The Founding Father Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804) was born in the British West Indies. He came to the colonies in 1772 and graduated from King's College, now Columbia College. He entered the Continental Army as a captain of artillery and was appointed aide-de-camp to George Washington, serving from 1777 to 1781. He was a member of the Continental Congress and the Annapolis Convention of 1786. He founded the Bank of New York in 1784. After serving in the New York State Assembly in 1787, Hamilton studied law and was admitted to the bar and practiced in New York City. He served as the first Secretary of the Treasury from 1789 to 1795. Political differences with Aaron Burr led to his untimely death. He was mortally wounded by Burr in a duel on July 11, 1804 and died the following day.