Whakaotihia te rerenga e whai ake nei: I whānau a Hamilton i te 28 o Hōngongoi, 1894. I noho ia i te nuinga o tōna tamarikitanga ki Seattle. Ko ia te kaumatua o nga tama tokorua (tona tuakana, Edgar Charles Hamilton, i whanau i muri mai) ki ona maatua (Thomas Luther me Henrietta Hamilton). Ko nga hiahia wawe o Hamilton ki te rererangi i tiimata mai i te wa e 10 ona tau. Kua tangohia tona whaea he haerenga ki te kite i te
1904 St. Louis Exposition, i reira he whakaaturanga o gliders whakaritea e Octave Chanute me, te tahi ara i runga i tona hokinga mai, ka Hamilton i atu arotahi ki runga i te aeronautics. I hono pea a Mrs. Hamilton ki a Chanute i te whakaaturanga mai i te mea kaore a Tom Hamilton i haere tahi me ia. I etahi tau i muri mai, i kii a Hamilton he maha nga wa i tuhituhi ai ia ki a Chanute mo nga mea hangarau e pa ana ki ana rererangi tuatahi, ahakoa kaore ano kia kitea he rekoata e whakahua ana i a Hamilton i roto i te kohinga reta a Chanute kei te Whare Pukapuka o te Kaunihera tae noa ki tenei wa.