She was also a supporter of __#|the Bill of Rights__ being included in the Constitution. Warren is known as the first woman to have written about the Revolution, through her book, History of the Rise, Progress, and Termination of the American Revolution. Hannah James Monroe.The Secretary of State, and later president, should not be a suspect because although he was a Republican for the majority of his life, he spend his early days as a Federalist. He also wrote with Alexander Hamilton to create the Federalist papers. This shows at least a small similarity in their beliefs and principles. The only possible reason would be if he was in a conspiracy with Jefferson. This is extremely unlikely. (Alex Wagner) Samuel OsgoodThough being appointed the Post Master General position under the Jefferson Administration, Samuel Osgood was a member of the Federalist Party. Because of this fact, he would have no "beef" with Alexander Hamilton, the big whig in the Federalist Party. (Alex Wagner) Henry KnoxHenry Knox was the first United States Secretary of War. He served under Washington along with Hamilton, and participated in most of the major battles of the Revolutionary War. He was intelligent and very loyal to Washington as well as the United States in general. He was also an early supporter of a strong national government, which made early Revolutionary leaders scrutinize him. After the war he was appointed to be the nation's second secretary of war. He retired towards the end of his life and used his military connections to build a somewhat successful empire off of land speculation in Maine. I don't think he would be a candidate for Hamilton's murderer. He and Hamilton never had any major differences, and he supported Washington in his dislike for political parties. (Corbett McKinney) Robert LivingstonLivingston and Hamilton both attended King's College around the same time, and most likely met there. He was one of the five men who originally drafted the Declaration of Independence, although he was not able to sign the final version of the document. He was the Chancellor of New York, which at one time was a prestigious title. He was originally an ally of Hamilton and supported the Federalists, but before soon joined Jefferson and the Democratic-Republicans. He formed an uneasy alliance with Aaron Burr and Thomas Jefferson, and opposed Federalist initiatives. Livingston would be a pretty good murderer. He knew a lot about Hamilton, but his allegiance was with Jefferson, so he would have means and motive. (Corbett McKinney) Also, I guess we're supposed to put a fact about Hamilton on here, right? I found out that he was orphaned at the age of 11 on the island of Nevis, but was sponsored by friends and family to go to the colonies after writing an impressive review of a sermon. I found that at [].

Noah Webster Noah Webster would be an unlikely suspect in Hamilton's murder because he was a both a friend of Hamilton and a Federalist. At one point Hamilton even loaned Webster $1,500 to move to New York City so he could become the editor of a leading Federalist paper. Webster was also a big supporter of the new constitution and wrote a popular pamphlet about it. I also think it's relevant to point out that early on Webster was a deacon for his local church and remained deeply religious, so murder was probably not something he was okay with. (Reagan Young)

James Wilkinson James Wilkinson was a Federalist who worked closely with Alexander Hamilton. He was third in rank behind Washington and Hamilton in the U.S. Army, and although he was a Federalist, he vigorously opposed the new U.S. constitution. He was also friends with Aaron Burr, the man who did in fact kill Hamilton, and was caught conspiring with him to set up an independent nation in the west. After his death it was found out that he had actually been a paid agent of the Spanish Crown as well. Overall, I think Wilkinson is a pretty good suspect because he had motive through his connection with Burr and his hate for the new constitution and he had the means because of how closely he worked with Hamilton. He even grew up around the idea that "the image of respectability excused the reality of betrayal". (Reagan Young)

Alexander Hamilton was the first Secretary to the Treasury under George Washington's administration. (Alex Wagner) Hamilton was the leader of the Federalist Party. Luke Alexander Hamilton was the illegitimate son of James Hamilton and Rachel Faucett Lavien. (Reagan Young)

Alexander Hamilton was the senior aide-de-camp and confidant to General George Washington during the American Revolution. (Alex Higinbotham)

John AdamsJohn Adams was the second president of the United States, the first vice-president of the United States, and one of America's founding fathers. Adams came to prominence in the early stages of the American Revolution. A lawyer and public figure in Boston, as a delegate from Massachusetts to the Continental Congress, he played a leading role in persuading Congress to declare independence. He assisted Thomas Jefferson in drafting the Declaration of Independence. I think John Adams is a very likely suspect in the murder of Alexander Hamilton. Why? John and Alexander were very bitter political enemies. The animosity was mostly felt by Alexander towards John because Alexander wished to become president in 1796 and gain more power, yet John could have wanted to kill Hamilton to avoid him becoming too powerful. (Alex Higinbotham) Abigail AdamsAbigail Adams was the wife of the second president, John Adams. She was the first Second Lady of the United States and the second First Lady of the United States. She is remembered for the letters she wrote to her husband while he stayed in Philadelphia during the Continental Congress. John, her husband, frequently south the advice of Abigail on many matters, and their letters are filled with intellectual discussions on government and politics. Conclusively, Abigail also could have been the suspect for the murder of Alexander Hamilton because she was John Adams' wife. Yet it is assumed that John would have done the dirty work himself if he wanted Hamilton dead. (Alex Higinbotham)

Alexander Hamilton was killed in a duel with Aaron Burr. (Chase)

William McClayWilliam McClay would be a good suspect for Hamilton's murder. McClay supported the war for Independence and the Constitution. Although he was a supporter for American independence, he opposed the Federalist's, and therefore, Hamilton's beliefs. He was a commisionary in the Continental Army and served in the state legislatures in the 1780's. He was one of the only speakers for the opposition of the Federalists in Congress. He would be a good suspect for Hamilton's murder because he did not support his beliefs and he spent all his time in Congree speaking out against the Federalists. (Chase)

Alexander MacombAlexander Macomb would not be a good suspect for Alexander Hamilton's murder. Macomb was a general in the U.S. Army during the American Revolution. He was recognized by Hamilton as a great military leader. Macomb was a Federalist, like Hamilton and other men of the same class. When he was young, his parents moved him to New York where he recieved a classical education. He fought for independence from the British, and pressed for a government that favored the elites and upper class. Macomb would not be a good canidate for the murder of Hamilton because he shared the same beliefs as him. (Chase)

Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton Elizabeth would be a very good suspect for the murder of Alexander. She was his wife for 24 years and they were, to most people, happily married with a family. Elizabeth and her children were away for the summer in New York to escape the Philadelphia diseases leaving Alexander alone. While they were gone he cheated on his wife with Maria Reynolds. Elizabeth was said have forgiven Alexander for his sake of role in government, but did she really forgive him? Elizabeth could of done this to allow her husband to continue making the money and show a good name. Then killed him when she knew his time was up and her anger of being betrayed took over. (Natalie)

John Jay John would not be a probable suspect for the murder of Hamilton. The worked together writing the federalist papers published in The //Independent Journal.//They had a good relationship and had no reason to kill him. John later joined Jefferson and created the Republican party which was against Hamilton. They were not enemies however so their relationship was still stable. (Natalie)

Alexander Hamilton cheated on his wife and had eight children with her one being a miscarriage. (Natalie)

Hamilton's interest and __#|career__ in law began when he took the Rutgers v. Waddington case in 1784, involving the rights of Loyalists, and also when he helped to establish the Bank of New York. (Source : [] page 2) (Maggie)

James Reynolds James Reynolds could be seen as a very good suspect for Alexander Hamilton's murder. He was a former commissary officer of the American Revolution, and was the husband of Maria Reynolds. He did not treat his family well at all, causing them to look for someone else to care for them in financial ways. This led Maria Reynolds and Alexander Hamilton, who differed in age by eleven years, to begin in an affair that would last three years, one which James was completely aware of. Through this affair, Mr. Reynolds was able to black mail about $1,000 out of Hamilton to keep him quiet about the whole ordeal. He eventually found a loophole though, and sent two men to call him out about the situation, until eventually he openly admitted his wrongdoing to the public. So he would have been a good suspect, in the way of wanting to get revenge on Hamilton for his wife cheating on him, and just being bitter and angry over the whole thing. (Maggie)

Maria Reynolds Maria Reynolds, I think, would probably not have been a suspect in Hamilton's murder. She had been the victimized wife of an abusive husband, also the man who abused her daughter Susan too. She wanted to find someone who would support her financially and also care for her in a way her husband never did. Things went downhill for both her and Hamilton in the affair when Mr. Reynolds black mailed them, and then had them called out. It ruined not only her reputation, but the reputation of the only other person to take care of her. So I think she might feel angry over Hamilton not dealing with this in a better way, she would just be upset that the only person to take her in would not be able to take care of her anymore. (Maggie)

Alexander Hamilton was one of seven foreign-born signers of the Constitution. There were 39 signers all together. http://www.patriapress.com/downloads/ahdownload6.pdf (Brett)

Alexander Hamilton wrote half of the installments of the "Federalist Papers" in favor of a new constitution. (Eriana)

George Clinton George Clinton was a Founding Father of the United States, the first governor of New York, and also the Vice President of the United States under Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. During the revolution he was Anti-Tories and Anti-Federalist. He was opposed to any changes of the constitution, and was recognized as being very vocal about that belief. He was so until the creation of the Bill of Rights. I don't think he would have killed Hamilton because although he was a part of the the Republican party, there was no serious opposition towards the Federalist. (Eriana)

Dr. Thomas Cooper I think that Dr. Thomas Cooper could be a possible suspect for the murder of Alexander Hamilton because his pilitical position opposed Hamilton as a Jeffersonian Republican, and Federalist did nothing to help him. He was born in London, England, and studied there, but fear of persecution caused him to leave England. He believed strongly in the freedom of speech and fought against the Alien and Sedition Acts. He was imprisoned after writing against President John Adams. It is possible to see Cooper take out his hostility towards Federalists on Hamilton. (Eriana)

Elbridge Gerry I do not think that Elbridge Gerry was a possible suspect for Alexander Hamilton's murder because he did respect some of Hamilton's views despite the fact that he was part of the opposing political party. Elbridge had opposed the importation of tea and agreed with the system of non-intecourse acts with Britain. Elbridge attended the Constitutional Convention in 1798, but he was opposed to the new Federal Constitution. Even though Elbridge was a Republican, he did agree with Hamilton's idea of a national bank and having the national government assume the debts of the Revolutionary war. Elbridge was also the American representative for France in 1797. Elbridge was criticized for redistricting the state to the advantage of his own party. He also "prosecuted federalists editors for libel and appointed family members to state office". The term gerrymandering, which means to manipulate the boundaries of electoral organization to favor one party or class, was invented because of this event. In 1812 Elbridge became the Vice President of President Madison. Elbridge did not have a good enough motive to kill Hamilton.(Gabriella)

Edmund Genet I think that was very possible that the French diplomat, Edmund Genet, was a suspect of Alexander Hamilton's murder because Hamilton was pro British and Genet also was had close ties to Jefferson. I think Jefferson made Genet kill Hamilton for him in repay for helping him gain popularity in the country. Genet would stay on American vessels and use them to gain support against the British. This angered Washington who told Genet to stop. Genet defied to Presidetn by continuing to outift privateers and organize expeditions to free Florida, which was held by Spain. Jefferson had made sure that Genet recieve full diplomatic recognition in the states. It ended up that Genet didn't want to go back to France because the Girondists were in charge and cutting off many heads. He stayed in America and settled down quietly instead. I think that Genet didn't like Hamilton to begin with, and that Jefferson paid him off to kill Hamilton for him. (Gabriella)

Hamilton was in favor a national bank and the assumption of state debt.(Gabriella)

Aaron Burr Aaron, if he wasn't known as the killer, would be a really great suspect for the murder of Hamilton. After fighting in the Revolutionary War, Burr wanted to get into the political arena and be elected high. He was always met by Alexander Hamilton who shared the same practice that Burr did and and was always regarded as higher. In 1804, he was elected Vice President under Thomas Jefferson. Aaron blamed Hamilton's political and personal machination. (Brett)

James Thomas Callender James Callender would be a great suspect because of his many newspaper writings criticizing the Constitution. He also wrote much about how the Senate was flagrantly unrepresented. He also made many shots at Hamilton saying how he had an affair with Maria Reynolds which he published in his book //History of the United States 1796.// After spending nine months in jail in 1801 for his Anti-Federalist //The Prospect Before Us//, his bitterness went to alcoholism as his life began to fall apart. (Brett)