A native of King and Queen County, Virginia, Hamilton was born into poverty, the daughter of former slaves.
In 1913 she began her teaching career in King William County, Virginia, where she worked in a segregated two-room school.
She pushed for longer school terms, and developed the idea of an annual Exhibit Day at which the work of the county's African-American students could be presented.
An advocate for collaboration between teachers and nearby colleges, she promoted a variety of improvement projects over the years.
[2] Hamilton is interred in the graveyard of the Third Union Baptist Church in King William County.