Nevis was the Caribbean island birthplace of Alexander Hamilton, a U.S. founding father.
Hamilton was born in Charlestown, Nevis, in either 1755 or 1757; historians still debate the exact year because surviving records differ. His mother, Rachel Faucette, later moved with him and his brother to Saint Croix, where Hamilton grew up.
Hamilton’s early life in the Caribbean influenced his later career. After writing about a hurricane that struck Saint Croix in 1772, local supporters helped send him to North America for education. He became George Washington’s aide, a major architect of the U.S. financial system, and the first U.S. secretary of the treasury.
Nevis is one of the two islands forming the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis. A common mix-up is confusing Hamilton’s birthplace, Nevis, with Saint Croix, where he spent much of his youth.