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August 3, 2007
U.S. Senators introduce bill to study Alexander Hamilton's life on St. Croix A bi-partisan group of prominent U.S. Senators led by Senators Orrin Hatch has introduced legislation to study the childhood of Alexander Hamilton, as a first step in a joint V.I. Government-National Park Service project to acquire and restore properties where the Founding Father once lived or worked on St. Croix. The U.S. Senate co-sponsors of the bill include: Jay Rockefeller, Sam Brownback, Evan Byah, Tom Harkin, Bill Nelson and Mike Crapo. Alexander Hamilton was a senior military aide to General George Washington and one of the authors of the Federalist Papers, the blueprint of the American republic. He was an outspoken abolitionist, the visionary for New York City, the creator of the American financial system, and the first Secretary of the Treasury. Throughout his short life he credited his financial acumen to his experiences on St. Croix. Alexander Hamilton was killed in a duel with Aaron Burr, the Vice President, in 1804. He was only 49 years old. Alexander Hamilton arrived on St. Croix with his mother in May 1765. He lived and worked on the island until he departed for New York to attend college in 1773. This bill would mandate the National Park Service to study the various locations where he lived, particularly the 115-acre Estate Grange plantation, and the downtown Christiansted warehouse location where he worked. Hamilton’s mother, Rachel Faucette Lavian is buried at Estate Grange. Governor John deJongh, Jr. thanked Senator Hatch for his leadership in the Senate on behalf of St. Croix. “Senator Hatch has been at the forefront on a number of important national issues, and he has included this project on his list of important priorities.” “Senator Hatch and the other co-sponsors share my vision for a workable local-federal partnership on the direction of this project”, the Governor said. deJongh said, “During the past 250 years, Estate Grange has been privately owned, and is now owned by the Armstrong family. The Great House has been well maintained, and the entire property has been treated with great dignity.” Estate Grange has tremendous historic significance to the United States and to St. Croix, and it my goal to see the Estate transformed into a national center for the study of Alexander Hamilton, with an associated museum, conference facilities, and other areas of significance to historians and to local residents, deJongh said, adding “We look forward to working with the U.S. Senate, the National Park Service, Delegate Christensen, and the current owners in this important undertaking”. This project will boost tourism on St. Croix by attracting thousands of new visitors interested in Caribbean history, early American life, and the study of Alexander Hamilton. |
