Alexander Hamilton Walking Tours Expand in NYC and Philadelphia

Jimmy Napoli, founder and CEO of "Hamilton's New York" - a variety of tours devoted to founding father Alexander Hamilton and his contemporaries - today announced the expansion of offerings in New York City, with seasonal tours in Philadelphia, PA.

The popular walking tours around Harlem and Wall Street provide a vibrant introduction to the man and his turbulent life as the nation was being established. Tracing Hamilton's fascinating life story, "Hamilton's New York" will now include tours led by art historian Carol S. Ward through the galleries of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and New-York Historical Society in Manhattan.

In addition to the new roster of tours launching this fall, Mr. Napoli announced a partnership with Fraunces Tavern where a variety of lectures will be presented in the landmark restaurant/museum's Washington Room. The tavern is the site where George Washington said farewell to his troops after the War of Independence. Topics will include Hamilton's childhood, the American Revolution, his role in creating the federal government, and his infamous duel with Aaron Burr. The lectures will be led by Mr. Napoli, historian Gregory Simmons, and Ms. Ward.

Mr. Napoli is an American history expert and, for twenty years, a licensed New York City tour guide. He had partnered with Ms. Ward in her role as executive director of the Morris-Jumel Mansion in Washington Heights, lecturing and leading tours of sites related to Hamilton. She is working with Mr. Napoli as an independent consultant to engage a wider audience with diverse offerings using the arts as a dynamic platform for discovery.

Mr. Napoli said, "Carol's art historical perspective and experience at the Morris-Jumel Mansion provide new pathways to explore the life and times of this extraordinary man and his contemporaries. Carol mines the collections of two eminent institutions to build on what we know from historical documents. The addition of lectures at Fraunces Tavern, where Washington famously said farewell to his troops, will further enrich our understanding of American history."

Ms. Ward said, "Working with Jimmy at the Morris-Jumel Mansion was a delight because of his deep knowledge and sincere enthusiasm for connecting people with Hamilton's story. I love watching people on his tours realizing they are standing where Hamilton once did as Jimmy unspools this great American narrative."

For more information, visit www.hamiltonsnewyork.com.

"Hamilton's New York" is a program of walking tours and lectures revealing the intriguing life, accomplishments, and legacy of America's most dynamic and controversial founding father, Alexander Hamilton. The tours take place in New York City's Harlem and Wall Street neighborhoods, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and New-York Historical Society, and seasonally in Philadelphia, PA, and Morristown, NJ. Lecture's about Hamilton's life and times take place at Fraunces Tavern in lower Manhattan. Hamilton scholar Jimmy Napoli and his colleagues walk in the footprints of the "Little Lion" to reveal why Hamilton is still considered among the most influential New Yorkers of all time.

From the obscure island of Nevis in the Caribbean, to the most famous island in the world - Manhattan - Alexander Hamilton's (c. 1755-1804) meteoric rise to the world stage is the story of the nation he helped create and the city he shaped. His impoverished and tragic childhood inspired his determination to not just leave his mark, but to leave it writ large. From serving as George Washington's most trusted aide to achieving battlefield glory in Yorktown, Hamilton proved his dedication to American independence with valor, statesmanship, and tireless resolve. As the main author of the Federalist Papers, he fiercely defended the Constitution, insuring its ratification. As Treasury Secretary in Washington's administration, he resolved the nation's debt and created the financial systems that would transform the young country into an economic empire. He died of his wounds following a duel with Aaron Burr, Vice President during Thomas Jefferson's first term. He is currently the subject of the smash hit Broadway musical created by Lin-Manuel Miranda.