Photograph of miniature watercolor and ink portrait showing Hamilton "drawn from life, January 11, 1773". Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757 - July 12, 1804) was a Founding Father of the United States and one of the most influential interpreters and promoters of the Constitution. He served in the American Revolutionary War and was an aide-de-camp to General Washington. After the war he was elected to the Continental Congress from New York. He wrote 51 of the 85 installments of the Federalist Papers, which supported the new constitution and to this day is the single most important source for Constitutional interpretation. As Secretary of the Treasury, he was the primary author of the economic policies of the Washington administration, especially the funding of the state debts by the Federal government, the establishment of a national bank, a system of tariffs, and friendly trade relations with Britain. When Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr tied for the presidency in the electoral college, Hamilton helped defeat Burr. Taking offense at some of Hamilton's comments, Burr challenged him to a duel and mortally wounded Hamilton, who died within days at the age of 47 or 49.