Alexander Hamilton was one of the most influential founding fathers of the United States. As the first secretary of the treasury, he placed this new nation on firm financial footing. His financial genius and brilliant economic plans helped lead the government on its way to recover from the national debt. He was also a leading advocate of a strong central government and a firm believer in a "loose" or "board" interpretation of the Constitution. His critics claimed "he loved his adopted country more than his countrymen." This respectable assertion well qualifies Hamilton's great successes as the secretary of the treasury.

With his understanding of debt and finance, Hamilton built the basis of the American economy. The first dilemma Hamilton faced, as secretary of the treasury was the national debt, which he considered a blessing. His primary objective was to draw up plan that would get the new nation...