Alexander Hamilton’sDreamsof Industry
TargetAge:Middle/High School
TimePeriod:18thand 19thcentury
FeaturedCounty:Passaic
NJ350thTheme:Innovation
Common CoreState StandardsforEnglish LanguageArts:
R.CCR.1-Read closelytodeterminewhat thetextsaysexplicitlyandto makelogical inferencesfromit;citespecifictextualevidence whenwritingor speakingtosupportconclusionsdrawnfrom the text.
W.CCR.3-Writenarrativestodevelop realor imagined experiencesorevents
CourtesyofLibraryofCongress;LC-DIG-det-4a26166
using effectivetechnique,well-chosendetailsandwell-structuredeventsequences.
W.CCR.7-Conductshortaswellasmoresustainedresearch projectsbasedon focused questions,demonstrating understanding of the subjectunderinvestigation.
NJ Common CoreStandards:
Social StudiesSkills: 6.1.12.B.1.a , 6.1.12.C.3.a
FOCUS QUESTION:
What roledidNewJersey play in earlyinnovationsabout the U.S.economy?
BACKGROUND:
OnJuly 11,1804,Weehawken, New Jersey becamethesite of the mostinfamousduel in Americanhistory—onethatleftonemandead andkilledanotherman’spoliticalcareerand reputation.AaronBurr was bornon February6, 1756, inNewark,NJ.Hegraduated from the College ofNewJersey(laterrenamedPrinceton University)at theageof16,andbothhisfather andgrandfatherwerepresidentsofthe college.Burr enlisted as a soldier intheAmericanRevolution,ultimatelyserving under anotherinfamousAmerican colonist,BenedictArnold.In 1782hebecamea lawyerand sethissightson politics.In 1791hewon aseatin theUnited StatesSenate,andin 1800Burr tied withThomasJefferson forthe
U.S.presidency.As thiswasbeforethecreationofpolitical platforms, avoteoftheHouseofRepresentativesdecidedthetie;thecandidatewiththemostvotesbecamepresident, therunner-upbecamevice president.Burr’spoliticaland personalrival,AlexanderHamilton,wasinfluential ingetting Jeffersonthe presidency, andBurrbecamethenation’ssecond-in-command.
Hamilton believedthewaytosavethefledgling United Stateswasto strengthenthe federalgovernment.HearguedagainsttheArticlesofConfederation,and hewas akeysupporterofthe new
Constitution.In1787and1788,alongwith JamesMadison andJohn Jay,hewroteTheFederalist Papers, a seriesofessayssupporting theratificationoftheConstitution.Hamilton was appointed thefirstsecretaryof thetreasury,establishedtheBankofthe UnitedStates, andformed an investmentgroup calledthe SocietyofUseful Manufactures.Hefirmlybelievedthat theU.S.had todevelop itsownindustries,and in 1792,he foundedPaterson,NewJersey (named forWilliam Paterson),tobecomethenationalhub ofmanufacturing.TheGreatFallsand thewaterpowertheygenerated werethe reasonsHamilton chosethislocation as the baseforhisindustrialdreams.
Throughouttheir political and personallives,BurrandHamilton’s pathscrossed.Burrblamed Hamiltonfordebasing hisname,andHamilton seemedtofindenjoymentin undermining Burr.In 1804,HamiltonpublicallycalledBurr“themostunfit and dangerousmanof thecommunity” andBurrpromptlychallengedHamiltontoa duel.Duelingwas notuncommon during theearlynineteenthcentury, andtherewerestrictrulesgoverning its conduct.Butonthat fateful morning in July1804, BurrmortallywoundedHamilton whodied the nextday.Burrattemptedto continuehispolitical career,butwastriedfortreason in 1807,spent fouryears inEurope,and had lukewarmsuccessin hislawpractice.Hedied in1836neverhaving recovered fromhismorning inWeehawken.
ACTIVITY:
In 1791,AlexanderHamilton andhisSociety forUsefulManufacturesplannedforPaterson,NewJerseytobethecenterof American industrialism andto reducethenew nation’srelianceon foreign industry.Patersonthrivedforthenextcenturyand ahalf, andamong itsmanufacturing successescould count theColtrevolverandthefirst submarine,the lattertested byJohnPhillip Holland inthe PassaicRiverjustabove theGreatFalls.
Butthisprosperitywould notlast.Astheeconomyand technological needsof theUnitedStateschanged, so toodidPaterson’s.By1983,Paterson wasthefifthpoorestcity inthe United States. ThetownthathadcalleditselfSilkCity,theIron City,and theCotton City,was ineconomicruin.Theunemployment ratewas9.9,almosttwicetheaverage ofNewJersey.
MorerecentlyPaterson hassoughtto movefromtheAmericanindustry ofmillwork andproduction tothe twenty-firstcenturyindustry of tourismandservice.In2009the GreatFallswas designated aNationalPark,thanksto the workofmanypeople,including BillPascrell,Jr., a formerPatersonmayorwhoproclaimed“Patersonwill finally berecognizedfortheseminalrole it hasplayed in shapingAmericanhistory…Thisplaceis ahiddenjewel—thehistoryhere is sorich,andthis city deservesthiskind of recognition.”Instead of loomsand heavymachinery,Patterson is investing in its naturalmarvelssuch as theGreatFalls andits museums andrestoredhistorical buildings.
Begin byreviewingtheNationalParkService’sapplication forHistoricPreservation Certification (foundonline at
Thefirstsectionofthe application asksfor adescriptionof thephysicalstructureand a statementofhistoricsignificance.Thesecond section asksapplicantsto outline thecurrentstateof repair(ordisrepair)and theirplan formaintainingor improvingthe site.
Nextdistribute theGreatFalls NationalParkMasterPlan (availablehere: assign studentsto work ingroupstodevelop aone paragraph descriptionofGreatFalls, aswellas aone-paragraph statement
about itsimportancetoNewJersey andnationalhistory. If timeallows(oras homework thenightbefore),studentsmightuse the followingsitesforadditionalinformation:
Teachersworkingwitholderlearnersmight askthem tocompletemoreintensiveresearch andcomplete theactualNational ParkServiceForms,totheextentpossible.
FOLLOW-UP:
Who:Aaron BurrandAlexanderHamilton
What:A duel inwhich BurrmortallywoundsHamilton,who diesthe nextday.Where:Weekhawken, NJ
When:Morning,July11th,1804
Why:Hamiltoncalls Burr“themostdangerous and unfit manofthe community”—thelastof along lineof personaland politicalinsults.
You are a reporterforthelocalnewspaper.Writetheheadlineand thelead paragraph for thisnewsstory.Asa variation,askstudentstochangethevoiceofthe newspaper.Theycould write asamainstream newspaper(such as theNewYorkTimes),or asa tabloidreporterfortheEnquirer;alternativelytheymightwrite asa reportersympathetic to Hamiltonorto Burr,or as amemberofanorganization protesting acts ofviolencetosettledisputes.
Fortipson howto developa compelling newsangle,havestudentsvisit“HowtoWriteaLead”at thePurdueUniversityOWLOnlineWritingLab:
WANTTOLEARNMORE?
PlacesYouCan Visit
NationalPark Service—PatersonGreatFallsNationalPark(includes astrong collection ofteacherresources):
ThePatersonMuseum:
Museum of American Finance: Statueof Aaron Burr
More ClassroomActivities
AlexanderHamilton,PBS AmericanExperience(120minutes): PBSwebsitealsoincludes an extensivevarietyof teacherresources:
TheDuel,PBS American Experience(60minutes):thissitehasextensiveinformation abouttheduel,including a timeline ofevents,historical backgroundand teacherresources:
NationalPark Service, Teaching with HistoricalPlaces:Paterson,NJ: America’sSilk City-according toitsdescription,the lessonscould beused in Americanhistory,social studies, and geographycourses in unitson labor-managementconflictand theriseof unions,oron immigration:
“Our Story:Bergen County”(awebsitededicatedto project-basedlessonsto motivatestudentsandfoster thecriticalskillsof research,analysis,anddevelopmentoforiginalconclusions;alsoincludesprimarydocuments andnewsarticlesaboutPaterson, NJ):
For MoreInformation
TheFederalistPapers,Libraryof Congress:full textofthe 85essaysthatpresentHamilton’sargument infavorofratifying theU.S.Constitution:
“AlexanderHamiltonand theCreationof theUnitedStates,” onlineexhibition,TheGilderLehrmanInstituteof American History:several dozendocumentsand objectsrelatedtoHamilton in thisonlineexhibit. Seemoneyfromthe1780s,portraitsand documents, anda draft ofHamilton'sfarewelllettertohiswife:
“AlexanderHamilton:TheManWho MadeModernAmerica,” onlineexhibitionof theNewYorkHistorical Society:key documentsfrom the lifeof AlexanderHamilton, aHamilton quiz, andinformationabout theNewYork andNewJersey:
FamousAmericanTrials: TheTreasonTrialof Aaron Burr: an extensivesitededicated tothe1807trial.
Joseph J. Ellis,FoundingBrothers:TheRevolutionaryGeneration(NewYork:Alfred A.Knopf,2000).
ThomasFleming,Duel:AlexanderHamilton,Aaron Burr,and theFutureofAmerica(NewYork:BasicBooks,1999).
JoanneFreeman, AffairsofHonor(NewHaven, Connecticut:YaleUniversityPress,2001).
For Fun
Lin Manuel-Miranda’s rapaboutAlexanderHamiltonat theWhiteHouseforPresident BarakObama(4.5minutes):
OriginalGotMilk? Commercial- WhoShotAlexanderHamilton?:
Video of theWeehawken dueling ground where theHamilton-Burrdueltookplace:
CREDIT INFORMATION:
p. 1:AlexanderHamilton,Courtesy ofLibrary ofCongress;LC-DIG-det-4a26166
It Happened Here:NewJersey is a programof theNewJersey Historical Commission made possible by a grant fromtheNewJersey Council for theHumanities,astate partner oftheNational Endowmentfor theHumanities. Anyviews,findings,conclusions, or recommendations expressed intheprogramdo not necessarilyrepresentthoseof the National Endowmentfor theHumanities ortheNew Jersey CouncilfortheHumanities.To access more teachingresources created forthisprogramvisit