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To: Technogeeb
As far as my information goes, the idea that Hamilton's mother was black is unsubstantiated apocrypha. One reference:

http://astore.amazon.com/familyforest-20/detail/0142800430

"was the illegitimate child of James Hamilton, the younger son of a Scots laird, and Rachel Faucette, a woman of British and French Huguenot descent who had fled from her first husband. (Chernow's extensive research has uncovered nothing to substantiate claims that Hamilton, by way of his mother, was partly black.)"

And I never said that there was any Federal law requiring a citizen to own land in order to vote. It was one of many ideas conceived during the first Constitutional Convention that was voted down. Hamilton thought it a good idea, but the majority of his contemporaries, including Jefferson and Madison, did not. He was outvoted.

347 posted on 11/04/2007 5:18:02 PM PST by Joe Brower (Sheep have three speeds: "graze", "stampede" and "cower".)
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To: Joe Brower
As far as my information goes, the idea that Hamilton's mother was black is unsubstantiated apocrypha

Possibly, but I have heard it repeated on numerous occasions (the latest was a PBS special that had John Adams making the claim). He was called a creole and a mulatto in newspaper accounts of the time, but those too could have been merely the result of statements by political enemies. In any case, a review of what history is available shows that he was a strong advocate of the rights of African men (and like many of the founders, an abolitionist).

And I never said that there was any Federal law requiring a citizen to own land in order to vote. It was one of many ideas conceived during the first Constitutional Convention that was voted down. Hamilton thought it a good idea, but the majority of his contemporaries, including Jefferson and Madison, did not. He was outvoted.

The original post seemed to suggest that you thought that such was the case. Apologies if I misunderstood your statement (it seemed you were agreeing with the erroneous statement made by the person you were quoting with "Hamilton was more of the mind you describe").

348 posted on 11/05/2007 7:14:10 PM PST by Technogeeb
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