1. By: Erin Herock Period: 2 1789

3. Who was Alexander Hamilton?  In his teenage years he helped run a shipping company in the British West Indies.  He impressed the people working with him because of his intelligence and work ethic.  Because of this, he left for New York in 1773.  He was appointed the secretary of the treasury by George Washington.  He was known as a man with an ability for economical planning.  Also, he had the gift for financial matters.

5.  The national debt was the amount of money owed by the United States to various creditors.  Hamilton calculated that the United States owed about $11.7 million to foreign countries such as France, and around $40.4 million to America creditors.  Domestic debt was in the form of bonds which were certificates that represent money owed by the government to private citizens.  Bonds were what the U.S. sold during the Revolutionary War, and they promised to buy back the bonds at a higher price to guarantee a profit for bond-holders.  However, the government could not afford to buy the bonds, causing many bond-holders to sell their bonds to speculators- investors who buy items at low prices in the hope that the value will rise later.  Hamilton proposed a plan to pay off all foreign debt first, and gradually repay bond-holders.

6.  It was created because the government had a debt from the Revolutionary War, and each state had different form of currency.  He believed it provided a safe place to deposit government funds and would serve as a reliable source of loans for the government and businesses.  He proposed a national mint to begin issuing money.

7. This duel took place on the morning of July 11, 1804 in Weehawken, New Jersey.

8. Why did this occur?  To begin, the first conflict was that Hamilton was a Federalist and Burr was a Republican.  Then, in 1791, Burr took the Senate seat from Philip Schuyler, Hamilton’s father-in- law.  This resulted in Hamilton, the Treasury secretary, to be supported less because he counted on Schuyler’s votes.  In 1804, Burr decided to run as an independent instead of joining the Republicans; he believed that by doing so he would have power.  Out of mistrust, this alarmed Hamilton that Burr was going to be leading New York.  Hamilton then tired to warn the New York Federalists not to vote for Burr, and started a campaign against him.  Burr’s campaign failed, and he blamed this on Hamilton.  That was the last straw between them,and it ended in the duel between them on July 11, 1804.  Alexander Hamilton died a day after the duel because of a gunshot wound.

9. Why was a duel a solution to their conflicts?  Duels in the 1800’s were usually to protect their honor.  After challenging another man to a duel they would often end in negotiations or deals.  They often did not end in violence.