FACT OF THE DAY

The US Department of the Treasury was founded today in 1789. In charge of all the money in the United States (which is quite a lot, one imagines), its first secretary was one Alexander Hamilton. Scottish-French and born in the West Indies, Hamilton became a fervent supporter of the American cause and fought bravely as an artillery officer during the War of Independence. His post-war career ended abruptly when he was mortally wounded in a duel.