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

William Stephen Hamilton was a soldier, politician, miner, pioneer, and scion of a Founding Father who led a prolific life. Born in 1797, he was the fifth son of Alexander Hamilton and was only seven when his father was killed in a duel with Vice President Aaron Burr. Despite being thrown into a clash of economic, political, and cultural cultures, Hamilton determined to live his life by his own rules. He was a veteran of the Winnebago and Black Hawk Wars and was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives before moving to the Wisconsin territory, where he founded the mining town of Hamilton's Diggings. When gold was discovered in California in 1848, he traveled west, where he died in Sacramento in 1850.

Format: Hardback
Length: 144 pages
Publication date: 08 June 2021
Publisher: Indiana University Press

William Stephen Hamilton, a soldier, politician, miner, pioneer, and scion of a Founding Father, lived a remarkable life. Born in New York in 1797, he was just seven years old when his father, Alexander Hamilton, was tragically killed in a duel with Vice President Aaron Burr. After resigning from West Point, Hamilton ventured to the frontier of Illinois in 1817. Despite his famous name holding little sway in a society dominated by the Jacksonians, Hamilton remained determined to live life on his terms. A veteran of the Winnebago and Black Hawk Wars, he served in the Illinois House of Representatives before moving to the Wisconsin territory, where he established the mining town of Hamilton's Diggings (present-day Wiota, WI). When gold was discovered in California in 1848, Hamilton embarked on a westward journey, ultimately passing away in Sacramento in 1850.

In his book, Rough Diamond: The Life of Colonel William Stephen Hamilton, author A. K. Fielding delves deeper into the story of the Hamilton family. Hamilton's life provides a firsthand perspective on the formation of the Midwestern states, the challenges of life on the frontier, and the mass migration spurred by the California Gold Rush. Through his experiences, Hamilton sheds light on the complexities and hardships of the early American Republic, leaving a lasting legacy as a pioneer and scion of one of the nation's Founding Fathers.

Weight: 404g
Dimension: 216 x 140 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780253053947