Alexander Hamilton Lesson Plan

In “Thirty: Flying Too Near the Sun,” how does the Reynolds affair come back to haunt Hamilton? What notable conflicts begin to surface during this controversy? What do Hamilton’s actions in response indicate about his character?

James Thomas Callender, a vicious writer who feeds off gossip and scandal, publishes an innocuously titled series of essays in the summer of 1797. In the essays, Callender publicizes the Reynolds affair and accuses Hamilton of wrongdoing during his time as Treasury Secretary. Despite numerous friends and advisors telling him to let it blow over, Hamilton cannot help but respond in print, and is eventually forced to publicly acknowledge the...