Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
The papers of Alexander Hamilton, attorney, secretary of the treasury, and inspector general of the army, were acquired by the Library in several installments between 1904 and 2017. The largest and initial acquisition was transferred from the State Department by executive order in 1904. In 1916 Hamilton's legal papers were purchased and a collection of his personal papers was received as the gift of Allan McLane Hamilton. A supplementary group of legal papers and letters was transferred from the Treasury Department in 1917. In 1942 a deposit made in 1930 by Alexander Hamilton (a descendant) and Pierpont M. Hamilton was converted into a gift, and another deposit made in 1939 by Mrs. John C. Bartholf was purchased in 1958. Smaller acquisitions have been added periodically to the papers by purchase or gift.
Processing History
The papers of Alexander Hamilton were arranged and described in 1981 by Audrey Walker. This finding aid was revised in 1998 by Margaret McAleer and in 2017 by Maurita Baldock to reflect material added to the collection. The finding aid was updated in 2024 by Maria Farmer as part of a division-wide remediation project by the Inclusive Description Working Group.
Microfilm
A microfilm edition of part of these papers is available on thirty-four reels. This edition, made in 1981, replaces a forty-six reel edition created in 1965. Consult reference staff in the Manuscript Division concerning availability for purchase or interlibrary loan. To promote preservation of the originals, researchers are required to consult the microfilm edition as available.
Online Content
The papers of Alexander Hamilton are available on the Library of Congress Web site at https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/collmss.ms000059. To promote preservation of the originals, researchers are required to consult the online edition as available.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Container or reel number, Alexander Hamilton Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.