The 1772 Hurricane Beyond Hamilton's Letter

Hamilton's Providence — The Storm as a Divine LaunchpadAt just 17, Hamilton was a clerk in Christiansted, St. Croix, when the hurricane struck. The letter, published on October 3, 1772, in the Royal Danish-American Gazette, impressed local leaders with its eloquence and gravity. In the letter, Hamilton interpreted the storm as a divine rebuke, a call to repentance, and ultimately, an act of Providence:“Good God! The Unseen Victims — The Storm as Another Layer of TraumaBut Hamilton’s storm was not the only storm. Where Hamilton’s storm opened a door, theirs only deepened the chains.