Hamilton, James A. (James Alexander), 1788-1878

James Alexander Hamilton (April 14, 1788 – September 24, 1878)[1] was an American soldier, acting Secretary of State, and the third son of Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He entered politics as a Democrat and supporter of Andrew Jackson. Hamilton was born on April 14, 1788,[1] the fourth child of American founding father Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton. In 1810, Hamilton moved to Hudson, New York, and practiced law there for several years.[2][3] During the War of 1812, Hamilton served as a Brigade Major and Inspector in the New York State Militia.

In March 1829, Hamilton served as acting Secretary of State to President Andrew Jackson, surrendering the office on the regular appointment of Martin Van Buren.[2] That same year he was appointed U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. On October 17, 1810, Hamilton married Mary Morris (1790–1869), the daughter of Robert Morris (1762–1851) and Frances Ludlam (1766–1852).[2][3] Mary was the older sister of Lewis Gouverneur Morris (1808–1900), the granddaughter of Richard Morris (1730–1810), Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court,[6] the great-granddaughter of Lewis Morris, an early colonial governor of New Jersey, and the grandniece of Lewis Morris (1726–1798), a signer of the Declaration of Independence Hamilton built a large home in the Ardsley-on-Hudson section of Irvington, New York, which he named "Nevis" in honor of his father's birthplace in the British West Indies. It was originally "a simple Greek revival building with Doric columns", but in 1889 it was "extensively remodeled" by famed architect Stanford White. In 1934, Mrs. T. Coleman DuPont gave Nevis to Columbia University for the "establishment of a horticultural and landscape architecture center."[12] Today the Nevis estate is a physics and biological research facility operated by Columbia University.[13]

James Alexander Hamilton (1788-1878), the son of Alexander Hamilton, was an American lawyer and politician. He served as United States District Attorney for the Southern District of New York