[citation needed], By 1846, Eliza was suffering from short-term memory loss but was still vividly recalling her husband. Two years later on July 12, 1804, Hamilton died during a duel with Aaron Burr. By now everyone knows that Eliza Hamilton, the wife of Alexander Hamilton, burned her husband's love letters before she diedand November 9th will be the 162nd anniversary of her death on that day in 1854 at the age of 97. Elizabeth did not believe the rumors at first, but eventually Hamilton lived up to it. [49][50][51] Eliza was appointed second directress, or vice-president. The first, Elizabeth, named for Eliza, was born on November 20, 1799. Elizabeth "Eliza" Schuyler Hamilton was born in Albany, New York, on August 9, 1757. Hamilton grew up as an orphan from the Caribbean and was able to come to America to study when benefactors paid his way. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. When Do New Episodes of 'Mandalorian' Come Out? During her decades as a widow, she founded New York's first private orphanage, socialized with some of the most famous figures in American history, and worked to ensure that her husband and his contributions would never be forgotten. 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). 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. Elizabeth also appeared in the 1986 TV series, George Washington II: The Forging of a Nation. 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. 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. Spelling was taught from Websters Elementary Spelling Book, a popular text of the time. But if you're an astute historian, you might notice that Alexander Hamilton was killed in that famous duel way back in . HBO Max Comedies Thatll Put You in a Good Mood, Everything to Know Ahead of 'Mando' Season 3. "[28], The Hamiltons had an active social life, often attending the theater as well as various balls and parties. She was educated and described as intelligent, attractive, and was frequently compared to her demure sister, Eliza Schuyler Hamilton, as being more sociable. [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. A lifelong reader who was largely self-educated, he soon set his sights far beyond his tiny island home. 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. In the first year, the society took in 20 children but had to turn away nine times as many, 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. The affair put a big strain on their relationship, but they eventually reconciled. (Enter your ZIP code for information on American Experience events and screening in your area.). After moving to Washington, D.C., she helped Dolley Madison and Louisa Adams raise money to build the Washington Monument. Elizabeth Schuyler was born in 1757, just a year after her 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. When he paid her a visit decades after the Reynolds scandal, she refused to speak with him. WATCH: Hamilton: Building America on HISTORY Vault. By this time, two of her siblings, Peggy and John, had also died. [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. He eventually became a prominent landowner, with tens of thousands of acres in the Albany area. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. READ MORE: What Was Alexander Hamilton's Role in Aaron Burr's Contentious Presidential Defeat? Eliza's mother had died a year before. 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. 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. Ashamed of his conduct, Hamilton began to pay closer attention to his family. He had been stationed along with the General and his men in Morristown. 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 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 1796, Hamilton took aim at Jefferson in an essay that hinted at the sexual relationship Jefferson had with his slave, Sally Hemmings. 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. [citation needed] The New York Orphan Asylum Society continues to exist as a social service agency for children, today called Graham Windham. She was portrayed by Eve Gordon and was referred to as Betsy. 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." Twice a week we compile our most fascinating features and deliver them straight to you. [52] In 1821, she was named first directress, and served for 27 years in this role, until she left New York in 1848. [citation needed] There she met Alexander Hamilton, one of General George Washington's aides-de-camp,[1] who was stationed along with the General and his men in Morristown for the winter. Hamilton, who had resigned as Treasury Secretary six years before, was in Albany on business that March when Peggy took a. But a series of events would soon rip that family apart. The True Story of Elizabeth Schuyler in 'Hamilton'. 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. She married Hamilton in 1780 and he died in a duel in 1804. Hamilton was surely aware of Elizas wealth and connections, which likely played a role in his initial attraction to her. [55] The writings that historians have today by Alexander Hamilton can be attributed to efforts from Eliza. Below, a primer on her real story. [citation needed], In 1787, Eliza sat for a portrait, executed by the painter Ralph Earl while he was being held in debtors' prison. Eliza evidently did not believe the charges when they were first leveled against her husband: John Church, her brother-in-law, on July 13, 1797, wrote to Hamilton that "it makes not the least Impression on her, only that she considers the whole Knot of those opposed to you to be [Scoundrels]. A few years later she became the co-founder of the Orphan Asylum Society. Judging by Hamilton's correspondence at the time, the feeling was mutual. 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. All Rights Reserved. At that time she had been with the Society for 42 years. 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.. She was present at such historic moments as when Hamilton began to write The Federalistand composed his defense of a national bank. They had met briefly a few years before, but now Alexander Hamilton was smitten, "a gone man," in the words of another aide. 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. var googletag = googletag || {}; document.documentElement.className += 'js'; Elizabeth stayed with her aunt in Morristown, New Jersey in early 1780, and there she met Alexander Hamilton, one of George Washingtons aides-de-camp. [29] At the first Inaugural Ball, Eliza danced with George Washington;[30] when Thomas Jefferson returned from Paris in 1790, she and Alexander hosted a dinner for him. Angelica lived abroad for over fourteen years, returning to America for visits in 1785 and 1789. 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. He served several stints in the Continental Congress and was involved in planning a number of notable Revolutionary War battles, including the surprising Colonial victory at Saratoga in 1777, the first widespread British defeat and a turning point of the war. The Orphan Asylum Society of the City of New York. 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. Peggy Schuyler died young. 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. 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. She re-organized all of Hamiltons letters, papers and writings with the help of her son, John Church Hamilton. Largely educated at home, she was bright and good-natured. Elizabeth spent her final years in New York and Washington D.C., where she socialized with leaders including Presidents Tyler, Polk, Pierce, and Fillmore. A chronicle of Rensselaerswijck, c. 16481656, For over three decades, NNI has helped cast light on America's Dutch roots. Andr had once been a house guest in the Schuyler Mansion in Albany as a prisoner of war en route to Pennsylvania in 1775; Eliza, then seventeen, might have had a juvenile crush on the young British officer who had once sketched for her. Some parts 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 actually in her handwriting. In one letter Angelica told Elizabeth that she loved Hamilton "very much and, if you were as generous as the old Romans, you would lend him to me for a little while." Elizabeth was then only 47 years old. For sixteen years, she lived in Europe with her British-born husband, John Barker Church, who became a Member of Parliament. More, Housed in the New York State Library, the NNRC offers students, educators, scholars and researchers a vast collection of early documents and reference works on America's Dutch era. } Before the duel, he wrote Eliza two letters, telling her: The consolations of Religion, my beloved, can alone support you; and these you have a right to enjoy. 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. [8] Like many landowners of the time, Philip Schuyler owned slaves, and Eliza would have grown up around slavery. "[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]. Summer 2020 has been effectively canceled due to the pandemic, but this weekend, there's reason to celebrate at home. On December 14, 1780, the couple wed at the family home in Albany. This is trueshe really did save his writings and fiercely defended his legacybut she was also a force for change in her own right. a daughter, Eliza, on November 20, 1799. 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. Her father, Philip J. Schuyler, was a general in the Continental Army, politician, and businessman. 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. One of the ways she found solaceand honored his memorywas to found two institutions in New York that supported lower-income children. Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton was the wife of Alexander Hamilton, one of America's founding fathers. 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 the Manor of Rensselaerswyck were one of the richest and most politically influential families in the state of New York. See how you do with some of the questions a petitioning citizen must answer. 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? Philip also hailed from a prominent family and he commanded a militia during the French and Indian War of the 1750s. Her oldest daughter, Angelica, suffered a nervous breakdown after her brother Philip's death. 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. "[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. Catherine,. It also operates a school for at-risk youth. She met Alexander Hamilton in 1780, when both were in their early 20s. 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. Eliza died in Washington, D.C. on November 9, 1854, at age 97. Elizabeth remained dedicated to preserving her husbands legacy. Dutch people, places, miscellany, Timeline of the Netherlands & Scandinavia in North America 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. Good-natured though somewhat serious, she was at ease in the outdoors and devout in her Christian faith. Eliza and the other activists soon set out to raise $25,000 to build a bigger facility on a donated parcel on Bank Street in Greenwich Village. In 1780, Hamilton wrote Angelica a letter describing his infatuation with Eliza: Hamilton and Eliza married that year. A dutiful daughter, she eschewed the elopements chosen by three of her sisters and instead conducted a traditional, if whirlwind, courtship with the dashing young aide she found at George Washington's headquarters in February 1780. Over time Eliza and Alexander reconciled and remained married, and had two more children together. "[15], In early 1780, Elizabeth went to stay with her aunt, Gertrude Schuyler Cochran, in Morristown, New Jersey. 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. As wealthy socialites, both Schuyler sisters frequently attended officer's balls where they mingled with eligible young soldiers. 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. After a short honeymoon at the Pastures, Eliza's childhood home, Hamilton returned to military service in early January 1781. Her father, Philip Schuyler, was a revered American Revolutionary war general, and her mother was. 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." Almost none of Elizabeth's own correspondence has survived, so her personality is gleaned largely from the impressions of others. 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. She was born inAlbany, New York To Philip Schyler and Catherine Van Rensselaer Schuyler. So of the original 14 siblings only five survived. [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. All of the scholars came from the locality between High Bridge and Kingsbridge, he recalled many years later. Both were descendant from third generation Dutch immigrants. 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. 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 . As Mazzeo notes, Eliza was simply passionate about children's welfare, and where she saw problems she tried to find solutions.. 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. Soon after, Philip Schuyler died. Take this quiz about the debate over the Constitution. "I meet you in every dream," Hamilton wrote in one of his swooning letters, "and when I wake I cannot close my eyes for ruminating on your sweetness." She would spend much of her long widowhood working to secure Hamilton'splace in American history. is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The Hamilton Free School was free of cost, because Eliza believed all children should have access to educationspecifically in order to read the Bible. Some two years after their brief meeting in Albany, Eliza and Hamilton met again at a party given for Washingtons staff by Elizas aunt in the winter of 1780, near Morristown, New Jersey. 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 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. Elizas initial fears that her family would disapprove of the relationship were soon eased. 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.