“The existence of slavery makes us fancy many things that are founded neither in reason or experience.”

Hamilton was one of the nation’s founding fathers and, in 1784, revived King’s College as Columbia College. He co-wrote The Federalist Papers, essays defining discourse on American politics, and advocated for a centralized government. Hamilton’s pro-business policies spurred New York to become the financial capital it is today. Throughout his life, Hamilton also opposed slavery, openly scorning those who defended “the peculiar institution.” Learn more.