Alexander Hamilton (1757-1804), the first Secretary of the Treasury, was a founder who helped shape the Constitution and defended it in the Federalist Papers. Born on the Caribbean Island of Nevis, Hamilton came from humble means and was orphaned as a young boy. He raised funds to travel to New York for a college education, and during his studies Hamilton became involved in the revolutionary cause. When war broke out, he and his classmates at King’s College formed an artillery regiment to serve in the Continental Army. His courage and intelligence in the war vaulted him up the ranks until he became George Washington’s chief aide. In the post-war period, Hamilton was an advocate for the proposed Constitution, which he helped design. He successfully made the case for adopting the Constitution in the Federalist Papers. Hamilton then served in the Washington Administration as the first Treasury Secretary, where he sought economic unity between states by supporting domestic industry, assuming state debts, and establishing a national bank. After his tenure, Hamilton’s conflict with his longtime adversary, the politician Aaron Burr, intensified. Burr shot and killed Hamilton in a duel in 1804.