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Elizabeth Schuyler was born on August 9, 1757, the daughter of the Revolutionary War leader Major General Philip Schuyler. In 1806, two years after her husbands death, she, along with several other women, founded the Orphan Asylum Society. Unlike two of Elizas sisters (including Angelica) who had eloped due to family doubts about their husbands, Eliza received her fathers blessing. She died aged 97, in 1854. ' Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. 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. Hamilton: Building America on HISTORY Vault. 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. Elizabeth was portrayed by Doris Kenyon in the 1931 film, Alexander Hamilton. According to documents unearthed in the early 1900s by the New-York Historical Society, Eliza started out by finding a small house near Fort Washington, the Revolutionary War fort that was located at the intersection of present-day Fort Washington Avenue and W. 183rd Street, to be repurposed as a schoolhouse. As a child, she was strong-willed and impulsive. In real-life Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton lived to. After Vice President Aaron Burr killed Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton in a duel in 1804, Hamiltons widow, Elizabeth Schuyler Eliza Hamilton, had to find a way to go on without her beloved husband. Two of those deaths could have been quite easily avoided if the male culture had been less prone to duels. 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. Eliza descended from some of America's most prominent early families Born in August 1757, she was one of eight surviving children of Philip Schuyler and Catherine Van Rensselaer. "[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. [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. Hamilton was surely aware of Elizas wealth and connections, which likely played a role in his initial attraction to her. Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton was the wife of Alexander Hamilton, one of America's founding fathers. [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. All Rights Reserved. Elizabeth spent her final years in New York and Washington D.C., where she socialized with leaders including Presidents Tyler, Polk, Pierce, and Fillmore. Philanthropy and "Hamilton: An American Musical", "American Experience | Alexander Hamilton | People & Events | Elizabeth Hamilton (17571854) | PBS", "James Alexander Hamilton - People - Department History - Office of the Historian", "George Washington II: The Forging of a Nation", "Why I'm Convinced Hamilton Is Actually Named After Eliza", "We got comfortable with Hamilton. But she was immediately smitten with the brilliant, charming young man, and the two quickly started up a correspondence. Because of Hamiltons army service, the family moved around quite a bit during their early married life but eventually they settled in New York City in late 1783. Meet the influential author and key figure of the Harlem Renaissance. [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. document.documentElement.className += 'js'; Eliza remained dedicated to preserving her husbands legacy. In 1842, she moved to Washington D.C., where she remained a prominent member of society until her death. She had to sell her 35 acre estate in upper Manhattan. 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. More. In November 1804, Gen. Philip Schuyler died, leaving Elizabeth Hamilton without both of her parents. Adieu best of wives and best of Women. The Hamilton Free School was free of cost, because Eliza believed all children should have access to educationspecifically in order to read the Bible. She also ensured that Hamiltons biography was published. No, Eliza as she was known, was not. After a short honeymoon at the Pastures, Eliza's childhood home, Hamilton returned to military service in early January 1781. . As wealthy socialites, both Schuyler sisters frequently attended officer's balls where they mingled with eligible young soldiers. Alexander and Eliza married on December 14, 1780. a daughter, Eliza, on November 20, 1799. 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). [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. [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 Van Rensselaers of the Manor of Rensselaerswyck were one of the richest and most politically influential families in the state of New York. .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? We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. Reynolds spilled the beans about the affair, but also said that Hamilton had been involved in his pension scheme. 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. Eliza weathered Alexander's infidelity and the shockingly public scandal surrounding it. Judging by Hamilton's correspondence at the time, the feeling was mutual. By this time, two of her siblings, Peggy and John, had also died. is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. 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. She is respected as an early philanthropist for her work with the Orphan Asylum Society. By supporting NNI you help increase awareness of the 17th century Dutch colony of New Netherland and its legacy in America. On December 14, 1780, the couple wed at the family home in Albany. (As the musical shows, Hamilton also got pretty flirty with Eliza's vivacious older sister, Angelica. 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. While apart, Alexander wrote her numerous letters telling her not to worry for his safety; in addition, he wrote her concerning confidential military secrets, including the lead-up to the Battle of Yorktown that autumn. 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. He was born out of wedlock, a status that his political opponents would later seize on. 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.. [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. In 1772, after writing a powerful essay describing the devastation inflicted on Nevis by a recent hurricane, a group of local businessmen took up a collection to send young Hamilton to America to continue his education. Her two famous sisters were Angelica Schuyler Church and Margarita Schuyler Van Rensselaer. Peggy Schuyler died young. She was rich, he was poor. [52] By the time she left she had been with the organization continuously since its founding, a total of 42 years. 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. Hamilton died from wounds received during the duel in July 12, 1804. In 1806, two years after her husband's death, she, along with several other women including Joanna Bethune, founded the Orphan Asylum Society. Hamilton attended Kings College, now Columbia University, and dived headfirst into the political debate and heady atmosphere that was pre-war New York City. Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. Soon after, Philip Schuyler died. if ( 'querySelector' in document && 'addEventListener' in window ) { In a joking letter to a fellow aide he sounded more dispassionate: "Though not a genius, she has good sense enough to be agreeable, and though not a beauty, she has fine black eyes, is rather handsome, and has every other requisite of the exterior to make a lover happy. In 1801, their eldest child, Phillip, died in a duel at at just 19-years-old. She is respected as an. When he paid her a visit decades after the Reynolds scandal, she refused to speak with him. Eliza Hamilton and her benefactors moved quickly, and by the end of May, theyd already built a one-room, 1,050-square-foot schoolhouse with a slanted roofbig enough for 40 to 60 studentsaround what is now Broadway between W. 187th and W. 189th streets. She re-organized all of Hamiltons letters, papers, and writings with the help of her son, John Church Hamilton, and persevered through many setbacks in getting his biography published. ", A Happy Union Historian Jenny L. Presnell writes, "The entire Schuyler family revered Alexander as a young political genius." Later she was able to buy it back because executors decided that she could not be publicly dispossessed of her home. [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 was appointed second directress. "She has good nature, affability and vivacity unembellished with that charming frivolousness which is justly deemed one of the principal accomplishments of a belle. Legislators approved the application and the school received some annual city funding. How well do you know your government? He was born c. 1755 on the island of Nevis, in the British West Indies. Eliza would weather a storm of pain and embarrassment following very public revelations of Hamiltons adultery. Hamilton, who had resigned as Treasury Secretary six years before, was in Albany on business that March when Peggy took a. [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. Elizabeth did not spend her days in sorrow or self-pity. 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. She had outlived her husband by 50 years, and had outlived all but one of her siblings (her youngest sister, Catherine, 24 years her junior). In the early months of the war, he formed an artillery company and later served at the battles of White Plains, Trenton and Princeton. She loves owls, hates cilantro, and can find the queer subtext in literally anything. She was interred next to her husband in the graveyard of Trinity Church in New York City. His mother, Rachel Faucette, had been born there to British and French Huguenot parents. Eliza was supportive of her husband throughout his career and aided him with his political writings. Elizabeth died in Washington, D.C. on November 9, 1854, at the advanced age of 97. Also known as Eliza or Betsy, she was from a prominent Dutch family in Albany, New York. Ashamed of his conduct, Hamilton began to pay closer attention to his family. Eliza didnt believe the charges when they were first leveled against her husband, but in 1797, Hamilton published a pamphlet, later known as theReynolds Pamphlet, admitting to his one-year adulterous affair. 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. 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. The Van Rensselaers of theManor of Rensselaerswyckwere one of the richest and most politically influential families in the state ofNew York, so she came from a very different background to Hamilton, who arrived in the States as an orphan. 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. [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. She survived a miscarriage, her daughter's mental health issues, and, within four years, the deaths of her son, husband, sister, mother, and father. She continued to help Hamilton throughout his political career, serving as an intermediary between him and his publisher when he was writing The Federalist Papers, copying out portions of his defense of theBank of the United States,and staying up late with him so he could readWashingtons Farewell Addressout loud to her as he wrote it. [32] In addition, she managed their household,[9] and James McHenry once noted to Alexander that Eliza had "as much merit as your treasurer as you have as treasurer of the United States. A: At the time that I published my biography of Hamilton in 2004, Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton was a complete blank in the American imagination. Two years later on July 12, 1804, Hamilton died during a duel with Aaron Burr. Fly to the bosom of your God and be comforted. [citation needed], In 1787, Eliza sat for a portrait, executed by the painter Ralph Earl while he was being held in debtors' prison. 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. At that time she had been with the Society for 42 years. But she held onto her grudge against Monroe. Catherine, also known as Kitty, was the daughter of one of New York States oldest, richest and most prominent Dutch families. One of the ways she found solaceand honored his memorywas to found two institutions in New York that supported lower-income children. 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. 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. A chronicle of Rensselaerswijck, c. 16481656, For over three decades, NNI has helped cast light on America's Dutch roots. 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. She was present at such historic moments as when Hamilton began to write The Federalistand composed his defense of a national bank. Elizabeth Hamilton (ne Schuyler /skalr/; August 9, 1757 November 9, 1854[2]), also called Eliza or Betsey, was an American socialite and philanthropist. But Eliza, understandably, is devastated, and responds by burning all the letters that Hamilton has ever sent her. (Enter your ZIP code for information on American Experience events and screening in your area.). Eliza and the other women arranged to rent a small two-story house on Raisin Street in Greenwich village and hired a married couple to care for the young residents. 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. Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton (1757-1854) was a philanthropist, wife to Alexander Hamilton, and mother of their 8 children. Eliza was giving much of her time to her other big projecthelping to found the citys first private orphanage in lower Manhattan. Eliza later said of the presidents wife that she was always my ideal of a true woman.. The song "Burn" is a tearjerking showstopper within the show, as Eliza reacts with despair and rage to the news that Hamilton has been unfaithful to herand, adding insult to injury, that he's written a pamphlet detailing the affair to the public. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. 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. 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. Hamilton does this because he's been accused of financial wrongdoing, and wants to make it clear that the suspicious payments he made were to pay off the husband of his lover, Maria Reynolds, rather than "improper speculation." 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. 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. . A few years later she became the co-founder of the Orphan Asylum Society. Lin-Manuel Miranda and Phillipa Soo as Alexander and Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton. But behind the myth of the games creation is an untold tale of theft, obsession and corporate double-dealing. The affair put a big strain on their relationship, but they eventually reconciled. And Eliza knew enough about his impoverished background to give cause for concern. She married Hamilton in 1780 and he died in a duel in 1804. [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. She was educated and described as intelligent, attractive, and was frequently compared to her demure sister, Eliza Schuyler Hamilton, as being more sociable. "[15], In early 1780, Elizabeth went to stay with her aunt, Gertrude Schuyler Cochran, in Morristown, New Jersey. She also outlived her fifth child, her son William Stephen who was born on August 4, 1797 and died on October 9, 1850. 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.