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There’s more to the story
Alexander Hamilton and the Central Bank
Alexander Hamilton’s life and achievements are celebrated in Hamilton, the musical. Join us at the Minneapolis Fed in honoring him and this remarkable theater event.
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Come on a free tour of the Minneapolis Fed. Join a Minneapolis Fed employee for a 75-minute tour to learn about our work.
Take our quiz ›
Take our short quiz to test your knowledge on Alexander Hamilton.
Bet you a Hamilton you don’t know what’s unique about him on that $10 bill.
The answer? His portrait is the only one on U.S. currency that faces left.
Don’t throw away your shot to prove you’re the smartest in the room!
Take our short quiz and test your Hamilton knowledge.
Washington was on Hamilton’s side
Despite his youth—he was in his early 20s—Alexander Hamilton became a close aide to the general, who would become our first U.S. president. George Washington admired Hamilton for his brains and for his military heroism during the War for Independence.
A vision that’s endured
Alexander Hamilton’s vision created our nation’s first central bank. No wonder President George Washington appointed him to be the first Secretary of the Treasury in 1789. Today, the Federal Reserve, including the Minneapolis Fed, is independent of the U.S. government, but our profits go back to U.S. Treasury and to taxpayers.
Final duel
It was personal. It was political. It was tragic. And it’s at the heart of the narrative of Hamilton. On July 11, 1804, a decades-long rivalry between Alexander Hamilton and U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr ended in a deadly duel in Weehawken, New Jersey. Spoiler alert: Hamilton was shot and killed.
We don’t do theater
We absolutely love Hamilton. On the other hand, monetary policy isn’t showbiz. It’s serious business, and that’s what the Minneapolis Fed and our 1,000 employees are doing every day. We regulate banks. We conduct groundbreaking research to aid policymakers. We work with and educate communities in our Ninth Federal Reserve District. We help maintain a stable and growing economy.
Did you know?
The Minneapolis Fed offers free tours. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the Bank.
More Hamilton from the Minneapolis Fed
Star Tribune Op-Ed
There’s more to the Hamilton story than the musical
Hamilton envisioned a unified national economy built on the strengths of its individual states. Read more, from Minneapolis Fed president Neel Kashkari
In-Depth Article
The Bank that Hamilton Built ›
At the dawn of the Republic, the First Bank of the United States created a model for American financial markets and monetary policy that endures to this day.
2007-8 Essay Contest Winner
Cement to Our Union: Hamilton’s Economic Vision ›
Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson have both been hailed as “founding fathers” to the United States, but through the centuries, many history books have judged their parenting tactics quite differently.