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Located in Charlestown
, the museum interprets the History and Culture of Nevis and the life of Alexander Hamilton, first Secretary of the United States Treasury. The Museum is housed in a Caribbean Georgian building that was built on
the foundation of the structure where Alexander Hamilton was born. The original house, built in 1680, was destroyed by an earthquake in 1840. Hamilton, born on January 11, 1755,
was the illegitimate son of Scotsman James Hamilton and Nevisian Rachael Fawcett Levine. Bright and enterprising, he was at seventeen sent to the North American colonies for education at King's College (now
Columbia University) in New York. The young man soon became involved in politics, and with the outbreak of the Revolution he became a captain of artillery. In that capacity he attracted the attention of
George Washington, whom he served as secretary and aide-de-camp. Hamilton was one of the original members of the continental congress in Philadelphia, and he was chosen as the first Secretary
of the United States Treasury. A brilliant economist, Hamilton was largely responsible for the federalist financial policies of the new nation. His opposition to Aaron Burr during the Presidential contest of
1800 undoubtedly contributed to the election of Burr's rival, Thomas Jefferson; his renewed opposition to Burr in the 1804 campaign for the governorship of New York undoubtedly contributed to Burr's issuance of a
challenge to duel. Hamilton accepted: the two met at Weehawken Heights, NJ, on a bluff overlooking the Hudson River, and Hamilton was fatally wounded. The Museum features artifacts left
from the first indigenous people who came to Nevis from other nearby islands about 4,000 years ago These people were followed by other groups of people who left a series of ceramic styles which are on display. The
museum also hosts displays of artifacts from the political and cultural history of Nevis. One unique feature for a museum of history that the Nevis History museum offers is a look at nature
conservancy on the island of Nevis. Examples of soil conservation, wetlands conservation, and forest conservation can all be viewed at the museum. For a truly complete perspective on Nevis today, you need to
understand Nevis of yesterday. |
