80.7 F
Charlotte Amalie
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsLocal newsCelebration Marks 250th Anniversary of Hamilton's Arrival on St. Croix

Celebration Marks 250th Anniversary of Hamilton’s Arrival on St. Croix

Evelyn Henville, executive director of Nevis Historical and Conservation Society, arrives Sunday at Christiansted harbor.“America was born on Nevis and nurtured on St. Croix," said Evelyn Henville, executive director of Nevis Historical and Conservation Society, in remarks at a celebration Sunday marking the 250th anniversairy of Alexander Hamilton’s arrival on St. Croix.

Henville arrived in the Christiansted harbor on a sailing sloop, symbolically representing Alexander Hamilton’s arrival on St. Croix from Nevis in 1765 – 250 years ago. She emphasized bringing together the three islands that played a major part in Hamilton’s life – Manhattan, Nevis and St. Croix.

In fact, Rand Scholet, president of the New York-based Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society, set up a conference call on the gazebo at the Christiansted National Historic Site, connecting people from Nevis and Manhattan to St. Croix during the event. Manhattan is the location of Hamilton’s final home, which has become a National Park site.

Also playing a big part in the ceremony were members of the U.S.Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Auxiliary stationed on St. Croix. It was Alexander Hamilton, 25 years after his arrival on St. Croix and then Secretary of the Treasury under George Washington, who founded the Coast Guard. It was first called the United States Revenue Cutter Service. Sunday’s speakers emphasized that it was probably Hamilton’s youth in the islands that impressed upon him the need for such an agency.

Hamilton played a big part in establishing the United States fiscal system. Representing Gov. Kenneth Mapp at the ceremony was Simon Jones-Hendrickson, the governor’s chief economist.

“When we talk about the early fiscal system there is only one name – Alexander Hamilton. When we talk about the Federalist Papers and the foundation of the U.S. Constitution, there is only one name – Alexander Hamilton,” Jones-Hendrickson said.

A proclamation from St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Timothy Harris was read by his minister of communication, Alexis Jeffers.

Nicolet Scholet read a letter written by Douglas Hamilton, five times great grandson of Alexander Hamilton, written for the occasion.

“Over a seven-year period, he would experience multiple life changing events that would shape his character, his work ethic, and his belief system. Here he advanced his reading and writing skills, he expanded his knowledge of the world, past and present and he developed a basic understanding of people and business that would serve him the rest of his life,” Douglas Hamilton wrote.

Bob White, head of the Alexander Hamilton Society of St. Croix, and David Goldstein, chief of interpretation and education for the National Park Service on St. Croix, were the prime organizers of the event on the local level. It was Goldstein’s final day working for the NPS on St. Croix.

Hamilton was born in 1757 on Nevis. Henville is curator of the house he is believed to have been born in. He moved to St. Croix with his mother Rachel and his Scottish father James in 1765. In the same year his father abandoned the family. In 1766 Hamilton began working at Beekman and Kruger (which was probably located on Company Street in Christiansted). In 1768 his mother died. In 1773, benefactors sent him to the colonies, and the rest is history.

More information on the Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society email: contact@the-aha-society.com.
 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Keeping our community informed is our top priority.
If you have a news tip to share, please call or text us at 340-228-8784.

Support local + independent journalism in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Unlike many news organizations, we haven't put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as accessible as we can. Our independent journalism costs time, money and hard work to keep you informed, but we do it because we believe that it matters. We know that informed communities are empowered ones. If you appreciate our reporting and want to help make our future more secure, please consider donating.