ciceroprofacto:

Alexander Hamilton’s Performance of Masculinity

something interesting I’ve been thinking about

It’s been discussed a lot how Hamilton was often described as feminine by his contemporaries in the standards of their time. I have zero doubts about his dandyism and I’m sure he had delicate mannerisms that, coupled with his pretty-boy looks, gave him that reputation. But, I’ve also been wondering how much of his obsession with war as a youth, his aggression in battle, his preoccupation with having a command, and his actual leadership style were possibly his way of compensating for those mannerisms or at least allowing himself some freedom of expression he wouldn’t have had otherwise. 

I mean, we have that famous “I wish there was a war” letter to Ned- which arguably is just a reflection of his desire to have a means of social elevation, but I would argue is coupled with some romanticism about being a war hero. 
We also know that Hamilton was a fan of Alexander Pope and likely read his translation of the Iliad and was deeply influenced by that story of ancient heroes and violent battles and by the hero Achilles who had a deep relationship with another man (which he also could’ve been exposed to by the sodomite population in the West Indies). 
He grew up in a place where violence was commonplace between international skirmishes between the British and French and racial violence against a large slave population, so he was definitely exposed to violence as an expression of masculinity- even in men that broke British society’s conventions of sexuality. 
Then, with his ideals about refinement and gentility and his desire to raise his position in society, he focused his thoughts about violence, glory, and warfare, and formed those into a productive way of establishing himself in society- get a command. 
And, throughout his career in the military, he gained a reputation for being eager on the battlefield and strict as a leader of troops. While at Valley Forge, he recommended lashings as punishment to Washington as a means of restoring order and he abided by capital punishment.  He probably used such means or threats of such means to maintain discipline in his own units. 
So, you get someone who wants to be involved in warfare and achieve glory through violence as a way of forming his own image as a man.

Couple that image with the preexisting one of a slender man with delicate health and feminine mannerisms, and the masculine image forged in violence and warfare becomes liberating to the intrinsic feminine one.

A lot of men probably used warfare as a way of proving their masculinity- just as men use violence in the same way today. And, think about it- if you had a deep-seated need to be respected in a society extremely hostile to the agency of women, but were frequently described as feminine, you’d look for a way to perform masculinity. If you’d seen that violence and glory were means of doing that, it would make sense to seek battle.
And, if femininity was more comfortable for you and you needed to be free to act feminine in some way to be comfortable with yourself, wouldn’t battlefield glory feel like a way of putting a check in the box for everyone else, so you could be free to wear pretty clothes and tell them- ‘fuck off, I won the battle at Yorktown’?

Basically, Hamilton’s intrinsic femininity and his aggression, pride, and violence are all tied together and very interesting.