The Conqueror

Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton (1857 - 1948) was a feminist American writer. Her husband discouraged her writing and in 1882 when she published her first novel the family was scandalized. Atherton is best remembered for her California series of novels and short stories. Her stories feature strong heroines who pursue independent careers. The Conqueror is a historical novel based on the life of Alexander Hamilton. The sections about his time in the West Indies were written from what little information could be found. The sections about his life in America are based on fact. Hamilton was born on the British West Indian island of Nevis. He became a leading founding father of the United States. He was the first United States Secretary of the Treasury, an economist, and political philosopher. He took part in the Philadelphia Convention, was one of America's first Constitutional lawyers, and co-wrote the Federalist Papers, a primary source for Constitutional interpretation.