Religion in Alexander Hamilton’s Later Years

Background

An often (though not always) overlooked aspect of Alexander Hamilton’s life was his religious beliefs. I have done a lot of research on this topic, and will be sharing some of that information here. According to friends, family, and his own writings, Hamilton was very religious in his early years (roughly as a child through some time around his mid-twenties: though this is just my estimate). Then, there was a period in the middle that is up for debate. Finally, Hamilton definitively returned to his beliefs in the final few years of his life. This post is a summary of his beliefs in those final few years since this is the research that I am the most confident on at this point. This is just a summary and not a comprehensive post on the topic, and as I research I might change things around as well!

Deaths and Loss

The end of 1799 began the first of a series of deaths in Hamilton’s life. On December 14th, 1799 George Washington died. Hamilton and Washington had been close since the Revolutionary War, and Washington was in many ways, a mentor to Hamilton. Then in March of 1801, his sister-in-law Peggy Schuyler died. Hamilton was in Albany doing legal work, and was with her when she died.

In November of 1801, the hardest death on Alexander and his family took place, that was the death of his oldest son Philip. Philip died in a duel with George Eacker, a Jeffersonian lawyer. Their duel originated after a confrontation between Philip, Philip’s friend Stephen Prince, and Eacker about a Fourth of July speech Eacker gave about Alexander Hamilton and the Federalist Party. Negotiations failed, and after Hamilton heard about the duel, he told Philip not to fire at Eacker, rather to fire in the air. Eacker fatally shot Philip and he died the next morning.

The duel heavily affected Hamilton. When he learned that negotiations failed and that Philip was headed to New Jersey to duel Hamilton immediately went to go find his doctor David Hosack. Once he got to Hosack, Hosack reported, “…he was so much overcome by his anxiety that he fainted…” Then, once he reached Philip after he was brought back to Manhattan, Hamilton examined him and immediately knew he was not going to make it. Alexander and his wife, Elizabeth, laid with Philip all night until he died in the morning. It was reported that Hamilton had to be held up by his friends at Philip’s funeral. Rufus King wrote a few weeks later, “At present Hamilton is more composed and is able again to attend to business; but his countenance is strongly stamped with grief.” It took Hamilton months to be able to respond to condolence letters sent to him. Based on everything reported, there is no question that Hamilton was strongly affected by Philip’s duel and death.

Then, in March of 1803, the Hamilton family faced even more death when Elizabeth’s mother died.

Beyond all the deaths that the Hamiltons experienced, Alexander also experienced the lost of most of his political influence after Thomas Jefferson became president, and most of the Federalists were replaced by Jefferson’s Republican party

The Comforts of Religion

After every death, Hamilton reacted by growing closer to his Christian beliefs, and seeing the deaths as the will of God. To Martha Washington after Washington’s death he wrote, “Resignation to the will of Heaven, which the practice of your life ensures, can alone alleviate the sufferings of so heart-rending an affliction.”

Then to Benjamin Rush after Philip’s death he wrote, “The highest as well as the eldest hope of my family has been taken from me. You estimated him rightly—He was truly a fine youth. But why should I repine? It was the will of heaven; and he is now out of the reach of the seductions and calamities of a world, full of folly, full of vice, full of danger—of least value in proportion as it is best known.”

Not long after Elizabeth’s mother died, Hamilton wrote to Elizabeth, “Arm yourself with resignation. We live in a world full of evil. In the later period of life misfortunes seem to thicken round us; and our duty and our peace both require that we should accustom ourselves to meet disasters with christian fortitude.”

Finally, not long before Hamilton’s duel with Burr, he gave some advice that fits with the rest of these sentiments:

Arraign not the dispensations of Providence—they must be founded in wisdom and goodness; and when they do not suit us, it must be because there is some fault in ourselves, which deserves chastisement, or because there is a kind intent to correct in us some vice or failing, of which, perhaps, we may not be conscious; or because the general plan requires that we should suffer partial ill.

“From Alexander Hamilton to ———, 13 April 1804,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-26-02-0001-0179.

The Grange

Alexander Hamilton had been working on his home which he called the Grange in this period of his life. Here, he enjoyed planning gardens, and learning about plants/nature. His son, John Church Hamilton recorded later on that his father’s beliefs grew, “…with his growing intimacy with the marvelous works of nature, all pointing in their processes and to their results to the great pervading, ever Active Cause” (Hamilton 1864, 789). One day while walking the property with his wife, he told her, “‘I may yet live twenty years, please God, and I will one day build for them [his neighbors] a chapel in this grove’” (Hamilton 1864, 790)

This period also allowed Hamilton time to study his Bible. His son wrote later on of the notes that were written in his Bible, and the care he put into those notes. He also wrote that Hamilton studied the works of William Paley, a theologian and apologist from the 1700s. John Church Hamilton noted that he would do these readings daily as well as pray daily (Hamilton 1864, 790).

This aligns with a statement that Nathaniel Pendleton made where he said, “He was a firm and cordial believer in the truth of the Christian religion, after much research and investigation; by which some doubts which at an early period he had Entertained were entirely removed.” Aside from Pendleton’s statement about Hamilton investigating Christianity, Hamilton also made a few statements about this matter himself. To one friend he said, “‘I have examined carefully, the evidence of the Christian religion; and, if I was sitting as a juror upon its authenticity, I should unhesitatingly give my verdict in its favor’” (Hamilton 1864, 790)

All of this made Hamilton happy, despite all the loss that this period entailed. To an Irish friend he said, “‘I have had my elevations and depressions of spirits. But I have never been happy, but when I was in the pursuit of Religion and Virtue’” (Hamilton 1864, 741). His writings and the accounts from this period also seem to show that overall, he was more calm and reflective than other periods of his life.

The Duel

The lead up to the duel between Hamilton and Aaron Burr also reveals a lot about his beliefs in this period. Before the duel he wrote, “My religious and moral principles are strongly opposed to the practice of Duelling, and it would even give me pain to be obliged to shed the blood of a fellow creature in a private combat forbidden by the laws.” He continued saying, “I have resolved, if our interview is conducted in the usual manner, and it pleases God to give me the opportunity, to reserve and throw away my first fire, and I have thoughts even of reserving my second fire—and thus giving a double opportunity to Col Burr to pause and to reflect.”

After one friend, Nathaniel Pendleton, told Hamilton he was sure to die if he did not fire at Burr first Hamilton replied, “‘My friend, it is the effect of a religious scruple, and does not admit reasoning. It is useless to say more on the subject, as my purpose is indefinitely fixed’” (Hamilton 1864, 826).

In one letter that he wrote to his wife, that was to be delievered to her of her died, not long before the duel he consoled her writing, “This letter, my very dear Eliza, will not be delivered to you, unless I shall first have terminated my earthly career; to begin, as I humbly hope from redeeming grace and divine mercy, a happy immortality… With my last idea; I shall cherish the sweet hope of meeting you in a better world.”

Then in another letter written to her the evening before the duel he wrote to her again stating, “The Scrup⟨les of a Christian have deter⟩mined me to expose my own li⟨fe to any⟩ extent rather than subject my s⟨elf to the⟩ guilt of taking the life of ⟨another.⟩ This must increase my hazards & redoubles my pangs for you. But you had rather I should die inno⟨c⟩ent than live guilty. Heaven can pre⟨se⟩rve me ⟨and I humbly⟩ hope will.”

The morning of July 11th, 1804, the duel took place. Burr fatally wounded Hamilton, shooting him in the side, half-paralyzing him. Immediately after being hit, Hamilton realized he was going to die. Afterwards, he was brought back to William Bayard’s home, and he requested Communion.

Bishop Benjamin Moore was sent to give him Communion. He made Hamilton reflect on his choices since he had been injured due to being in a duel which was a sin. He came back later and granted his request. To Moore, Hamilton confirmed that he repented of his sins, had faith in Jesus, and he also told Moore that he forgave Burr for what happened (Coleman 1972, 49). Afterwards, Moore said he had no reason to doubt his sincerity and he was granted Communion. Moore wrote, “I saw him again this morning, when, with his last faultering words, he expressed a strong confidence in the mercy of God through the intercession of the Redeemer” (Coleman 1972, 50).

J.M. Mason was also called to give Hamilton Communion, but he denied the request because Mason’s church believed that Communion should never be given to a single, private person “under any circumstances” (Coleman 1972, 52) But, he did offer to stay and pray/talk with Hamilton which Hamilton accepted. Mason also reminded Hamilton that he did not need Communion to be granted mercy, to which Hamilton replied that he knew. He also told him, “I am a sinner: I look to his mercy” (Coleman 1972, 52). They talked for a while and Hamilton told Mason, “I have a tender reliance on the mercy of the Almighty, through the Lord Jesus Christ” (Coleman 1972, 53). Mason left, and when he came back the next day Hamilton was too weak to talk, so Mason just prayed next to his bed (Coleman 1972, 54-55).

Despite everything that was happening to him, everyone who wrote accounts from his final time wrote that he was the only one remaining calm. His doctor David Hosack even wrote that he was the only one who could keep Elizabeth calm. He frequently reminded her, “Remember, my Eliza, you are a Christian” (Coleman 1927, 22).

He died at two o’clock in the afternoon on the 12th, the day after the duel.

Conclusion

Like I said, this was a very fast summary of religion in this period of Alexander Hamilton’s life. I will probably add more to this research and change it as I find more! I think that understanding his religion in this period is important to understanding his decisions and overall mood for this period. This post does not include every account, document, or detail that there is on this topic. It is more of a broad overview. There are things that I did not include in this post such as a discussion regarding the proposed Christian Constitutional Society that will have to be put in other future posts due to length.

All of the sources have been linked throughout the post, and are also separately listed below. This way you can easily look into the full source if you desire.

References

“Alexander Hamilton Obituary Notice in Nathaniel Pendleton’s Hand, Undated, [1804], Page [9].” Accessed February 17, 2024. https://digitalcollections.nyhistory.org/islandora/object/nyhs%3A236295.

Coleman, William. A Collection of Facts and Documents, Relative to the Death of Major-General Alexander Hamilton. Austin, TX: Shoal Creek Publishers, 1972. (Original work published 1804)

Hamilton, John Church. History of the Republic of the United States of America: As Traced in the Writings of Alexander Hamilton and of His Contemporaries Vol. VII. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippencott & Co., 1864.

“From Alexander Hamilton to Martha Washington, 12 January 1800,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-24-02-0140. 

“To Alexander Hamilton from Benjamin Rush, 26 November 1801,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-25-02-0258.

“From Alexander Hamilton to Benjamin Rush, 29 March 1802,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-25-02-0312.

“From Alexander Hamilton to Elizabeth Hamilton, [16–17] March 1803,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-26-02-0001-0071.

“Statement on Impending Duel with Aaron Burr, [28 June–10 July 1804],” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-26-02-0001-0241.

“From Alexander Hamilton to Elizabeth Hamilton, [10 July 1804],” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-26-02-0001-0262.

“From Alexander Hamilton to ———, 13 April 1804,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-26-02-0001-0179.