. But she remained steadfastly loyal to him, and after his death in 1804, it was Eliza who would ensure Hamiltons contributions to the founding of America were never left out of the history books. The organization still exists today, as the children and families-supporting New York City non-profit Graham Windham. [36] Meanwhile, she continued to raise her children (a fifth, John Church Hamilton, had been born in August 1792) and maintain their household throughout multiple moves between New York, Philadelphia, and Albany. [26] At this time, she now had three young children (her third, Alexander, was born in May 1786) and may have been pregnant at the time with her fourth, James Alexander, who would be born the following April. Americans knew a lot about Martha Washington (George Washington's wife), a lot about Dolly Madison (James Madison's widow), and a lot about Abigail Adams (John Adams' wife). [40], In 1797, an affair came to light that had taken place several years earlier between Hamilton and Maria Reynolds, a young woman who had first approached him for monetary aid in the summer of 1791. [citation needed], In addition to their own children, in 1787, Eliza and Alexander took into their home Frances (Fanny) Antill, the two-year-old youngest child of Hamilton's friend Colonel Edward Antill, whose wife had recently died. Introduced at the very start of the musical, in the song Alexander Hamilton, Elizais central to the plot, and adds an important female voice to a show about politics and Americas Founding Fathers. Her oldest son Philip died in a duel, just as his father would three years later. Largely educated at home, she was bright and good-natured. Maria's husband, James Reynolds, caught wind of the affair, and began shaking Hamilton down for money. [citation needed] She was so devoted to Alexander's writings that she wore a small package around her neck containing the pieces of a sonnet that Alexander wrote for her during the early days of their courtship. Her two famous sisters were Angelica Schuyler Church and Margarita Schuyler Van Rensselaer. Along with getting Alexander's works stored while Eliza was in her 90s, she remained dedicated to charity work. Eliza later said of the presidents wife that she was always my ideal of a true woman.. The Grange, their house on a 35-acre estate in upper Manhattan, was sold at public auction; however, she was later able to repurchase it from Hamilton's executors, who had decided that Eliza could not be publicly dispossessed of her home, and purchased it themselves to sell back to her at half the price. In those days, the still-isolated area didnt have any free public schools, and paying tuition at a private academy was too much for parents to afford, according to Don Rice, president of the Dyckman Farmhouse Museum Alliance, a community institution that has helped to preserve the history of the area. Philip also hailed from a prominent family and he commanded a militia during the French and Indian War of the 1750s. But when George Washington asked him to become his aide-de-camp, Hamilton embarked on what was, arguably, the second most important relationship of his life. When Elizabeth Eliza Schuyler married .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Alexander Hamilton in December 1780, the pair would have seemed like a great mismatch on paper. [38] Hamilton resigned from public office immediately afterwards[39] in order to resume his law practice in New York and remain closer to his family. In Hamilton's closing number, "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story," Eliza is framed as the driving force behind Hamilton's legacy. Born in 1757, Eliza was the second daughter of Revolutionary War general Philip Schuyler and Catherine van Rensselaer, a member of one of New Yorks richest families. Still eager to find glory in battle, he turned them all down. Eliza was also driven by her faith. Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton was the wife of Alexander Hamilton, one of America's founding fathers. A pension scheme later landed him in prison for forgery, and when he sought Hamilton's help, he was turned down. She was the eldest daughter of Continental Army General Philip Schuyler, and a sister of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton and sister-in-law of Alexander Hamilton . Thrust into harsh financial straits, Elizabeth then witnessed her father's death in November 1804 and had to use both strength and ingenuity to keep her remaining family afloat. Unlike two of Elizas sisters (including Angelica) who had eloped due to family doubts about their husbands, Eliza received her fathers blessing. Just a teenager, he made a name for himself writing pamphlets and articles supporting the Revolutionary cause. The Van Rensselaers of the Manor of Rensselaerswyck were one of the richest and most politically influential families in the state of New York. Elizabeth Schuyler was born on August 7, 1757, in Albany, New York, the second daughter of wealthy landowner and Revolutionary War general Philip Schuyler. She had eight children with Hamilton during their rather short marriage of 24 years. In 1821 Elizabeth was appointed first directress of the Society and served for 27 years in that position until she left New York in 1848. We may earn a commission from these links. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Henry G. Marquand, 1881. Even so, according to Gill, Eliza eventually became unable to afford the estates upkeep, and in 1813, she was forced to sell it and move to humbler quarters downtown. Hamilton: Building America on HISTORY Vault. Contrary to the musical,. "I Meet You in Every Dream" She also outlived her fifth child, her son William Stephen who was born on August 4, 1797 and died on October 9, 1850. After Hamiltons death in 1804, Elizabeth was required to pay his debts which were substantial. As biographer Ron Chernow has written, the deeply religious widow also believed passionately that all children should be literate in order to study the Bible.. Eliza remained dedicated to preserving her husbands legacy. Ashamed of his conduct, Hamilton began to pay closer attention to his family. He was born c. 1755 on the island of Nevis, in the British West Indies. The Hamilton Free School, established in northern Manhattan (not far from where the couple had lived) offered education to students of families who couldnt afford private education for their children. She was portrayed by Eve Gordon and was referred to as Betsy. The character grows quite fond of her friend Alexander Hamilton (Lin-Manuel Miranda), but ultimately backs off when he begins a romance with her sister Eliza (Phillipa Soo). His mother, Rachel Faucette, had been born there to British and French Huguenot parents. After being shot on the dueling field, Philip was brought to Angelica and John Church's house, where he died with both of his parents next to him. Over time Eliza and Alexander reconciled and remained married, and had two more children together. Her reaction to Hamilton's affair is, equally, lost to history, which Miranda imagines as deliberate in the lyrics to "Burn." She recruited biographers to do a proper work on her husband (the task eventually fell to a son), hired assistants to organize his papers, even wore a little bag around her neck with pieces of a sonnet he had composed for her in 1780. "[33], Eliza also continued to aid Alexander throughout his political career, serving as an intermediary between him and his publisher when he was writing The Federalist Papers,[34] copying out portions of his defense of the Bank of the United States,[35] and sitting up with him so he could read Washington's Farewell Address out loud to her as he wrote it. Elizabeth died in Washington, D.C. on November 9, 1854, at the advanced age of 97. After a short honeymoon at the Pastures, Eliza's childhood home, Hamilton returned to military service in early January 1781. Also a trained anthropologist, Hurston collected folklore throughout the South and Caribbean reclaiming, honoring and celebrating Black life on its own terms. The Orphan Asylum Society of the City of New York. The two became extremely close. And yes, she really did burn her letters to her husbandbut no one knows when or why. That 'Hamilton' Boycott Completely Backfired, may focus on its namesake founding father, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. [45] During this time, Alexander commissioned John McComb Jr. to construct the Hamilton family home. Hamilton depicts the Reynolds Affair, one of the country's earliest sex scandals. Good-natured though somewhat serious, she was at ease in the outdoors and devout in her Christian faith. After two more months of separation punctuated by their correspondence, on December 14, 1780, Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler were married at the Schuyler Mansion. Alexander and Elizabeth (he called her Eliza or Betsey) were married at the Schuyler home on December 14 of that same year, and Hamilton was warmly received into the family. But if you're an astute historian, you might notice that Alexander Hamilton was killed in that famous duel way back in . In 1806, two years after Hamiltons death, Elizabeth became the co-founder of the Society for the relief of poor widows with small children. Eliza would weather a storm of pain and embarrassment following very public revelations of Hamiltons adultery. Sign up for the American Experience newsletter! In the winter of 1779-1780, Eliza met Alexander Hamilton, an upstart from the West Indies who had emigrated to America and risen to become General . They were so close, in . When he paid her a visit decades after the Reynolds scandal, she refused to speak with him. Eliza and Alexander continued to live together in a caring relationship in their new home that can be seen in letters between the two at the time. A pictorial walk through time, Arent van Curler & the Flatts Elizabeth Schuyler was born on August 9, 1757, the daughter of the Revolutionary War leader Major General Philip Schuyler. In 1796, Hamilton took aim at Jefferson in an essay that hinted at the sexual relationship Jefferson had with his slave, Sally Hemmings. In his 2004 biography of Hamilton, which Miranda used as the basis for the show, Ron Chernow wrote that Eliza destroyed her own letters to Hamilton, but her reasons remain unknown. var googletag = googletag || {}; All Rights Reserved. When Do New Episodes of 'Mandalorian' Come Out? The orphaned immigrant had found a father figure, and Hamilton became like a son to the future president. [citation needed], In 1798, Eliza had accepted her friend Isabella Graham's invitation to join the descriptively named Society for the Relief of Poor Widows with Small Children that had been established the previous year. In real life, two years after Hamilton's death, Eliza really did help to establish the Orphan Asylum Society of the City of New York, which still exists today as a family services agency named Graham Windham. He was stationed along with Washington in Morristown for the winter. Her lines in the play, "Im just sayin, if you really loved me, you would share him," are drawn from a letter the real Angelica wrote to Eliza, in which she joked, "I love him very much and if you were as generous as the Old Romans you would lend him to me for a while."). Thanks to her fathers role in the war and her familys social status, these years were a time of excitement for Eliza as well. Elizabeth at the age of 94, three years before her death. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. The story provides a snapshot of her own life following the loss of her husband, such as her work founding an orphanage in New York, and she also sings of being with Alexander again at some point in the future (with Miranda briefly re-joining her on stage). ("The world has no right to my heart / the world has no place in our bed / they don't get to know what I said."). [31] After Alexander became Treasury Secretary in 1789, her social duties only increased: "Mrs. Hamilton, Mrs. [Sarah] Jay and Mrs. [Lucy] Knox were the leaders of official society," an early historian writes. After her husbands death, Eliza Hamilton remained for a time in The Grange, the clapboard two-and-a-half-story home located on what is now W. 143rd Street just east of Amsterdam Avenue in Harlem, where she was surrounded by gardens filled with tulips, hyacinths, lilies and roses, according to historian Jonathan Gill. Alexander had heard of Earl's predicament and asked if Eliza might be willing to sit for him, to allow him to make some money and eventually buy his way out of prison, which he subsequently did. She would spend much of her long widowhood working to secure Hamilton'splace in American history. Portrayed by Phillipa Soo, Eliza played a key role in safeguarding her husband's legacy after his death. "[41] After returning home to Eliza on July 22[42] and assembling a first draft dated July 1797,[43] on August 25, 1797, Hamilton published a pamphlet, later known as the Reynolds Pamphlet, admitting to his one-year adulterous affair in order to refute the charges that he had been involved in speculation and public misconduct with Maria's husband James Reynolds.[44]. There were 14 siblings in total. On March 16, 1801, Alexander Hamilton wrote to Eliza, conveying the news that Peggy had passed away and reassuring her that Peggy had been "sensible" and "resigned" as she faced her death. Chernow, Ron, Alexander Hamilton, Penguin Press, 2004, Randall, William Sterne, Alexander Hamilton: A Life, Harpers-Collins, 2003, Roberts, Warren, A Place in History: Albany in the Age of Revolution, 1775-1825, Albany: NY State University Press, 2010, Wikipedia, especially for main picture (portrait by Ralph Earl), Peter Douglas's Totidem Verbis .css-5rg4gn{display:block;font-family:NeueHaasUnica,Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;margin-bottom:0.3125rem;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-5rg4gn:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-5rg4gn{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.3;letter-spacing:-0.02em;margin:0.75rem 0 0;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-5rg4gn{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.3;letter-spacing:0.02rem;margin:0.9375rem 0 0;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-5rg4gn{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.4;margin:0.9375rem 0 0.625rem;}}@media(min-width: 73.75rem){.css-5rg4gn{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.4;}}Where Did the 'Perfect Match' Couples End Up? Elizabeth "Eliza" Schuyler Hamilton was born in Albany, New York, on August 9, 1757. She died in 1854, at the age of 97, one of the nation's last remaining links to its founders. She re-organized all of Alexander's letters, papers, and writings with the help of her son, John Church Hamilton, and persevered through many setbacks in getting his biography published. [17] Also while in Morristown, Eliza met and became friends with Martha Washington, a friendship they would maintain throughout their husbands' political careers. available to watch from the comfort of your own couch, Eliza destroyed her own letters to Hamilton, save his writings and fiercely defended his legacy, Orphan Asylum Society of the City of New York, the first school in the neighborhood of Washington Heights, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Elizabeth outlived two of her children. She is respected as an early philanthropist for her work with the Orphan Asylum Society. All rights reserved. Meet the influential author and key figure of the Harlem Renaissance. Both her mother and father came from wealthy and well-regarded families. if ( 'querySelector' in document && 'addEventListener' in window ) { He eventually became a prominent landowner, with tens of thousands of acres in the Albany area. document.documentElement.className += 'js'; [52] By the time she left she had been with the organization continuously since its founding, a total of 42 years. And I am grateful . These figures indicate the enormously high death rate among young children. Elizabeth Schuyler was born in 1757, just a year after her older sister. [52] Eliza's philanthropic work in helping create the Orphan Asylum Society has led to her induction into the philanthropy section of the National Museum of American History, showcasing the early generosity of Americans that reformed the nation. The Society continues to exist until today under the name Graham Windham, a social service agency for children. It also operates a school for at-risk youth. She loves owls, hates cilantro, and can find the queer subtext in literally anything. Philip J. Schuyler, father to Angelica, Eliza, and Peggy, was a Revolutionary War general, U.S. senator, and businessman, much beloved and respected by his community. The Unlikely Marriage of Alexander Hamilton and His Wife, Eliza, Photos: GraphicaArtis/Getty Images; Kean Collection/Getty Images, Every Candidate in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Race, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. She would live another 50 years. Elizabeth was portrayed by Doris Kenyon in the 1931 film, Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton, while envious of Andr for his actions during the war, promised Eliza he would do what he could to treat the British intelligence chief accordingly; he even begged Washington to grant Andr's last wish of execution by firing squad instead of by hanging, but to no avail. Hamilton died from wounds received during the duel in July 12, 1804. A slight inheritance from Philip Schuyler helped with that, as did the private raising of money from Hamilton's friends that enabled Elizabeth to stay in the house she and Hamilton had shared. The following year, Jefferson supporter James Callender published a pamphlet accusing Hamilton of having skeletons in his own closet. History of the Republic would set the bar for future biographies of Alexander Hamilton that would grow as time went on. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Whether Elizabeth received this as sisterly banter or something more serious is not known; one of her few surviving letters does say that marriage made her "the happiest of women. The Schuylers owned enslaved people and Philip was reportedly "the largest owner of enslaved people in Albany during his time. All Rights Reserved. Its unlikely that Eliza was involved on a day-to-day basis, according to Mazzeo. He published the pamphlet in order to refute the charges that he had been involved in public misconduct with Marias husband James Reynolds, and to avoid accusations of embezzlement. In September that year, Eliza learned that Major John Andr, head of the British Secret Service, had been captured in a foiled plot concocted by General Benedict Arnold to surrender the fort of West Point to the British. Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton was born on August 9, 1757 in Albany, New York and died on November 9, 1854 in Washington, D.C. at the advanced age of 97. To clear his name in the more serious financial allegations, Hamilton released the Reynolds Pamphlet, in which he admitted to the affair but denied any criminal misdeeds. [27] In October that year, Angelica wrote to Alexander, "All the graces you have been pleased to adorn me with fade before the generous and benevolent action of my sister in taking the orphan Antle [sic] under her protection. But Eliza, understandably, is devastated, and responds by burning all the letters that Hamilton has ever sent her. first directress in 1821. Embrace all my darling Children for me. Artifacts of domestic life in lower Manhattan, De Hooges Memorandum Book In short she is so strange a creature, that she possesses all the beauties, virtues and graces of her sex without any of those amiable defects which from their general prevalence are esteemed by connoisseurs necessary shades in the character of a fine woman.. Her fathers blessing was surprising because two of her sisters, Angelica and Margarita, would end up eloping because their father refused their desire to marry the men of their respective choices. Catherine, also known as Kitty, was the daughter of one of New York States oldest, richest and most prominent Dutch families. She was born inAlbany, New York To Philip Schyler and Catherine Van Rensselaer Schuyler. Born Elizabeth Schuyler, and later known as Eliza Hamilton, Alexanders wife was the co-founder and deputy director of the first private orphanage in New York City. She married Hamilton in 1780 and he died in a duel in 1804. When Eliza went away to her mother's funeral in 1803 Hamilton wrote to her from the Grange telling her: I am anxious to hear of your arrival at Albany and shall be glad to be informed that your father and all of you are composed. Known as Eliza by friends and family, she was a tomboy at heart, with a potent mix of intelligence, warmth and determination. The founding father and the New York socialite came from opposing backgrounds but somehow found love during the Revolution. A number of other familiar historical figures also feature, from Hamilton's friend-turned-nemesis Aaron Burr to his mentor George Washington to his political rival Thomas Jefferson. Elizabeth gave birth to their first child, Philip,in 1782, and seven more would follow over the next two decades; the Hamiltons also raised the orphaned daughter of a friend for 10 years. By early 1777, hed made enough of a name for himself that several Colonial generals asked him to join their staffs. James McHenry, one of Washington's aides alongside her future husband, said, "Hers was a strong character with its depth and warmth, whether of feeling or temper controlled, but glowing underneath, bursting through at times in some emphatic expression. But behind the myth of the games creation is an untold tale of theft, obsession and corporate double-dealing. In 1818, she opened the first school in the neighborhood of Washington Heights (where, decades later, Lin-Manuel Miranda would grow up). Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. After the war he was active in both local and national politics, even serving as a U.S. senator from New York from 1789 to 1791 losing his seat to none other than Aaron Burr (who would eventually kill his future son-in-law Alexander in a duel). She is respected as an. [49][50][51] Eliza was appointed second directress, or vice-president. A 1781 painting of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton by Ralph Earl. Reynolds spilled the beans about the affair, but also said that Hamilton had been involved in his pension scheme. "[15], In early 1780, Elizabeth went to stay with her aunt, Gertrude Schuyler Cochran, in Morristown, New Jersey. Despite her advanced pregnancy and her previous miscarriage of November 1794, her initial reaction to her husband's disclosure of his past affair was to leave Hamilton in New York and join her parents in Albany where William Stephen was born on August 4, 1797. She also ensured that Hamiltons biography was published. Philip Schuyler shared similar politics with Hamilton, and, like Eliza and others, realized that Hamiltons star was on the rise thanks in no small part to his role at Washingtons side. [3] She is recognized as an early American philanthropist for her work with the Orphan Asylum Society. Elizabeth also spent many months separated from her husband. [27][28], For other people named Elizabeth Hamilton, see, Last edited on 25 February 2023, at 21:19, Margarita "Peggy" Schuyler Van Rensselaer, Learn how and when to remove this template message, George Washington II: The Forging of a Nation, "Hamilton, Elizabeth Schuyler (09 August 175709 November 1854), statesman's wife and charity worker", "Women of the Republican Court: Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton (17571854)", "Mrs. Philip John Schuyler (Catherine van Rensselaer)", "Schuyler-Malcolm-Cochran Family Papers: Manuscripts and Special Collections: New York State Library", "Dutch Reformed Church In Albany, New York", "Guide to the Records of Graham Windham 18042011", "To Alexander Hamilton from James McHenry, 3 January 1791", "Letter from Henry Knox to Alexander Hamilton, 24 November 1794", "Letter from Alexander Hamilton to George Washington, 1 December 1794", "Letter from Alexander Hamilton to Angelica Schuyler Church, 6 March 1795", "To Alexander Hamilton from John B. She only came back to her marital house in New York in early September 1797 because the local doctor had been unable to cure their eldest son Philip, who had accompanied her to Albany and contracted typhus. Losses More. Her eighth and last child, Philip (Little Phil), was born on June 1, 1802. During one such interlude, in the summer of 1791, Hamilton began an affair with Maria Reynoldsthat, when publicly revealed six years later, exposed Elizabeth to a humiliation augmented both by Hamilton's insistence on airing the adultery's most lurid details and a hostile press that asked, "Art thou a wife? Eliza would have grown up around slavery as her father was a slave owner. The Grange, their house on a 35-acre estate in upper Manhattan, was sold at public auction, but she later repurchased it from Hamiltons executors, who felt that she could not be dispossessed of her home, and purchased it themselves to sell back to her at half the price. [4] Church, 13 July 1797", "Letter from Alexander Hamilton to Elizabeth Hamilton, 21 July 1797", "Draft of the "Reynolds Pamphlet", July 1797", "Printed Version of the "Reynolds Pamphlet", 1797", "Guide to the Records of Graham Windham 1804-2011 MS 2916", "Who tells Eliza's story? The first, Elizabeth, named for Eliza, was born on November 20, 1799. In real-life Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton lived to. She came from a well-established, highly-regarded family, he was an orphaned immigrant. Eliza and her husband would not get to enjoy their newly built home together long, for only two years later, in July 1804, Alexander Hamilton became involved in a similar "affair of honor," which led to his infamous duel with Aaron Burr and untimely death. Hamiltons wife Eliza Schuyler was a key part of his life, but she was also an important historical character in her own right. During that winter Elizabeth also became friends with Martha Washington, a friendship that would remain throughout their husbands political careers. Elizabeths depiction in the musical emphasizes both her importance in Hamiltons life and her work in propagating his legacy. On Saturday, My Dear Eliza, your sister took leave of her sufferings and friends, I trust, to find repose and happiness in a better country. [22] Meanwhile, the war came close to home, when a group of British soldiers stumbled upon the Pastures, looking for supplies. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Monopoly is Americas favorite board game, a love letter to unbridled capitalism and our free market society. 2021 Associated Newspapers Limited. In case you're unfamiliar, the show tells the story of America's revolutionary era through the lens of Alexander Hamilton, and his journey from penniless immigrant to founding father. Her relationship with Hamilton grew quickly, even after he left Morristown, only a month after Elizabeth, 22 years old, arrived there. [12] She was said to have been something of a tomboy when she was young;[13][pageneeded] throughout her life she retained a strong will and even an impulsiveness that her acquaintances noted. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Every Candidate in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Race, These 10 Jimmy Carter Quotes Will Inspire You, 4 U.S. Presidents Who Won the Nobel Peace Prize, How Little-Known Jimmy Carter Won the 1976 Primary, George H.W.