Was Alexander Hamilton a martyr?

Absolutely not. A martyr is literally a “witness”; someone who dies for witnessing to the truth of his or her beliefs. read more

Alexander Hamilton may have thought the dual was a gentlemanly gesture of bravery. If he fired into the air that was his decision and choice. Aaron Burr had decided the insult warranted Hamilton's death. Hamilton was not a martyr. He was the victim of his personal decision. read more

Alexander Hamilton was a brilliant man, a great and intelligent orator and a forward-thinking, far-sighted politician. He was also a great judge of character and he knew, almost from the time he met Aaron Burr, that the man was bad news. read more

In his new book, The Political Philosophy of Alexander Hamilton, Michael P. Federici, a political scientist at Mercyhurst University, does an admirable job of trying to sort out this swirl of opinions. read more