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May 14, 2023

SATT 021 - Paul Hamilton

SATT 021 - Paul Hamilton

Tenure of Office: May 15, 1809 - January 1, 1813

Rising through the political ranks in South Carolina, Paul Hamilton was called to national service for the first time by President Madison to serve as his Secretary of the Navy. In this episode, I am joined by my husband Alex to explore the life and career of this lesser-known Cabinet member to determine what legacy he left behind and whether it makes him worthy of a seat at the table of the Cabinet All-Stars.

Special thanks to Alex for being my special guest for this episode!

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  • Madison, James. "To Paul Hamilton, 31 December 1812,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/03-05-02-0445. [Original source: The Papers of James Madison, Presidential Series, vol. 5, 10 July 1812–7 February 1813, ed. J. C. A. Stagg, Martha J. King, Ellen J. Barber, Anne Mandeville Colony, Angela Kreider, and Jewel L. Spangler. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2004, p. 535.] [Last Accessed: 20 Dec 2023]
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  • "SC Governors – Paul Hamilton, 1804-1806." SCIWAY. https://www.sciway.net/hist/governors/phamilton.html. [Last Accessed: 20 Dec 2023]
  • Toll, Ian W. Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the US Navy. New York: W W Norton & Co, 2007.
  • "Willtown Bluff, Charleston County (S.C. Sec. Rd. 55, Adams Run vicinity)." South Carolina Department of Archives and History. http://www.nationalregister.sc.gov/charleston/S10817710074/index.htm. [Last Accessed: 20 Dec 2023]

Featured Image: "Paul Hamilton, Secretary of the Navy, 15 May 1809 - 31 December 1812" by G B Matthews, courtesy of Wikipedia