Alexander Hamilton’s Schedule For His Son, Philip
There was a lot of focus required
Alexander Hamilton is known for his tireless work ethic and the song from the Broadway play bearing his name, non-stop, is accurate. Hamilton would famously write 51 of the 85 Federalist Papers in 8 months. He was prodigious in his output and ended up having his fingerprints all over the new nation.
I haven’t been able to find Alexander’s schedule but he did write a letter to his son Philip, while Philip was studying law, with a recommended schedule. This can give us some insight into the exacting schedule the founding father might have followed.
Rules for Mr Philip Hamilton[:] from the first of April to the first of October he is to rise not later than six o’clock — The rest of the year not later than Seven. If Earlier he will deserve commendation. Ten will be his hour of going to bed throughout the year.
From the time he is dressed in the morning till nine o’clock (the time for breakfast Excepted) he is to read Law.
At nine he goes to the office & continues there till dinner time — he will be occupied partly in the writing and partly in reading law.
After Dinner he reads law at home till five o’clock. From this hour till seven he disposes of his time as he pleases. From seven to ten he reads and studies what ever he pleases.
From twelve on Saturday he is at Liberty to amuse himself.
On Sunday he will attend the morning Church. The rest of the day may be applied to innocent recreations.
He must not Depart from any of these rules without my permission.
Advocated for an early start
For seven months out of the year Hamilton required his son to wake up at six in the morning and the other five months at seven o’clock. While that is early for some, Alexander does hint that earlier is better.
From six or seven there is no easing into the day. Hamilton tells Philip to start reading law until nine, when he was to go to the office. Alexander does allow for getting dressed and eating breakfast (that was nice of him).
Focus on his profession
The letter was written while Philip was studying law and that is exactly what Alexander wanted him to be doing. From around nine, when Philip got to the office, until dinner he should be writing and reading about law. When I first read this I was a little shocked, from nine until dinner is a long time. Then I remembered that dinner in Colonial America occurred between 12pm and 2pm. So, he was talking about three to four hours of sustained attention, much more doable.
After dinner Philip could go home, but he had to continue reading and writing until five. To me, this seems like a long stretch of focus and attention, especially after a meal. However, this was great practice for building the young Philip’s abilities to focus, and lends insight into what made Alexander’s output so monumental.
A break and self-improvement
After five at night, young Philip finally earned a break. For two entire hours he could, “dispose of his time as he pleases.” After seven though, there was another three hours of study. This time however, it didn’t have to be law.
Alexander was known for his zeal for self improvement and that is probably what the last three hours of Philip’s day were for. Philip could choose any topic he liked to read and study. At ten, it was off to bed to start the process all over again.
Conclusion
Ron Chernow said Alexander Hamilton approached his own daily routine with a perfectionist ardor. Not many could stick with a schedule like the one Alexander gave to his son. It’s easy to see how Alexander could get so much done focusing attention like this schedule requires.
Depending on the job, the modern world makes scheduling more difficult but this is an outline many people could use to improve their own day to day. Set up time to focus on a single task and eliminate distractions. Wake up earlier, get started, and leave time to pursue your own interests. Then stick to the schedule with dogged persistence. With any luck, you’ll create something great.
