Paul Hamilton

:"For the footballer of the same name, see Paul Hamilton (Australian footballer)."Infobox US Cabinet official
name=Paul Hamilton

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image_width=200px
order=3rd
title=United States Secretary of the Navy
term_start=May 15, 1809
term_end=December 31, 1812
predecessor=Robert Smith
successor=William Jones
birth_date=birth date|1762|10|16|mf=y
birth_place=Saint Paul's Parish, South Carolina, U.S.
death_date=death date and age|1816|6|30|1762|10|16|mf=y
death_place=Beaufort, South Carolina, U.S.
party=Democratic-Republican
spouse=Mary Wilkinson
profession=Politician, Farmer
religion=

Paul Hamilton (October 16, 1762ndash June 30, 1816) was the 3rd United States Secretary of the Navy, from 1809 to 1812.

Paul Hamilton was born in Saint Paul's Parish, South Carolina, on October 16, 1762. He left school at the age of sixteen due to financial problems. During the American War of Independence he served actively in military roles in the southern states, fighting under General Francis Marion. He participated with Colonel William Harden in the capture of Fort Balfour.

Following the war, he was a planter and public figure. Hamilton served South Carolina in many public offices including state Representative (1787), State Senator (1794), Comptroller (1800), and Governor (1804).

In 1809, President James Madison selected Hamilton to become the third Secretary of the Navy. His term in office included the first months of the War of 1812, during which time the small United States Navy achieved several remarkable victories over British warships.Hamilton was a proponent of military preparedness, especially sea fortifications. Although he wanted to strengthen the Navy, he found the Congress hostile and the President indifferent to his ideas. However, he was responsible for the Naval Hospitals Act of 1811. Secretary Hamilton resigned at the end of 1812 and returned to South Carolina, where he died in Beaufort on June 30, 1816.

Three Navy destroyers have been named USS "Paul Hamilton" in his honor along with the USS Hamilton and one Liberty ship named SS "Paul Hamilton".

ources

*PD-NHC

External links

* [http://www.sciway.net/hist/governors/phamilton.html SCIway Biography of Paul Hamilton]
* [http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.29fab9fb4add37305ddcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=266425330cd1a010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e449a0ca9e3f1010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD NGA Biography of Paul Hamilton]
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7181158 Paul Hamilton] at Find A Grave
* [http://www.sc.edu/library/digital/collections/paulhamilton.html Paul Hamilton Papers] at the University of South Carolina Library's Digital Collections Page (letters from 1802-1812)