News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Jan. 10, 2013: America’s Secretary of the Treasury and greatest immigrant, Alexander Hamilton, was born on the island of Nevis, West Indies, 257 years ago this week. Today, in New York City, the premier of his homeland, Hon. Vance Winkworth Amory, will remember the son of the soil at the annual ‘Happy Birthday Hamilton!’ flag raising and wreath laying event in Downtown Manhattan.
Premier Amory will celebrate the birthday of Hamilton, a Founding Father of the United States, today, Friday, January 10th at 11:45 a.m. with the raising of the flag of Saint Kitts & Nevis at Bowling Green near the Charging Bull statue in the financial district.
Following the flag-raising ceremony, there will be a special re-dedication of the Alexander Hamilton monument at Trinity Church, beginning at 12:45 p.m.
The monument, erected over Hamilton’s grave over 200 years ago, was recently cleaned and restored.
After the unveiling of a commemorative Nevis stamp in honor of Alexander Hamilton and the unveiling of the grave itself, Capt. Loebl, Commander of Sector New York of the US Coast Guard, will speak inside Trinity Church on Alexander Hamilton and his founding of the Coast Guard.
The events are being organized by Rand Scholet, President of the Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society and Arthur Piccolo, chair of the Bowling Green Association.
Upon his arrival in New York City Nevis’ Premier Amory had breakfast with Piccolo, a long time Hamilton advocate.
Afterwards Piccolo stated “I am very happy that Premier Amory is very supportive of efforts to celebrate the 225th anniversary this year of Hamilton becoming the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, and the hope shared by many of us to create the Alexander Hamilton Institute for the Future of the Caribbean to be on Nevis, as a contemporary tribute to Hamilton in the land of his birth.”
“We are so honored that the Premier is coming all the way up from Nevis to celebrate Alexander Hamilton’s birthday in New York City. His presence is a very special and symbolic connection of the important tie Nevis and New York City shares,” added Scholet, President of the Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society.
Later on Friday, Jan. 10th, there will be a synchronized birthday celebration at the Museum of American Finance in New York City and at the Alexander Hamilton Museum in Nevis, the site of Alexander Hamilton’s birthplace.
Both locations will be linked via a video network connection, bringing the two locations together.
The cake-cutting begins at 4:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. in Nevis). On the Nevis side, Prime Minister Douglas of Saint Kitts and Nevis will speak, while Alexander Hamilton descendant, Doug Hamilton, will cut the cake at the Museum of American Finance.
Also, winners of the Alexander Hamilton Scholarship in Nevis will be announced.
Other events for Happy Birthday Hamilton! include special presentations at Federal Hall, Hamilton Grange National Memorial (Hamilton’s home), Morris-Jumel Mansion, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The full schedule of events can be found under “Official Events” online at The-AHA-Society.com.
“We are so honored that the Premier is coming all the way up from Nevis to celebrate Alexander Hamilton’s birthday in New York City. His presence is a very special and symbolic connection of the important tie Nevis and New York City shares,” said Scholet, President of the Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society.
Hamilton was born on Nevis on January 11, 1757 and grew up in the Caribbean before emigrating north and adopting New York City as his home.
He went on to become chief of staff to General George Washington, one of the most influential interpreters and promoters of the Constitution, the founder of the nation’s financial system, and the founder of the first American political party. As Secretary of the Treasury, Hamilton was the primary author of the economic policies of the George Washington administration, especially the funding of the state debts by the Federal government, the establishment of a national bank, a system of tariffs, and friendly trade relations with Britain. He became the leader of the Federalist Party, created largely in support of his views, and was opposed by the Democratic-Republican Party, led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.
