By Nikieta Liburd
Observer Nevis Reporter
They came to praise him, for he is long buried.
“Alexander Hamilton: The Man Who Made Modern America,” was the theme of a new exhibition dedicated Jan.10 in Charlestown. The ceremony, attended by a number of local and foreign dignitaries, was held at the Alexander Hamilton Museum.
The Hon. Mary M. Ourisman, U.S. Ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, was the main speaker in the event.
“Why honor Alexander Hamilton? Simple – because he was more than a founding father. He was a man who helped shaped the United States to what it is today. He was a man who needs recognition for his contributions,” she said
Nevisian Premier, the Hon. Joseph Parry, was another speaker at the event.
“To preserve Nevis’ history is very important,” he said. “If you don’t know your roots, you don’t know where you’re going nor coming from”
Mr. Parry thanked the U.S. for assisting Nevis.
The Hon. Izben Williams, St. Kits and Nevis Ambassador to the U.S., spoke on the importance of heritage tourism.
Marcia Myers, President of the Nevis Historical and Conservation Society, discussed plans for the exhibition.
“We are putting plans together to get the exhibition moved to the waterfront,” she said. “There it can get more exposure and amongst everything gain recognition.”
“Alexander Hamilton: The Man Who Made Modern America” is a traveling exhibit prepared by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. It is based on an exhibition at the New York Historical Society commemorating the 250th anniversary of Hamilton’s birth. A copy of the traveling exhibit has been given to the Nevis Historical and Conservation Society by the U.S. State Department, through the auspices of Ambassador Ourisman. It will be a permanent part of the Society’s collection.
Alexander Hamilton was one of the most influential of the United States ‘ founding fathers. As the first Secretary of the Treasury he placed the new nation on a firm financial footing. In 1804, he was killed in a famous duel with then-U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr.
NHCS is one of the most respected and active organizations of its kind in the Caribbean, according to Archaeology Magazine. The society was established in 1980 to conserve the natural, cultural and historic fabric of the Island of Nevis and her surrounding sea for all its people. The society is a nonprofit organization whose sources of income include endowments and pledges, the Nevis Island Government, admission fees at the museum, donations, grants, business and corporations, museum shoppe sales, fundraising events and membership fees. Volunteer services are also contributed.
