home on the grange

Today I reached out to the Nevis Historical and Conservation Society—I’m planning to spend some time there during my week-long visit, and asked for help with my two writing projects: a memoir about my family, and a historical novel about life on an 18th-century sugar plantation. I understand the pride Nevisians feel when it comes to being the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton, but I’m more interested in writing about the people who didn’t go on to fame and fortune. Still, I can’t pretend the man didn’t exist, nor can I pretend it doesn’t matter that he and I share links to the islands of Nevis and Manhattan. Barbara Christian once said you have to know the facts of history in order to be freed from them, so this afternoon I visited The Grange, the only house owned and built by Hamilton in what was once the country (it took him an hour and a half to reach NYC, which was 9 miles south). The impressive house was moved to St. Nicholas Park in 2008 (the video showing that engineering feat is a must see), and now you can learn more about this founding father by watching a short film, touring the gallery, and taking a guided tour led by a National Park Ranger. It was great to show up and see a familiar face—Ranger Sean was transferred from the African Burial Ground to The Grange, and we speculated on the possibility that Hamilton might have African ancestry (though there’s no evidence of this). As I watched the film about his role in the American Revolution, I found myself wondering about Hamilton’s early life in Nevis—who were his friends? Did he become an abolitionist in later years in the US because of his affection for free or enslaved blacks in the Caribbean? Believe it or not, I already have a YA novel sketched out in my head. NOT that I have time or energy to take on yet another book project, but still. So far I’ve only found one novel about Hamilton’s childhood, and I doubt it privileges the perspective of Afro-Caribbean kids…

About these ads