He was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Born in the British West Indies, he was forced to take his first job at age 11 after his father abandoned the family. His work as an accounting clerk in St. Croix impressed his employer enough that he raised funds to send the young lad to the United States for an education. Once in America, he attended King’s College in New York (which was renamed Columbia University in 1784), but left before graduation.
He went on to fight in several battles during the Revolutionary War and earned the position of senior aide to the U.S. commander-in-chief, George Washington. When the war ended, he turned his attention to the practice of law. By the late 1700s, he had become one of Manhattan’s most prestigious attorneys and ranked among sought-after advisers for American presidents.
It’s been said that few of America’s founders influenced its political system more than the man who owned this powder horn. Click here to learn more about this unique piece and its stately owner. It’s just one of the many fascinating treasures on display at the NRA National Firearms Museum in Fairfax, Va.