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. Hamilton would reach the heights of government and power but be tripped up by his own arrogance, ambition and hubris. Later she was able to buy it back because executors decided that she could not be publicly dispossessed of her home. [4] She had seven siblings who lived to adulthood, including Angelica Schuyler Church and Margarita "Peggy" Schuyler Van Rensselaer, but she had 14 siblings altogether. He had been stationed along with the General and his men in Morristown. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Never remarrying, Eliza raised a brood of seven children as a single mother, while grieving the losses of her husband and eldest son, Philip who both died in duels. [45] During this time, Alexander commissioned John McComb Jr. to construct the Hamilton family home. Elizabeth also spent many months separated from her husband. Eliza was supportive of her husband throughout his career and aided him with his political writings. Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton was the wife of Alexander Hamilton, one of America's founding fathers. var googletag = googletag || {}; Two of those deaths could have been quite easily avoided if the male culture had been less prone to duels. [24] Earlier that year, Angelica and her husband John Barker Church, for business reasons, had moved to Europe. Her reaction to Hamilton's affair is, equally, lost to history, which Miranda imagines as deliberate in the lyrics to "Burn." But while his brilliance was apparent to those who met him, Hamilton was eager to prove himself on the field, not just with the pen. By 1801, Peggy had been ill for two years. ", A Happy Union But at the time of Hamiltons death, he still had a mortgage and owed money to the builders, and his wife struggled under the weight of all that debt. In the year before the duel, Eliza's mother Catherine had died suddenly,[47] and only a few months after Hamilton's death Eliza's father died as well. But she held onto her grudge against Monroe. The Full Lyrics to Look at Us Now (Honeycomb), Inside Riley Keoughs 'Daisy Jones' Transformation, Tracy Oliver on That Harlem Season 2 Finale, Aminah Nieves on Those Shocking 1923 Scenes. 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? At that time she had been with the Society for 42 years. [19] Soon, however, Washington and Hamilton had a falling-out, and the newlywed couple moved, first back to Eliza's father's house in Albany, then to a new home across the river from the New Windsor headquarters. [8] The relationship between Eliza and Hamilton quickly grew; even after he left Morristown for a short mission to negotiate a prisoners exchange, only a month after Eliza had arrived. She then sold it and moved into a townhouse owned by her son, now known as the Hamilton-Holly House, where she lived for nine years with two of her grown children, Alexander Hamilton Jr. and Eliza Hamilton Holly and their respective spouses. [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. Elizabeth died in Washington, D.C. on November 9, 1854, at the advanced age of 97. Also a trained anthropologist, Hurston collected folklore throughout the South and Caribbean reclaiming, honoring and celebrating Black life on its own terms. Eliza later said of the presidents wife that she was always my ideal of a true woman.. In 1848, she left New York for Washington, D.C., where she lived with her widowed daughter Eliza until 1854. 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The affair was supposedly encouraged by Marias husband James Reynolds who then asked Hamilton for hush money to keep the affair out of public knowledge, which he paid. She had to sell her 35 acre estate in upper Manhattan. And yes, she really did burn her letters to her husbandbut no one knows when or why. Both her mother and father came from wealthy and well-regarded families. 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 [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. The Unlikely Marriage of Alexander Hamilton and His Wife, Eliza - Biography While in Philadelphia, around November 24, 1794, Eliza suffered a miscarriage[37] in the wake of her youngest child falling extremely ill as well as of her worries over Hamilton's absence during his armed suppression of the Whiskey Rebellion. Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton .css-umdwtv{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:.0625rem;text-decoration-color:#FF3A30;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:inherit;-webkit-transition:background 0.4s;transition:background 0.4s;background:linear-gradient(#ffffff, #ffffff 50%, #d5dbe3 50%, #d5dbe3);-webkit-background-size:100% 200%;background-size:100% 200%;}.css-umdwtv:hover{color:#000000;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;-webkit-background-position:100% 100%;background-position:100% 100%;}may focus on its namesake founding father, but the hit musical also tells story of his wife, Eliza, played by Phillipa Soo in the original Broadway production now streaming on Disney Plus. My dear Hamilton is fonder of me every day.". There were 14 siblings in total. Elizabeth outlived two of her children. Largely educated at home, she was bright and good-natured. 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. According to the Smithsonian Magazine, Eliza was a beloved figure and entertained often: "Some visitors sought her imprimatur for new legislation, while others went simply to bask in the glow of history." Emma Dibdin is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles who writes about culture, mental health, and true crime. She also outlived her fifth child, her son William Stephen who was born on August 4, 1797 and died on October 9, 1850. "I had little of private life in those days," she would remember. Eliza would weather a storm of pain and embarrassment following very public revelations of Hamiltons adultery. See him, whom thou has chosen for the partner of this life, lolling in the lap of a harlot!!" As Mazzeo notes, Eliza was simply passionate about children's welfare, and where she saw problems she tried to find solutions.. 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. Elizabeth Schuyler was born in Albany in 1757, to a wealthy family that had social ties to prominent early Americans. Eliza Hamilton wanted to find a way to honor Hamilton's memory, in the place where their last home had been together, says Mazzeo. [25] On September 25, 1784, Eliza gave birth to her second child, Angelica, named after Eliza's older sister. Hamilton Schuyler Sisters True Story - Who Were the Schuyler Sisters? It is said that after returning home from meeting her, Hamilton was so excited he forgot the password to enter army headquarters. As was common for young women of her time, Eliza was a regular churchgoer, and her faith remained unwavering throughout her lifetime. As a child, she was strong-willed and impulsive. Eliza Hamilton poured her energy into founding a free school and an orphanage in New York to help children in need. So of the original 14 siblings only five survived. Born in 1757, Eliza was the second daughter of Revolutionary War general Philip Schuyler and Catherine van Rensselaer, a member of one of New York's richest families. Get the latest on new films and digital content, learn about events in your area, and get your weekly fix of American history. [citation needed], Like most Dutch families of the area, her family belonged to the Reformed Dutch Church of Albany, which still stands; however, the original 1715 building, where Elizabeth was baptized and attended services, was demolished in 1806. Where Is The Cast Of Broadway's 'Hamilton' Now? She is respected as an early philanthropist for her work with the Orphan Asylum Society. The pair had eight children, and also took in Fanny Antill, the orphaned toddler daughter of a Revolutionary War colonel. Fly to the bosom of your God and be comforted. Eliza was, at the time, pregnant with their sixth child. 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. "I Meet You in Every Dream" Elizabeth Hamilton (ne Schuyler /skalr/; August 9, 1757 November 9, 1854[2]), also called Eliza or Betsey, was an American socialite and philanthropist. A few years later she became the co-founder of the Orphan Asylum Society. 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. Dutch people, places, miscellany, Timeline of the Netherlands & Scandinavia in North America We may earn a commission from these links. Ron Chernow said that her efforts to preserve Hamilton's memory were important to his 2005 biography of the founder, especially as, with Hamilton's Republican foes in power after his death, there wasn't much in the way of public efforts to record his life. Eliza died in Washington, D.C. on November 9, 1854, at age 97. And I am grateful . In 1801, their eldest child, Phillip, died in a duel at at just 19-years-old. Reynolds spilled the beans about the affair, but also said that Hamilton had been involved in his pension scheme. Peggy Schuyler - Wikipedia Elizabeth was portrayed by Doris Kenyon in the 1931 film, Alexander Hamilton. Eventually, Eliza Hamiltons school evolved into a scholarship fund that helps students from Washington Heights and Inwood attend Columbia University. 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."). But if you're an astute historian, you might notice that Alexander Hamilton was killed in that famous duel way back in . All rights reserved. As the New York Herald reported in 1856, the one-room school was antiquated and so dilapidated that it was unfit for use, though it still had a student body of 60 to 70 children. They had met briefly a few years before, but now Alexander Hamilton was smitten, "a gone man," in the words of another aide. In those roles, she raised funds, collected needed goods, and oversaw the care and education of over 700 children. Did Eliza Hamilton remarry after Alexander died? Hamiltons wife Eliza Schuyler was a key part of his life, but she was also an important historical character in her own right. Eliza soon joined him at New Windsor, where Washington's army was now stationed, and she rekindled her friendship with Martha Washington as they entertained their husbands' fellow officers. [23], After Yorktown, Alexander was able to rejoin Eliza in Albany, where they would remain for almost another two years, before moving to New York City in late 1783. Elizabeth did not believe the rumors at first, but eventually Hamilton lived up to it. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! [53], Eliza defended Alexander against his critics in a variety of ways following his death, including by supporting his claim of authorship of George Washington's Farewell Address and by requesting an apology from James Monroe over his accusations of financial improprieties. 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). Unlike two of Elizas sisters (including Angelica) who had eloped due to family doubts about their husbands, Eliza received her fathers blessing. Eliza personally went out and solicited donations, and with the help of $10,000 provided by state legislators, the cornerstone was laid for a three-story orphanage in July 1807. and Barbara Bushs Amazing Love Story. 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. In 2010, it partnered with the New York State Office of Cultural Education to establish the New Netherland Research Center, with matching funds from the State of the Netherlands. . In 1797 Eliza was told of an affair that had taken place several years earlier between Hamilton andMaria Reynolds, a young woman who had first approached him for financial assistance. By early 1777, hed made enough of a name for himself that several Colonial generals asked him to join their staffs. Hamilton insisted upon his innocence, and the matter was kept private for years. 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. They became officially engaged in early April with her fathers blessing. Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton (1757-1854) was a philanthropist, wife to Alexander Hamilton, and mother of their 8 children. They would raise a large family but see their eldest son killed in a duel while defending his fathers honor. (Enter your ZIP code for information on American Experience events and screening in your area.). According to some accounts, the family was spared from any losses thanks to her sister Peggy's quick thinking: she told the soldiers that her father had gone to town to get help, causing them to flee from the area. Elizabeth remained dedicated to preserving her husbands legacy. Where Did the 'Perfect Match' Couples End Up? In 1806, two years after her husband's death, she, along with several other women including Joanna Bethune, founded the Orphan Asylum Society. History, Archaeology & Art illuminate a Life on the Hudson, New Amsterdam Kitchen In Hamilton's closing number, "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story," Eliza is framed as the driving force behind Hamilton's legacy. A noted beauty, she was a bright star on the social scene of Albany before and after her marriage. Eliza died on November 9, 1854, at the age of 97. After Hamilton became treasury secretary in 1789 her social duties increased. 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. 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. [8] Like many landowners of the time, Philip Schuyler owned slaves, and Eliza would have grown up around slavery. Elizabeth Hamilton petitioned Congress to publish her husband Alexander Hamilton's writings (1846). Schuyler sisters Peggy, Eliza, and Angelica in. We don't get that often in fiction. What Happened to Alexander Hamilton's Children? | Mental Floss I pray you to exert yourself and I repeat my exhortation that you will bear in mind it is your business to comfort and not to distress.[46]. Hamilton, who had resigned as Treasury Secretary six years before, was in Albany on business that March when Peggy took a. She also became a founder of the Orphan Asylum Society, the citys first private orphanage, which built a Greenwich Village facility that provided a home for hundreds of children. Because his mother had never divorced her first husband, Hamiltons father, James, abandoned the family, likely to prevent Rachel from being charged with bigamy. Portrayed by Phillipa Soo, Eliza played a key role in safeguarding her husband's legacy after his death. A firm but affectionate mother, Elizabeth made sure her children had a religious upbringing, and ran the household so efficiently that an associate told Hamilton she "has as much merit as your treasurer as you have as treasurer of the wealth of the United States." The first, Elizabeth, named for Eliza, was born on November 20, 1799. 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. Elizabeth was born in Albany, New York, the second daughter of Continental Army General Philip Schuyler, a Revolutionary War general, and Catherine Van Rensselaer Schuyler. By supporting NNI you help increase awareness of the 17th century Dutch colony of New Netherland and its legacy in America. Or part of her story, at leastafter her husband's death in 1804, Eliza lived another 50 years. Hamilton was surely aware of Elizas wealth and connections, which likely played a role in his initial attraction to her. Her father, Philip J. Schuyler, was a general in the Continental Army, politician, and businessman. [28] Later, James Alexander Hamilton would write that Fanny "was educated and treated in all respects as [the Hamiltons'] own daughter. Over time Eliza and Alexander reconciled and remained married, and had two more children together. When he paid her a visit decades after the Reynolds scandal, she refused to speak with him. The new film reminds us how risky it is", "Meet the Magnetic Schuyler Sisters, the Heart of Hamilton", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elizabeth_Schuyler_Hamilton&oldid=1141595644, Eliza appeared in the 1986 television series, This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 21:19. Contrary to the musical, the Schuylers had a total of eight children who survived to adulthood, including three sons. Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. In March of that year, they formally founded the Orphan Asylum Society, and recruited other women to the cause. How well do you know your government? . The marriage took place at the Schuyler mansion in Albany, New York. She moved to Washington, D.C. in 1848 to live with a daughter, became a celebrated guest at the White House, and died just a few months after her 97th birthday. Elizabeth was appointed second directress. He was born c. 1755 on the island of Nevis, in the British West Indies. Here's what you need to know about the real-life founding mother. Hamilton rose to become a Revolutionary War hero, an advocate for the Constitution, and a rescuer of the nascent American government from financial ruin. Elizabeth "Eliza" Schuyler (August 9, 1757-November 9, 1854) was Philip and Kitty Schuyler's second child, and like Angelica, grew up in the family home in Albany. [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. She made huge sacrifices to send the children to school in town and to keep them at home with her, Tilar J. Mazzeo, author of the 2019 biography Eliza Hamilton: The Extraordinary Life and Times of the Wife of Alexander Hamilton, explains. Along with giving birth to and raising eight children, she helped Hamilton write speeches and listened to early drafts of Washington's "Farewell Address" and excerpts from the Federalist Papers. [10][11] Her upbringing instilled in her a strong and unwavering faith she would retain throughout her life. What Was Alexander Hamilton's Role in Aaron Burr's Contentious Presidential Defeat. Her oldest daughter, Angelica, suffered a nervous breakdown after her brother Philip's death. In the early months of the war, he formed an artillery company and later served at the battles of White Plains, Trenton and Princeton. Elizabeth Hamilton died on November 9, 1854, at the age of 97. Eliza's mother had died a year before. The Society continues to exist until today under the name Graham Windham, a social service agency for children. The two families were two of the wealthiest families of that time and it is safe to say that Dutch was probably still their main language in everyday life. As wealthy socialites, both Schuyler sisters frequently attended officer's balls where they mingled with eligible young soldiers. [52] By the time she left she had been with the organization continuously since its founding, a total of 42 years. A pictorial walk through time, Arent van Curler & the Flatts But she was immediately smitten with the brilliant, charming young man, and the two quickly started up a correspondence. In June 1848, when Eliza was in her nineties, she made an effort for Congress to buy and publish her late husband's works. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. 2021 Associated Newspapers Limited. is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Her father, Philip Schuyler, was a revered American Revolutionary war general, and her mother was. Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, portrayed by Phillipa Soo in the original Broadway run of Hamilton, was not just the wife of one of America's founding fathers. Despite the move, Eliza retained a connection to people who lived a few miles away from her old home. 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. Catherine,. 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. The scandal cost Hamilton any chance at the presidency, and the humiliating news became public when Eliza was pregnant with their sixth child. The Schuyler Sistersreal historical figuresshow us that those bonds can exist and are possible. Elizabeth "Eliza" Schuyler Hamilton was born in Albany, New York, on August 9, 1757. He found work at a local import-export firm, where he quickly impressed his bosses. After Hamiltons death in 1804, Elizabeth was required to pay his debts which were substantial. Hamilton followed three years later. Hamilton died from wounds received during the duel in July 12, 1804. She was interred next to her husband in the graveyard of Trinity Church in New York City. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. Eliza remained dedicated to preserving her husbands legacy. HBO Max Comedies Thatll Put You in a Good Mood, Everything to Know Ahead of 'Mando' Season 3. After moving to Washington, D.C., she helped Dolley Madison and Louisa Adams raise money to build the Washington Monument. Eliza later said of Mrs. Washington, "She was always my ideal of a true woman."[12][18]. [4] [20] There Eliza busied herself in creating a home for them and in aiding Alexander with his political writingsparts of his 31-page letter to Robert Morris, laying out much of the financial knowledge that was to aid him later in his career, are in her handwriting. FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. if ( 'querySelector' in document && 'addEventListener' in window ) { Eliza was beside him as he died. Hamilton followed the Army when they decamped in June 1780. 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.