Philip Hamilton

Born: January 22, 17 1782 Died: November 24, 1 801

Phillip Hamilton was born on January 22, 1782. He was Alexander Hamilton’s eldest son. He was named after his mother’s father. Philip was thought to be intelligent and charming. He went to boarding school and while he was there he would receive letters of encouragement from his father, who wanted to control every aspect of his schedule during his studies. 

In 1797, Philip Hamilton contracted a near-fatal illness, but he survived and graduated with honors from Columbia University just three years later. 

He then went on to study law, but this didn’t last very long. Philip and one of his friends spotted George Eaker, a Republican Lawyer they were not very fond of, at a comedy performance. He and his friend confronted Eaker in his box and began to insult him because he had given a speech four months before saying that Alexander Hamilton was trying to use the US army to intimidate political opponents. Some historians think that Philip and his friend may have been drunk when this happened. 

Philip and George then challenged each other to a duel. Alexander Hamilton did not make any effort to stop his son from dueling, but advised Philip to engage in what the French called delope, where he would either not fire first, or fire harmlessly into the air. Philip Hamilton did not survive the duel and he died on November 24, 1801 only a year after graduating from college and one day after the duel took place. George Eaker was 27 when he shot Philip, who was only 19.

The duel took place in Weehawken, New Jersey, which was the same town where Philip’s father would die just three years later, also of a duel and using the same set of pistols. Philip's death drove his sister, Angelica, mad. At his burial Alexander Hamilton was so overcome with grief that he could hardly stand.