Prince of Darkness

The Untold Story of Jeremiah G. Hamilton, Wall Street's First Black Millionaire

By: Shane White

Narrated by: John Lee

In the middle decades of the 19th century Jeremiah G. Hamilton was a well-known figure on Wall Street. He was reportedly the richest African American man in the United States, possessing a fortune of $2 million, or in excess of $250 million in today's currency.

In Prince of Darkness, a groundbreaking and vivid account, eminent historian Shane White reveals the larger-than-life story of a man who defied every convention of his time. He wheeled and dealed in the lily-white business world, he married a White woman, he bought a mansion in rural New Jersey, he owned railroad stock on trains he was not legally allowed to ride, and he generally set his White contemporaries' teeth on edge when he wasn't just plain outsmarting them. An important contribution to American history, Hamilton's life offers a way into considering, from the unusual perspective of a Black man, subjects that are usually seen as being quintessentially White, totally segregated from the African American past.

©2015 Shane White (P)2015 Tantor

Brilliant

Professor White is applauded for the revealing scholarship. I learned a great deal about Jeremiah Hamilton...I knew nothing before.

Worth listening to

Good work considering how few sources the author had to work with. Jeremiah Hamilton is worth learning about, and the book also describes race relations in New York City in the 19th century and brought up points I had never thought about. There are a couple of dry chapters detailing (perhaps too closely) some of Hamilton's court cases, but overall it's a good biography about someone that more people should be aware of.

Fascinating Story.

The research required to write this book was amazing. Put together with only public documents, it is very detailed and fascinating.

I really like the history of Black economic life in New York during Mr. Hamilton’s life. I learned as much from that history as from the story of Hamilton. The author was very clear when he was relating facts and when he was speculating. Filling in some of the details left blank by public records. This is one of the great untold stories in American history.

Prince of litigation

Shane White's research is impressive and John Lee's lilt is enjoyable but the tale of Jeremiah G Hamilton is less a whirlwind of wheeling & dealing and more a trail of skullduggery and litigation from which Hamilton somehow came out ahead. White notes a lack of primary sources so while readers learn what books Hamilton kept in his library we are left to speculate as to his reasons for reading them. Likewise there is no trove of personal journals to uncover Hamilton's thoughts on being a man of his station at this moment in history. The story provides a ton of context of life in antebellum NYC but without the subject's own voice much of the Prince of Darkness' life remains obscured.

Dry, but informative. Wild times & a man of them

Ver text book vibe, but let you see a world of unregulated markets & an extraordinary man who worked his time to his advantage, despite obvious obstacles.

The Prince of Darkness

excellent! very well done. a revealing history of New York city. RIP Jeremiah G. Hamilton.

An Amazing Story

This book will really open your eyes to any thing is possible if we just believe it within ourselves. It's amazing he accomplished so much in this time period.

He refused to accept the role forced upon him!

This book was interesting, I like Mr. Hamilton had the ability to play to game like the men of his time.

The cut throat doth prosper!

this book if anyting reminds me that capitalism is what rain supreme and the US. regardless of your race and where you come from.... but it's good to see a black man get his!

Good and helpful book

Well written and narrated. Interesting approach-expanding on newspaper articles. Thanks for insight into the life of a bold black man of the post-slavery, pre-civil war era.