Date: July 6, 2004
Contact: Angela Johnson
Phone: 340-773-6449
LT. GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES SCHEDULE OF EVENTS HIGHLIGHTING ALEXANDER HAMILTON'S
BOYHOOD YEARS ON ST. CROIX
Lieutenant Governor Vargrave Richards invites the public to a series
of events highlighting the formative years Alexander Hamilton spent
on the island of St. Croix. The schedule is as follows:
THURSDAY, JULY 8
11 a.m. Walking tours of Hamilton-related sites, beginning at Fort Christiansvaern,
Christiansted. Maps provided by the National Park Service.
5 p.m. Book signing at Under Cover Books in Gallows Bay featuring works
by Mr. Richard Brookhiser ("Alexander Hamilton: American");
Dr. Joanne Freeman ("Affairs of Honor" and "Hamilton:
Writings"); Dr. Stephen Knott ("Alexander Hamilton and the
Persistence of Myth"); and Mr. Vincent Hubbard ("Swords, Ships
and Sugar: A History of Nevis").
FRIDAY, JULY 9
8:30 a.m. Conference, "Alexander Hamilton: The Formative Years"
in the Ballroom at Government House, Christiansted. Presenters and topics
include:
* Mr. William F. Cissel, National Park Service historian and chief of
interpretation, on "Alexander Hamilton: The West Indian Founding
Father;"
* Mr. Vincent K. Hubbard, former president of the Nevis Historical and
Conservation Society, on "Hamilton's Childhood in Nevis: Its Lasting
Impression;"
* Dr. Arnold R. Highfield, president of the Society of Virgin Islands
Historians, on "St. Croix in the Time of Alexander Hamilton;"
* Mr. William Chrystal, minister, First Congregational Church, and first-person
interpreter, on "Proximity to the Overseer's Whip: The Different
Boyhoods of Hamilton, Adams and Jefferson;"
* Mr. Richard Brookhiser, senior editor of the National Review, on "Hamilton
in St. Croix, and Now - What he learned from his Island Experience that
Makes him Relevant Today;"
* Dr. Joanne Freeman, author and professor of history at Yale University,
on "Legacies of Youth: The Influence of Hamilton's Origins on his
Later Life;" and
* Dr. Stephen Knott, author and University of Virginia associate professor;
Dr. Stephen Knott, associate professor and research fellow at the Univesrity
of Virgnia, on "Alexander Hamilton in Myth and Memory."
9 a.m. Temporary Hamilton Exhibit opens in Government House, St. Croix.
9 a.m. Walking tours of Hamilton-related sites, beginning at Fort Christiansvaern.
Maps provided by the National Park Service.
11:45 a.m. Unveiling of working model of Alexander Hamilton sculpture
by Jan Mitchel in the Ballroom of Government House, St. Croix.
SATURDAY, JULY 10
10 a.m. Guided walking tour of Hamilton-related sites with National
Park Service Historian and Chief of Interpretation William Cissel, beginning
at Fort Christiansvaern.
10 a.m. Permanent Hamilton Exhibit opens in Fort Christiansvaern.
6 p.m. Hamilton Jump Up block party in downtown Christiansted.
SUNDAY, JULY 11
8 a.m. Church service at St. John's Anglican Church, Christiansted.
3 p.m. Guided walking tour of Hamilton-related sites with NPS Historian
and Chief of Interpretation William Cissel, beginning at Fort Christiansvaern.
"It is my hope that celebration of Alexander Hamilton's St. Croix
connections will become an annual event, and the impact of his St. Croix
experiences will elicit widespread attention," Lieutenant Governor
Richards said. "All Americans should be made aware of the upbringing
that shaped young Hamilton. I encourage the public to participate in
the commemorative activities this week, as this is a golden opportunity
to discuss the making of a great statesman."
For additional information, call Angela Johnson, public information
officer, in the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, at 773-6449.
