In March 1818, the group petitioned the New York State Legislature to incorporate a free school, and asked for $400 to build a new school building. Hamilton was surely aware of Elizas wealth and connections, which likely played a role in his initial attraction to her. Losses 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. Her father, Philip Schuyler, was a revered American Revolutionary war general, and her mother was. Eliza Hamilton wanted to find a way to honor Hamilton's memory, in the place where their last home had been together, says Mazzeo. Just a teenager, he made a name for himself writing pamphlets and articles supporting the Revolutionary cause. Eliza's mother had died a year before. Flitner recalled that the school provided students with textbooks, and that they studied arithmetic by doing calculations on slates. It is said that after returning home from meeting her, Hamilton was so excited he forgot the password to enter army headquarters. Eliza was, at the time, pregnant with their sixth child. What Was Alexander Hamilton's Role in Aaron Burr's Contentious Presidential Defeat. [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. Almost none of Elizabeth's own. The real Eliza Schuyler died at the old age of 97, and outlived the musical's other characters. She kept in touch with Hamilton through letters, and married him in 1780. Born Elizabeth Schuyler, and later known as Eliza Hamilton, Alexander's wife was the co-founder and deputy director of the first private orphanage in New York City. She had outlived all of her siblings except one who was 24 years her junior. In 1806, two years after her husband's death, she, along with several other women including Joanna Bethune, founded the Orphan Asylum Society. 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. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Meet the influential author and key figure of the Harlem Renaissance. Hamilton attended Kings College, now Columbia University, and dived headfirst into the political debate and heady atmosphere that was pre-war New York City. Spelling was taught from Websters Elementary Spelling Book, a popular text of the time. Eliza died on November 9, 1854, at the age of 97. [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. But if you're an astute historian, you might notice that Alexander Hamilton was killed in that famous duel way back in . 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. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Eliza later said of Mrs. Washington, "She was always my ideal of a true woman."[12][18]. 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. 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 loves owls, hates cilantro, and can find the queer subtext in literally anything. But while Hamilton came from an impoverished background, he had two key traits that would help propel him to the top intelligence and ambition. When Do New Episodes of 'Mandalorian' Come Out? Hamilton grew up as an orphan from the Caribbean and was able to come to America to study when benefactors paid his way. 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. However, We know that Mrs. Hamilton did regularly visit the school and give out awards on prize days, so she remained involved with the school's central mission and with celebrating its achievements.. 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). Soon after, Philip Schuyler died. a daughter, Eliza, on November 20, 1799. As Mazzeo notes, Eliza was simply passionate about children's welfare, and where she saw problems she tried to find solutions.. Maria's husband, James Reynolds, caught wind of the affair, and began shaking Hamilton down for money. She is respected as an. By that time two of her siblings, Margarita and John had also passed away. Ruthless: Monopoly's Secret History (espaol), Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804), a Profile. Angelica Schuyler Church died in New York City in March 1814 at the age of fifty-eight. 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. 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. They were so close, in . For the first time since its debut in 2015, Lin Manuel Miranda's groundbreaking Broadway hit Hamilton is available to watch from the comfort of your own couch, courtesy of Disney+. [54] With Eliza's help John C. Hamilton would go on to publish History of the Republic of the United States America, as Traced in the Writings of Alexander Hamilton and his Contemporaries. We may earn a commission from these links. [16] In fact, they had met previously, if briefly, two years before, when Hamilton dined with the Schuylers on his way back from a negotiation on Washington's behalf. (Enter your ZIP code for information on American Experience events and screening in your area.). [4] She died in 1854, at the age of 97, one of the nation's last remaining links to its founders. 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. In 1848, she left New York for Washington, D.C., where she lived with her widowed daughter Eliza until 1854. [5][6][7], Her family was among the wealthy Dutch landowners who had settled around Albany in the mid-1600s, and both her mother and father came from wealthy and well-regarded families. 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." Below, a primer on her real story. Hamilton met Maria Reynolds in Philadelphia in 1791, when she visited the then-Secretary of the Treasury to request financial support for her struggling family. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. 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 and Alexander Hamilton had eight children: The Hamiltons also raised Frances (Fanny) Antill, an orphan who lived with them for ten years beginning in 1787 when she was 2 years old. She is most unmercifully handsome and so perverse that she has none of those pretty affectations which are the prerogatives of beauty," he wrote in a letter to Eliza's sister Angelica, per Smithsonian Magazine. This is trueshe really did save his writings and fiercely defended his legacybut she was also a force for change in her own right. Also a trained anthropologist, Hurston collected folklore throughout the South and Caribbean reclaiming, honoring and celebrating Black life on its own terms. She met Alexander Hamilton in 1780, when both were in their early 20s. Because his mother had never divorced her first husband, Hamiltons father, James, abandoned the family, likely to prevent Rachel from being charged with bigamy. [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. [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. Unlike two of Elizas sisters (including Angelica) who had eloped due to family doubts about their husbands, Eliza received her fathers blessing. Elizas initial fears that her family would disapprove of the relationship were soon eased. Her oldest daughter, Angelica, suffered a nervous breakdown after her brother Philip's death. . Eliza died in Washington, D.C. on November 9, 1854, at age 97. "[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. A single mother, Rachel struggled to provide for Alexander and his brother before she died in 1768, leaving him an orphan. [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. Eliza wanted a full official apology from Monroe which he would not give until they met in person to talk about Alexander shortly before his passing. Reynolds spilled the beans about the affair, but also said that Hamilton had been involved in his pension scheme. See how you do with some of the questions a petitioning citizen must answer. In November 1833, at the age of 76, Eliza resold The Grange for $25,000, funding the purchase of a New York townhouse (now called 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 spouses. "She has good nature, affability and vivacity unembellished with that charming frivolousness which is justly deemed one of the principal accomplishments of a belle. 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. 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." But she held onto her grudge against Monroe. Or part of her story, at leastafter her husband's death in 1804, Eliza lived another 50 years. Hamilton insisted upon his innocence, and the matter was kept private for years. For sixteen years, she lived in Europe with her British-born husband, John Barker Church, who became a Member of Parliament. Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. [52] By the time she left she had been with the organization continuously since its founding, a total of 42 years. Adieu best of wives and best of Women. 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 . Along with getting Alexander's works stored while Eliza was in her 90s, she remained dedicated to charity work. That 'Hamilton' Boycott Completely Backfired, may focus on its namesake founding father, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. There were 14 siblings in total. Peggy Schuyler was born in Albany, New York on September 19, 1758, the third daughter of Catherine Van Rensselaer Schuyler (1734-1803) and Philip Schuyler (1733-1804), a wealthy patroon and major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. "[12] Much later, the son of Joanna Bethune, one of the women she worked alongside to found an orphanage later in her life,[14] remembered that "Both [Elizabeth and Joanna] were of determined disposition Mrs. Bethune the more cautious, Mrs. Hamilton the more impulsive. 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. In 1806, Eliza co-founded the Orphan Asylum Society, to aid children who were orphaned as her husband had been. "[28], The Hamiltons had an active social life, often attending the theater as well as various balls and parties. When Eliza Hamilton died in November 1854 at age 97, the uptown school was still in existence, but it clearly had seen better days. Elizabeths depiction in the musical emphasizes both her importance in Hamiltons life and her work in propagating his legacy. Dutch people, places, miscellany, Timeline of the Netherlands & Scandinavia in North America Eliza, who had to struggle to pay for her own childrens education after her husbands death, could empathize. [citation needed], When she was a girl, Elizabeth accompanied her father to a meeting of the Six Nations and met Benjamin Franklin when he stayed briefly with the Schuyler family while traveling. On September 25, 1784, Eliza gave birth to her second child, Angelica, named after Eliza's older sister. She also worked to support her husband's legacy, disputing the claim that James Madison, not Hamilton, was the author of George Washington's final Farewell Address, and by having his papers collected and edited. The affair put a big strain on their relationship, but they eventually reconciled. The first, Elizabeth, named for Eliza, was born on November 20, 1799. The accomplishment she's proudest of, she says in the song, is founding the first private orphanage in New York City, inspired by Hamilton's own experience of being orphaned at a young age. 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. 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. Hamilton rose to become a Revolutionary War hero, an advocate for the Constitution, and a rescuer of the nascent American government from financial ruin. After Vice President Aaron Burr killed Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton in a duel in 1804, Hamilton's widow, Elizabeth Schuyler "Eliza" Hamilton, had to find a way to go on without her. After Eliza's husband died and she moved to Washington D.C. in 1842 . 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. 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 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. Theirs would be a loving marriage, though not without heartbreak and pain. It also operates a school for at-risk youth. By early 1777, hed made enough of a name for himself that several Colonial generals asked him to join their staffs. 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. She was rich, he was poor. A lifelong reader who was largely self-educated, he soon set his sights far beyond his tiny island home. [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. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. [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. 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.. 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. 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.