# What was Alexander Hamilton's position on slavery? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 22, 2000, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-alexander-hamiltons-position-on-slavery/42217 "2000-11-22T01:33:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KwikStah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47c2d/32.png) [@KwikStah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KwikStah)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2000, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-alexander-hamiltons-position-on-slavery/42217/1 "2000-11-22T01:33:00Z")
I can’t find the answer to this one anywhere. And did he leave the Constitution Convention before Sherman’s Connecticut/Great Compromise or after? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Surgoshan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Surgoshan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surgoshan)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2000, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-alexander-hamiltons-position-on-slavery/42217/2 "2000-11-22T02:08:24Z")
Wow, now that’s a good question. I, unfortunately, do not have the answer. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2000, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-alexander-hamiltons-position-on-slavery/42217/3 "2000-11-22T02:25:56Z")
Alexander Hamilton, my very favorite bastard accountant, was anti-slavery and founded the “New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves and Protecting Such of Them as Have been or may be liberated.” (“New York Manumission Society”) should also get you some search engine hits). I’m unaware of him leaving the Con Con at all. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2000, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-alexander-hamiltons-position-on-slavery/42217/4 "2000-11-22T03:03:33Z")
Hamilton left the Convention around June 28, 1787, just as the debate on the issue of representation was beginning. The reason he left was as stated in the OP - he kept getting voted down by the other two NY delegates. However, he came back at various times, most notably in September, when he served on the “committee of style,” which was charged with writing the final copy, incorporating the various decisions that the Convention had made. The other members of the committee of style were Madison, Gouverneur Morris, Doctor Johnson, and Rufus King. (Source: Farrand, _The Framing of the Constitution_, 1913 (facismile ed.), pp. 94, 179. P.S. - Manhattan - have you read “The Duel,” about Hamilton and Burr? I’m just starting it, and it looks fascinating. ---
**Author:** ![KwikStah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47c2d/32.png) [@KwikStah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KwikStah)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2000, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-alexander-hamiltons-position-on-slavery/42217/5 "2000-11-22T08:37:05Z")
Yes, June 28, 1787 was only 10 days after Hamilton presented _his_ plan of the constitution. His plan favored a strong executive branch, including a president elected for life. From what I’ve read, his plan wasn’t liked much by the other delegates. Did such disapproval cause him to leave too? ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2000, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-alexander-hamiltons-position-on-slavery/42217/6 "2000-11-22T17:35:16Z")
Some believe Hamilton kept “skipping out” of the Convention because he wanted to visit his banking cronies back in New York. As the theory goes, Hamilton was making back room “deals” with these bankers, wherein he promised them he would try to skew the Constitution to be more “advantageous” to the banking industry. Kenneth W. Royce wrote a fascinating book that describes this theory, along with compelling evidence: [http://www.javelinpress.com/holo.html](http://www.javelinpress.com/holo.html)