Most of the men who established the new U.S. government after the Revolutionary War were born in one of the 13 American colonies. Nearly all were rich and came from important families.

Alexander Hamilton was an outsider to this world. He was born on a small Caribbean island. His parents had not married before his father left them. Hamilton's mother died when he was 13, and he had to go to work to support himself. However, Hamilton had big dreams for his future. In this lesson, you will learn about some of Alexander Hamilton's accomplishments—the great things he did—and how his childhood struggles helped make them possible.