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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 a series of events would soon rip that family apart. 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. Eliza Hamilton poured her energy into founding a free school and an orphanage in New York to help children in need. All Rights Reserved. . 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. In November 1804, Gen. Philip Schuyler died, leaving Elizabeth Hamilton without both of her parents. 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. [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. The Grange, their house on a 35-acre estate in upper Manhattan, was sold at public auction; however, she was later able to repurchase it from Hamilton's executors, who had decided that Eliza could not be publicly dispossessed of her home, and purchased it themselves to sell back to her at half the price. Eliza did not leave the orphanage until 1848, twenty-seven years later, when she left to live with her daughter, Elizabeth . See him, whom thou has chosen for the partner of this life, lolling in the lap of a harlot!!" 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. The Society continues to exist until today under the name Graham Windham, a social service agency for children. Hamilton grew up as an orphan from the Caribbean and was able to come to America to study when benefactors paid his way. 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 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. Eliza would have grown up around slavery as her father was a slave owner. 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. Fly to the bosom of your God and be comforted. The Schuylers owned enslaved people and Philip was reportedly "the largest owner of enslaved people in Albany during his time. 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. After Hamiltons death in 1804, Elizabeth was required to pay his debts which were substantial. [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. Portrayed by Phillipa Soo, Eliza played a key role in safeguarding her husband's legacy after his death. Maria's husband, James Reynolds, caught wind of the affair, and began shaking Hamilton down for money. Judging by Hamilton's correspondence at the time, the feeling was mutual. 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. 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. Her eldest son Philip died that November in a reckless duel, and Hamilton himself followedfewer than three years later. But she was immediately smitten with the brilliant, charming young man, and the two quickly started up a correspondence. In 1806, two years after her husbands death, she, along with several other women, founded the Orphan Asylum Society. One popular theory is that "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story" ends with Eliza finally dying, 50 years after her husband's fatal duel. [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). She died aged 97, in 1854. Good-natured though somewhat serious, she was at ease in the outdoors and devout in her Christian faith. Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton at age 94 When she was 95 years old and President Millard Fillmore was the 13th President of the United States, Elizabeth Hamilton was invited to dinner at the White House, and the First Lady, Abigail Filmore, gave up her chair to her. After public schools finally were built nearby, the Hamilton Free Schools trustees converted it into the neighborhoods first lending library, and it later evolved into the Dyckman Institute, an educational advocacy group. 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. 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. When did Eliza Schuyler Hamilton have her second child? She was educated and described as intelligent, attractive, and was frequently compared to her demure sister, Eliza Schuyler Hamilton, as being more sociable. Theirs would be a loving marriage, though not without heartbreak and pain. Known as Eliza by friends and family, she was a tomboy at heart, with a potent mix of intelligence, warmth and determination. 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). On December 14, 1780, the couple wed at the family home in Albany. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. In 1801, their eldest child, Phillip, died in a duel at at just 19-years-old. During that winter Elizabeth also became friends with Martha Washington, a friendship that would remain throughout their husbands political careers. 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. [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. (As the musical shows, Hamilton also got pretty flirty with Eliza's vivacious older sister, Angelica. Legislators approved the application and the school received some annual city funding. Elizabeth at the age of 94, three years before her death. The Hamiltons had an active social life, and became well known among the members of New York Society. 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]. She was buried in Trinity Churchyard in lower Manhattan, not far from the graves of her sister, Elizabeth . In his 2004 biography of Hamilton, which Miranda used as the basis for the show, Ron Chernow wrote that Eliza destroyed her own letters to Hamilton, but her reasons remain unknown. [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. [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. 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 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]. . 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 she held onto her grudge against Monroe. [22] Meanwhile, the war came close to home, when a group of British soldiers stumbled upon the Pastures, looking for supplies. 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. But the number of students quickly grew, that improvised setup wasnt adequate. Subscribe to NNI's e-Marcurius and DAGNN-L toreceive information about New Netherland-related events, activities, conferences, and research. Elizabeth Hamiltons parents were the noted American Revolutionary war general, Philip Schuyler and Catherine Van Rensselaer of the Manor of Van Renselaerswyck. [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. 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. Eliza was also driven by her faith. In 1806, Eliza co-founded the Orphan Asylum Society, to aid children who were orphaned as her husband had been. 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. Elizabeth Hamilton (ne Schuyler /skalr/; August 9, 1757 November 9, 1854[2]), also called Eliza or Betsey, was an American socialite and philanthropist. FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. A few years later she became the co-founder of the Orphan Asylum Society. In 1796, Hamilton took aim at Jefferson in an essay that hinted at the sexual relationship Jefferson had with his slave, Sally Hemmings. In 1806, two years after Hamiltons death, Elizabeth became the co-founder of the Society for the relief of poor widows with small children. New Netherland Institute,PO Box 2536, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12220Phone: 518-992-3274 Email:nni@newnetherlandinstitute.org, Web Site CreditsDesign:ReZolv CreativeDevelopment:Web Instinct. The entire Schuyler family seemed as taken with Hamilton as she was. 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. Ron Chernow, who wrote the biography that inspired Miranda's musical, credits . My dear Hamilton is fonder of me every day.". While she was in her nineties she helped Dolly Madison to raise money for the Washington Monument. Her two famous sisters were Angelica Schuyler Church and Margarita Schuyler Van Rensselaer. 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. Her oldest daughter, Angelica, suffered a nervous breakdown after her brother Philip's death. Hamilton would reach the heights of government and power but be tripped up by his own arrogance, ambition and hubris. In real-life Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton lived to. On November 24, 1801, she lost her son Philip, who died fighting a duel with a political opponent of his father. [10][11] Her upbringing instilled in her a strong and unwavering faith she would retain throughout her life. 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. [45] During this time, Alexander commissioned John McComb Jr. to construct the Hamilton family home. 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. She was born inAlbany, New York To Philip Schyler and Catherine Van Rensselaer Schuyler. 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. In 1818, she opened the first school in the neighborhood of Washington Heights (where, decades later, Lin-Manuel Miranda would grow up). Eliza was an ardent supporter of her husband, but it wasnt always plain sailing in their marriage. [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. 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. 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 insisted upon his innocence, and the matter was kept private for years. She is respected as an. She died in 1854, at the age of 97, one of the nation's last remaining links to its founders. Her relationship with Hamilton grew quickly, even after he left Morristown, only a month after Elizabeth, 22 years old, arrived there. So of the original 14 siblings only five survived. But behind the myth of the games creation is an untold tale of theft, obsession and corporate double-dealing. Not even wealth could lower that very high death rate. 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? All rights reserved. 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. [52] By the time she left she had been with the organization continuously since its founding, a total of 42 years. Hamilton, who had resigned as Treasury Secretary six years before, was in Albany on business that March when Peggy took a. The pair had eight children, and also took in Fanny Antill, the orphaned toddler daughter of a Revolutionary War colonel. Get the latest on new films and digital content, learn about events in your area, and get your weekly fix of American history. Elizabeth died in Washington, D.C. on November 9, 1854, at the advanced age of 97. Born in August 1757, she was one of eight surviving children of Philip Schuyler and Catherine Van Rensselaer. 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. Elizabeth Schuyler was born on August 9, 1757, the daughter of the Revolutionary War leader Major General Philip 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. In 1798, she accepted her friend Isabella Grahams invitation to join the Society for the Relief of Poor Widows with Small Children that had been established the previous year. A lifelong reader who was largely self-educated, he soon set his sights far beyond his tiny island home. 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. "I had little of private life in those days," she would remember. When he visited the boarding house where she was staying to deliver the funds, Maria invited him to her room, where, as Hamilton would later write in his pamphlet about the affair, it became "apparent that other than pecuniary consolation would not be unacceptable.". Angelica lived abroad for over fourteen years, returning to America for visits in 1785 and 1789. 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. Angelica was also laid to rest at Trinity, in the Livingstons' private vault, while Eliza's eldest son Philip had an unmarked grave near the churchyard. 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. 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. WATCH: Hamilton: Building America on HISTORY Vault. In 1806, Isabella Graham and Sarah Hoffman, two other widows and social activists with whom Eliza had become friends, approached her for help. As was common for young women of her time, Eliza was a regular churchgoer, and her faith remained unwavering throughout her lifetime. Catherine, also known as Kitty, was the daughter of one of New York States oldest, richest and most prominent Dutch families. Hamilton rose to become a Revolutionary War hero, an advocate for the Constitution, and a rescuer of the nascent American government from financial ruin. She would live another 50 years. Her oldest son Philip died in a duel, just as his father would three years later. 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. 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. Thrust into harsh financial straits, Elizabeth then witnessed her father's death in November 1804 and had to use both strength and ingenuity to keep her remaining family afloat.