Celebrated in a musical, portrayed as an abolitionist, Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers of the United States, would have actually owned slaves according to a recent study reviving the controversy around this historical figure.
“Not only did Alexander Hamilton own slaves, but his involvement in the institution of slavery was an essential part of his identity, personal and professional,”
assures Jessie Serfilippi, in a thirty-page article posted online. October.
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Hero of the War of Independence, former right-hand man of George Washington, creator of the first American central bank, Alexander Hamilton is however described almost worldwide in the 21st century as a supporter of the abolition of slavery, recalls the researcher employed by the Schuyler Mansion, a historic home of Hamilton's in-laws, located in Albany, New York.
A reputation nourished by the international success of the musical
“Hamilton”
, which traces the life of this hyperactive lawyer and banker, with a cast exclusively made up of black actors or from Hispanic and Asian minorities.
Jessie Serfilippi, who relied on the analysis of accounting records and many letters from the First Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, whose face adorns the 10 dollar bills, claims for her part that Hamilton and his wife held several slaves.
Other historians have already pointed out that Alexander Hamilton may have served as an intermediary for the purchase of slaves by members of his family, but the debate persists over his personal involvement.
Historian Ron Chernow, author of the biography that inspired the Broadway show, while emphasizing the rigor of this new study, has some reservations.
"She omits all information that could contradict her conclusions," he
told The
New York Times.
The controversy over the slave past of Alexander Hamilton arises as the legacy of several US presidents is the subject of controversy.
Statues of Presidents Andrew Jackson, Thomas Jefferson or George Washington, all slave owners, had notably been degraded this summer, as part of anti-racist demonstrations revived after the death of African-American George Floyd.