One of the ways she found solaceand honored his memorywas to found two institutions in New York that supported lower-income children. In June 1848, when Eliza was in her nineties, she made an effort for Congress to buy and publish her late husband's works. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Eliza Hamilton wanted to find a way to honor Hamilton's memory, in the place where their last home had been together, says Mazzeo. 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. [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. Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. HBO Max Comedies Thatll Put You in a Good Mood, Everything to Know Ahead of 'Mando' Season 3. For the rest of her life, she experienced what Hamilton biographer Ron Chernow describes as an "eternal childhood," unable to live independently and referring always to her dead brother as if he. In 1818, she opened the first school in the neighborhood of Washington Heights (where, decades later, Lin-Manuel Miranda would grow up). Eliza Hamilton poured her energy into founding a free school and an orphanage in New York to help children in need. Almost none of Elizabeth's own. a daughter, Eliza, on November 20, 1799. While gone on the prisoner exchange, Hamilton wrote to Eliza continuing their relationship through letters. 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. 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. After Hamilton became treasury secretary in 1789 her social duties increased. [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. "[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]. She died in 1854, at the age of 97, one of the nation's last remaining links to its founders. [10][11] Her upbringing instilled in her a strong and unwavering faith she would retain throughout her life. When he paid her a visit decades after the Reynolds scandal, she refused to speak with him. When he paid her a visit decades after the Reynolds scandal, she refused to speak with him. The following year, according to another newspaper account in the New York Tribune, the school building was destroyed in a fire. "I'm erasing myself from the narrative / let future historians wonder how Eliza reacted / when you broke her heart," she sings, referencing a very real historical ambiguity. In Hamilton's closing number, "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story," Eliza is framed as the driving force behind Hamilton's legacy. [citation needed] The New York Orphan Asylum Society continues to exist as a social service agency for children, today called Graham Windham. He was stationed along with Washington in Morristown for the winter. Her two famous sisters were Angelica Schuyler Church and Margarita Schuyler Van Rensselaer. While she was in her nineties she helped Dolly Madison to raise money for the Washington Monument. Prominent military and political figures made frequent visits to the Schuyler homes, including a young officer named Alexander Hamilton, who briefly stayed with the family while traveling through Albany. [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. 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. Hamiltons wife Eliza Schuyler was a key part of his life, but she was also an important historical character in her own right. In 1806, two years after her husband's death, she, along with several other women including Joanna Bethune, founded the Orphan Asylum Society. Her eighth and last child, Philip (Little Phil), was born on June 1, 1802. 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. Before their eighth child was born, however, they lost their oldest son, Philip, who died in a duel on November 24, 1801. 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. [25] On September 25, 1784, Eliza gave birth to her second child, Angelica, named after Eliza's older sister. Sign up for the American Experience newsletter! According to Presnell, the years following Alexander's death were marked by poverty for Eliza and her children, though she did raise enough money to re-purchase the couple's home, the Grange. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Or part of her story, at leastafter her husband's death in 1804, Eliza lived another 50 years. 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. [citation needed], In 1787, Eliza sat for a portrait, executed by the painter Ralph Earl while he was being held in debtors' prison. The affair put a big strain on their relationship, but they eventually reconciled. Alexander Hamilton died on July 12, 1804, with Eliza and all seven of his surviving children by his side. 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. Good-natured though somewhat serious, she was at ease in the outdoors and devout in her Christian faith. [24] Earlier that year, Angelica and her husband John Barker Church, for business reasons, had moved to Europe. 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. [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. Take this quiz about the debate over the Constitution. 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. 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. The Orphan Asylum Society, meanwhile, evolved into Graham Windham, a private nonprofit social services agency that provides parenting support and mental and behavioral health treatment for 5,000 children and families each year. [citation needed] Also there had been some talk in at least one letter of a "secret wedding,"[1] by early April they were officially engaged with her father's blessing (something of an anomaly for the Schuyler girlsboth Angelica and Catherine would end up eloping). Alexander and Eliza married on December 14, 1780. Largely educated at home, she was bright and good-natured. 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. But a series of events would soon rip that family apart. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. The organization still exists today, as the children and families-supporting New York City non-profit Graham Windham. After her husband was shot by Aaron Burr, Eliza was left to pay off his debts. She kept in touch with Hamilton through letters, and married him in 1780. Elizabeth did not spend her days in sorrow or self-pity. [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. Oldest sister Angelica formed a deep friendship with Hamilton, and the two would exchange political and personal advice until Hamiltons death. . Philip also hailed from a prominent family and he commanded a militia during the French and Indian War of the 1750s. She was buried in Trinity Churchyard in lower Manhattan, not far from the graves of her sister, Elizabeth . She died aged 97, in 1854. In 1806, two years after her husbands death, she, along with several other women, founded the Orphan Asylum Society. How well do you know your government? Spelling was taught from Websters Elementary Spelling Book, a popular text of the time. History, Archaeology & Art illuminate a Life on the Hudson, New Amsterdam Kitchen These figures indicate the enormously high death rate among young children. A lifelong reader who was largely self-educated, he soon set his sights far beyond his tiny island home. first directress in 1821. Eliza was supportive of her husband throughout his career and aided him with his political writings. Almost none of Elizabeth's own correspondence has survived, so her personality is gleaned largely from the impressions of others. 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. 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. Adieu best of wives and best of Women. In 1797, Hamilton had an affair with Maria Reynolds. Here's what happened to Angelica in real life, and how she ended up back together with Hamilton under sad circumstances. [4] She would live another 50 years. They became officially engaged in early April with her fathers blessing. 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]. Q: Can you introduce us to Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton? He was born on January 22, 1782 and died on November 23, 1801 at the age of 19. 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. He eventually became a prominent landowner, with tens of thousands of acres in the Albany area. 2021 Associated Newspapers Limited. Elizabeth Schuyler was born on August 7, 1757, in Albany, New York, the second daughter of wealthy landowner and Revolutionary War general Philip Schuyler. Only two years later Hamilton became involved in an affair with honor which led to his duel with Aaron Burr and his untimely death. After Hamilton's sudden death in a duel with Aaron Burr in 1804, Eliza went on to outlive her husband by close to 50 years. Reynolds spilled the beans about the affair, but also said that Hamilton had been involved in his pension scheme. There were 14 siblings in total. A single mother, Rachel struggled to provide for Alexander and his brother before she died in 1768, leaving him an orphan. 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]. [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. Eliza was giving much of her time to her other big projecthelping to found the citys first private orphanage in lower Manhattan. Because his mother had never divorced her first husband, Hamiltons father, James, abandoned the family, likely to prevent Rachel from being charged with bigamy. 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. [49][50][51] Eliza was appointed second directress, or vice-president. Eliza's mother had died a year before. Historian Jenny L. Presnell writes, "The entire Schuyler family revered Alexander as a young political genius." On November 24, 1801, she lost her son Philip, who died fighting a duel with a political opponent of his father. Eliza, who had to struggle to pay for her own childrens education after her husbands death, could empathize. 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. Hamilton was surely aware of Elizas wealth and connections, which likely played a role in his initial attraction to her. She was the spouse of Alexander Hamilton, famous in the early American government following the Declaration of Independence and considered one of the founders of our American republic. By focusing on children, Eliza found connection to her late husbands legacy. This is trueshe really did save his writings and fiercely defended his legacybut she was also a force for change in her own right. Eliza weathered Alexander's infidelity and the shockingly public scandal surrounding it. 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. [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. Eliza was, at the time, pregnant with their sixth child. 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. [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. Despite the move, Eliza retained a connection to people who lived a few miles away from her old home. 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. 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? 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.. Gabrielle Bruney is a writer and editor for Esquire, where she focuses on politics and culture. [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. In 1802, the same year that Philip was born, the house was built and named Hamilton Grange, after Alexander's father's home in Scotland. 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. Elizabeth was then only 47 years old. The marriage took place at the Schuyler mansion in Albany, New York. 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. See him, whom thou has chosen for the partner of this life, lolling in the lap of a harlot!!" . . "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." 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. 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. WATCH: Hamilton: Building America on HISTORY Vault. Contrary to the musical,. 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. "I had little of private life in those days," she would remember. The orphaned immigrant had found a father figure, and Hamilton became like a son to the future president. "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 is respected as an. Meet the influential author and key figure of the Harlem Renaissance. He had particularly fond dealings with Philip Schuyler and Elizabeth's eldest sister Angelica, a beautiful and charming woman. Artifacts of domestic life in lower Manhattan, De Hooges Memorandum Book The Society continues to exist until today under the name Graham Windham, a social service agency for children. 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. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. Known as Eliza by friends and family, she was a tomboy at heart, with a potent mix of intelligence, warmth and determination. READ MORE: What Was Alexander Hamilton's Role in Aaron Burr's Contentious Presidential Defeat? In 1787, Eliza sat for a portrait, executed by the painter Ralph Earl while he was being held in debtors' prison. .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. She would spend much of her long widowhood working to secure Hamilton'splace in American history. 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. Her relationship with Hamilton grew quickly, even after he left Morristown, only a month after Elizabeth, 22 years old, arrived there. [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. Along with getting Alexander's works stored while Eliza was in her 90s, she remained dedicated to charity work. Legislators approved the application and the school received some annual city funding. [52] In 1821, she was named first directress, and served for 27 years in this role, until she left New York in 1848. 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. Portrayed by Phillipa Soo, Eliza played a key role in safeguarding her husband's legacy after his death. 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 . 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." [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. A few years later she became the co-founder of the Orphan Asylum Society. Elizabeth at the age of 94, three years before her death. In 1780, Hamilton wrote Angelica a letter describing his infatuation with Eliza: Hamilton and Eliza married that year. For sixteen years, she lived in Europe with her British-born husband, John Barker Church, who became a Member of Parliament. We may earn a commission from these links. According to Mazzeo, Hoffman had discovered five children weeping over the body of their dead mother in a slum tenement, which led them to realize the need for an orphanage in the city. So of the original 14 siblings only five survived. 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. Over time Eliza and Alexander reconciled and remained married, and had two more children together. In 1796, Hamilton took aim at Jefferson in an essay that hinted at the sexual relationship Jefferson had with his slave, Sally Hemmings. [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. [8] Like many landowners of the time, Philip Schuyler owned slaves, and Eliza would have grown up around slavery. Her father, Philip J. Schuyler, was a general in the Continental Army, politician, and businessman. Hamilton would reach the heights of government and power but be tripped up by his own arrogance, ambition and hubris. But despite these differences, the pair formed a lasting bond that has been the subject of numerous books and the award-winning musical, Hamilton. On the Hamilton Free Schools shoestring budget, it could afford just one teacher, who also doubled as the schools janitor, according to the reminiscences of William Herbert Flitner, who attended the school in the 1840s. Two years before the duel, Elizabeths mother, Catherine had died, and only a few months after Hamiltons death, her father also died. 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 [3] She is recognized as an early American philanthropist for her work with the Orphan Asylum Society. var googletag = googletag || {}; 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. Losses Peggy Schuyler died young. 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. Hamilton attended Kings College, now Columbia University, and dived headfirst into the political debate and heady atmosphere that was pre-war New York City. In early 1780, Elizabeth went to stay with her aunt in New Jersey where she met Hamilton, who was one of General George Washingtons aides-de-camp at the time. Within less than a year of the beginning of their courtship Elizabeth and Hamilton became a married couple, on December 14, 1780. Hamilton, who had resigned as Treasury Secretary six years before, was in Albany on business that March when Peggy took a. [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. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. [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.

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