July 4, 2004 – One of the most prominent voices in American conservatism will be on St. Croix Thursday and Friday.
Richard Brookhiser will be signing his book "Alexander Hamilton, American" at 5 p.m. at Undercover Books in Gallows Bay.
The book signing kicks off a series of events spearheaded by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor to highlight the boyhood years of Hamilton on St. Croix.
Brookhiser will be joined by Joanna Freeman, author of "Affairs of Honor" and "Hamilton: Writings"; Stephen Knott, author of "Alexander Hamilton and the Persistence of Myth"; and Vincent Hubbard, author of "Swords, Ships, and Sugar: A History of Nevis."
Hamilton was born on Nevis in 1755. His father, who was not married to his mother, abandoned Alexander and his mother on St. Croix on 1765. Although his family was mired in poverty and his mother died three years after arriving on the island, Alexander managed, with hard work and help from sponsors, to head to the mainland in 1773 to study medicine.
The visiting authors will present scholarly papers at a conference, "Hamilton: The Formative Years," taking place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday at Government House in Christiansted. The conference is open to the public.
Brookhiser has written several other books about early Americans. They include "Founding Fathers, Rediscovering George Washington"; "Gentleman Revolutionary, Gouvernor Morris, The Rake Who Wrote the Constitution"; and "America's First Dynasty, The Adamses."
However, Brookhiser's writing has not been confined to historical perspectives. He is a senior editor at the National Review, a conservative magazine founded by William F. Buckley Jr., and contributes a regular column to the publication. (See National Review.) His other books include "The Way of the WASP, How It Made America and How It Can Save It, So to Speak." He also wrote a book about Ronald Reagan, of whom he was an ardent fan.
Knott, an assistant professor and research fellow at the University of Virginia's Miller Center of Public Affairs, also has taken a stab at contemporary politics in a book. Besides his study of Hamilton, he wrote "Secret and Sanctioned: Covert Operations and the American Presidency."
Hubbard has long been active in the Nevis Historical and Conservation Society, serving as its president for six years. What began as a study of the island's fortifications ultimately grew into a book of colonial history. "Swords, Ships and Sugar" is said to relate vividly the unpredictable history of the islands.
Lt. Gov. Vargrave Richards in a release described the visit to the territory by the four authors as "an eminently important event for St. Croix." He said: "These scholars are renowned in their expertise on Alexander Hamilton. It is an ideal opportunity for the public to share in the dialogue on a piece of history that, to date, has been minimally explored — namely, Hamilton's youthful experiences and their effect on the formation of his character and later life path."
The book signing is being sponsored by Shoreline Management Group LLC.
For a listing of the free, public activities that are part of the Hamilton observance, see "Alexander Hamilton Events Scheduled for July 8-11".
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