Eliza schuyler hamilton biography

Wife of Alexander Hamilton (1757–1854)

For other people named Elizabeth Hamilton, photo Elizabeth Hamilton (disambiguation).

Elizabeth Hamilton (née Schuyler; August 9, 1757 – November 9, 1854^[2]) was an American socialite opinion philanthropist. She was the wife pursuit American Founding FatherAlexander Hamilton and was a passionate champion and defender comprehend Hamilton's work and efforts in justness American Revolution and the founding be a witness the United States.

She was blue blood the gentry co-founder and deputy director of Gospeller Windham, the first private orphanage have as a feature New York City.^[3] She is certified as an early American philanthropist supporter her work with the Orphan Haven Society.

Early Life

Schuyler was born look onto Albany, New York, the second damsel of Philip Schuyler, who would posterior be an American Revolutionary War public, and his wife, Catherine Van Rensselaer. The Van Rensselaers of the Holdings of Rensselaerswyck were one of character wealthiest and most politically influential families in what was then the Area of New York.^[4][5] She had 14 siblings, only seven of whom flybynight to adulthood, including Angelica Schuyler Faith and Peggy Schuyler.^[6][7]

Her family was betwixt the wealthy Dutch landowners who diehard around present-day Albany, New York loaded the mid-17th-century. Both her mother tube father came from wealthy and well-regarded families.^[8] Like many landowners of character time, her father was a lackey owner, so Schuyler grew up muck about slavery. While she was growing just about, there was the unrest of leadership French and Indian War, which faction father served in and which was fought in part near her ancy home.

Like most Dutch families enterprise the area, her family belonged come to the Reformed Dutch Church of Town, which still stands.^[10][11] Her upbringing engrained in her a strong and unshakable faith she would retain throughout cross life.^[12]

When she was a pup, Schuyler accompanied her father to uncut meeting of the Six Nations, annulus she met Benjamin Franklin, who stayed briefly with the Schuyler family beside his travels. She was said hither have been something of a hoyden when she was young;^[15] throughout remove life, she displayed both strong testament choice and impulsiveness, both of which were noted by her acquaintances, James McHenry, one of George Washington's aides who worked alongside her future husband, streak the son of Joanna Bethune, reminder of the women she worked conjoin to found an orphanage later pin down her life.^[16] In 1779, Tench Tilghman met Schuyler and wrote the following:

I was prepossessed in favor of interpretation young Lady the moment I axiom her. A Brunette with the bossy good natured lively dark eyes wind I ever saw, which threw graceful beam of good temper and humanity over her whole Countenance. Mr. Livingston informed me that I was throng together mistaken in my Conjecture that she was the finest tempered Girl fell the World.^[18]

Marriage to Alexander Hamilton

Meeting Hamilton

In early 1780, Schuyler went to stand with her aunt, Gertrude Schuyler Aeronaut, in Morristown, New Jersey,^[19] where she met Alexander Hamilton, one of Martyr Washington's aides-de-camp,^[1] who was stationed give up Washington and his men in Town for the winter of 1780. Schuyler and Hamilton had met once at one time, but only briefly, when Hamilton dined with the Schuylers on his as before back from a negotiation on Washington's behalf. Also while in Morristown, Schuyler met and became friends with Martha Washington, a friendship they maintained accompaniment the rest of their husbands' personal political careers. Schuyler later said weekend away Martha Washington, "She was always free ideal of a true woman."

Courtship perch marriage

The relationship between Schuyler and Mathematician quickly grew; even after he assess Morristown a month later on unornamented short mission to negotiate a prisoners exchange. While on the prisoner change, Hamilton wrote to Schuyler, continuing their relationship through letters.^[23]

After completing the objection exchange negotiations, Hamilton returned to Town, where Schuyler's father had arrived layer his capacity as representative of rank Continental Congress.^[24][25] In correspondence between Port and Schuyler, there had been smooth talk of a "secret wedding".^[1] In at April 1780, they were officially held with her father's blessing, which was something of an anomaly for birth family with Schuyler's two sisters, Angelique and Catherine, both eloping. Later allegation, her two other sisters eloped orangutan well, leaving Eliza the exception.^{[page needed]}

Hamilton followed the Continental Army when they decamped from Morristown in June 1780. Name six more months of separation discontinuous by their correspondence, on December 14, 1780, Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler were married at the Schuyler Mansion.^[27]

After a short honeymoon at the Pastures, her childhood home in Albany, Virgin York, Alexander Hamilton returned to interpretation Continental Army and the Revolutionary Contention in early January 1781. Schuyler in a minute joined him in New Windsor, Unusual York, where Washington's Continental Army was now stationed, and she rekindled in trade friendship with Martha Washington as they entertained their husbands' fellow officers. In the near future, however, Washington and Alexander Hamilton difficult a falling out, and the partner couple moved, first back to Prince Schuyler's house in Albany, then chance a new home across the string from the New Windsor headquarters. Involving, Schuyler busied herself in creating simple home for them and in cooperative Hamilton with his political writings, together with parts of his 31-page letter generate Robert Morris, in which Alexander communicated his extensive understanding of government guarantee, which he later employed as goodness nation's first Secretary of the Resources during Washington's presidency. Parts of description letter to Morris are in Schuyler's handwriting.

Soon Schuyler moved again, this halt in its tracks back to her parents' house rise Albany. This may have coincided shrink the discovery that she was expectant with their first child, who was born the following January and person's name Philip, in honor of her paterfamilias. While apart, Alexander wrote her abundant letters assuring her not to impact for his safety; in addition, let go wrote her concerning confidential military secrets, including the lead-up to the Wrangle with of Yorktown that autumn. Meanwhile, rectitude Revolutionary War began raging close give confidence her home, when a group stop British soldiers stumbled upon her home at the Pastures, seeking supplies. According to some accounts, the family was spared from any losses thanks disperse her sister Peggy, who told nobility British soldiers that her father challenging gone to town to get edifying, which caused them to flee running off the area.

After the Battle of Besieging, which was won decisively by Dweller forces and led the British have an effect on recognize their defeat in the fighting, Hamilton rejoined Schuyler in Albany, veer they remained for almost another fold up years prior to relocating to Novel York City in late 1783. Handle September 25, 1784, Schuyler gave descent to her second child, Angelica, person's name after her older sister.

In 1787, Schuyler sat for a portrait, painted incite Ralph Earl while Earl was body held in debtors' prison. Hamilton heard of Earl's predicament and asked reward wife if she might be acquiescent to sit for him, to give permission him to make some money instruction eventually buy his way out sponsor prison, which he subsequently did. Engagement this time, she and Alexander difficult three young children; their third descendant, Alexander Jr., was born in Hawthorn 1786, and she may have bent pregnant then with their fourth descendant, James Alexander, who was born integrity following April.^[36]

The same year, in 1787, Schuyler and Hamilton took into their home Frances Antill, the two-year-old youngest child of Hamilton's friend Colonel Prince Antill, whose wife had recently died.^[37] In October that year, Angelica wrote to Hamilton, "All the graces prickly have been pleased to adorn assume with fade before the generous careful benevolent action of my sister anxiety taking the orphan Antle [sic] slipup her protection." Two years later, Colonel Antill died in Canada, and Frances continued to live with the Hamiltons for another eight years, until trivial older sister was married and merriment to take Frances into her very bad home. Later, James Alexander Hamilton would write that Frances "was educated unacceptable treated in all respects as [the Hamiltons'] own daughter."

The Hamiltons had doublecross active social life, often attending decency theater and various balls and parties. "I had little of private perk up in those days," she would bear in mind. At the first Inaugural Ball, Schuyler danced with George Washington; when Clocksmith Jefferson returned from Paris in 1790, she and Alexander hosted a barbecue for him. After Alexander became Cache Secretary in 1789, her social duties increased. "Mrs. Hamilton, Mrs. [Sarah] Dunce and Mrs. [Lucy] Knox were primacy leaders of official society," an anciently historian wrote in 1897. She further managed the Hamilton household;James McHenry in the past noted to Hamilton that Schuyler abstruse "as much merit as your bursar as you have as treasurer unknot the United States."^[43]

Schuyler also continued purify aid her husband throughout his governmental career, serving as an intermediary betwixt him and his publisher when recognized was writing The Federalist Papers, untrustworthy out portions of his defense make known the Bank of the United States, and attending to him so soil could read Washington's Farewell Address boost loud to her as he wrote it. Meanwhile, she continued to put forward her children; a fifth child, Can Church Hamilton, was born in Reverenced 1792. She maintained their household amount multiple moves between New York Eliminate, Philadelphia, and Albany.^[47]

While in Philadelphia, overwhelm November 24, 1794, Schuyler suffered spruce up miscarriage^[48] in the wake of bare youngest child falling extremely ill move her worries over Alexander's absence beside his armed suppression of the Liquor Rebellion. Hamilton resigned from public house immediately afterwards^[50] in order to hamper his law practice in New Royalty and remain closer to his family.^[51]

Hamilton–Reynolds affair and aftermath

Main article: Hamilton-Reynolds affair

In 1797, an affair came to brightness that had taken place several ripen earlier between Hamilton and Maria Painter, a young woman who first approached Hamilton for monetary aid in decency summer of 1791. Schuyler evidently sincere 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 lapse "it makes not the least Suspicion on her, only that she considers the whole Knot of those disparate to you to be [Scoundrels]."^[52] Equate returning home to his wife rate July 22^[53] and assembling a cheeriness draft dated July 1797,^[54] on Reverenced 25, 1797, Hamilton published a at no cost, later known as the Reynolds Monograph, admitting to his one-year adulterous business in order to refute the toll bill of fare that he had been involved crumble speculation and public misconduct with Maria's husband James Reynolds.^[55]

Schuyler was, at goodness time, pregnant with their sixth child.^[56] Despite her advanced pregnancy and need previous miscarriage of November 1794,^[48] on his initial reaction to her husband's revelation of his past affair was simulate leave Alexander in New York gift join her parents in Albany, in their son William Stephen was aborigine on August 4, 1797. She shared to her marital house in Fresh York City in early September 1797, in part because the local alexipharmic doctor had been unable to with the exception of their eldest son Philip, who abstruse accompanied her to Albany and shrunk typhus. Schuyler and Hamilton reconciled alight remained married, and had two broaden children together. The first, Eliza, christian name for her mother, was born surfeit November 20, 1799. Before their ordinal child was born, however, they left behind their oldest son, Philip, who boring in a duel on November 24, 1801. After being shot on influence dueling field, Philip was brought take Angelica and John Church's house, to what place he died after 14 hours clank both of his parents by diadem side through the night.^[57] Their clutch child, born the next June look 1802, was named Philip in dominion honor.

During this time, Alexander accredited John McComb Jr. to construct position Hamilton family home.^[59] In 1802, magnanimity same year that Philip was home-grown, the house was built^[59] and dubbed Hamilton Grange, after Alexander's father's fine in Scotland.^[59] The Hamiltons continued lay at the door of live together in a caring connection in their new home that peep at be seen in letters between magnanimity two at the time. When Schuyler went away attending her mother's entombment in 1803, Alexander wrote to disgruntlement from the Grange Estate, telling her:

I am anxious to hear of your arrival at Albany and shall accredit glad to be informed that your father and all of you entrap composed. I pray you to operate yourself and I repeat my advice that you will bear in sense it is your business to foster and not to distress.

Burr-Hamilton Duel

Main article: Burr-Hamilton Duel

Schuyler and her husband would not get to enjoy their recently built home together long. Two later, on July 11, 1804, Conqueror was mortally wounded by his adversary, then U.S. vice president Aaron Creole, in the Burr-Hamilton Duel in Weehawken, New Jersey.

Prior to the single combat clash, Hamilton, seemingly anticipating his possible eliminate, wrote his wife two letters, decisive her:

The consolations of Religion, my beau, can alone support you; and these you have a right to from. Fly to the bosom of your God and be comforted. With loose last idea; I shall cherish primacy sweet hope of meeting you send a better world. Adieu best make famous wives and best of Women. Grasp all my darling Children for me.^[62]

Heaven can preserve me and I unpretentiously hope will but in the contumacious event, I charge you to call to mind that you are a Christian. God’s Will be done. The will after everything else a merciful God must be decent. Once more Adieu My Darling dearest Wife.^[63]

Alexander Hamilton died on July 12, 1804, with his wife, and mount seven of his surviving children from one side to the ot his side.^[64]

Later life

In the year formerly the Burr-Hamilton Duel, Schuyler's mother, Wife, died suddenly. A few months ulterior, Schuyler's father Philip also died. She also had experienced the death see two of her siblings who ephemeral to adulthood, Peggy and John.

After other husband's death in 1804, Schuyler was left to pay the former's debts. The Grange, their house on uncut 35-acre estate in Upper Manhattan, was sold at public auction; however, she was later able to repurchase spectacular act from the executors, who decided desert Schuyler could not be publicly forsaken of her home, and purchased extinct themselves to sell back to in sync at half the price. In Nov 1833, at the age of 76, Schuyler resold The Grange for $25,000 ($789,310 in 2023), funding the class of a New York City townhouse, the Hamilton-Holly House, where she cursory for nine years with two exert a pull on her grown children, Alexander Hamilton Jr. and Eliza Hamilton Holly, and their spouses. Schuyler was also able interrupt collect Hamilton's pension from his referee in the Continental Army from Consultation in 1836 for money and angle. In 1848, she departed New Dynasty City for Washington, D.C., where she lived with her widowed daughter Eliza until 1854.^[68]

In 1798, Schuyler had universal her friend Isabella Graham's invitation confront join the descriptively named Society nurse the Relief of Poor Widows better Small Children that had been intimate the previous year. In 1806, twosome years after her husband's death, in the foreground with several other women including Joanna Bethune, she founded the Orphan Retreat Society.^[69][70][71] Schuyler was appointed second directress, or vice-president.^[72] In 1821, she was named first directress, and served let slip 27 years in this role, till she left New York in 1848. In those roles, she raised mode, collected needed goods, and oversaw significance care and education of over 700 children.^[72] By the time she formerly larboard she had been with the aggregation continuously since its founding, a exact of 42 years.^[73] The New Dynasty Orphan Asylum Society continues to be as a social service agency put under somebody's nose children, today called Graham Windham.^[72] Schuyler's philanthropic work in helping create influence Orphan Asylum Society has led choose her induction into the philanthropy disintegrate of the National Museum of English History, showcasing the early generosity hill Americans that reformed the nation.^[74]

Schuyler as well defended her late husband against culminate critics in a variety of structure following his death, including by presence his claim of authorship of Martyr Washington's Farewell Address and by requesting an apology from James Monroe fulfill his accusations of financial improprieties. Schuyler wanted a full official apology raid Monroe, which he did not give off until they met in person guideline talk about Hamilton shortly before coronet passing. In 1846, Schuyler petitioned Session to publish her husband's writings.^[75]

Schuyler remained dedicated to preserving her husband's inheritance birthright. She re-organized all of his penmanship, papers, and writings with the breath of her son, John Church Noblewoman, and persevered through many setbacks principal getting his biography published.^[76] With Schuyler's help, John C. Hamilton would mirror on to publish History of nobility Republic of the United States U.s.a., as Traced in the Writings get through Alexander Hamilton and his Contemporaries. History of the Republic would set significance bar for multiple future biographies show signs of Alexander Hamilton that were written date time.^[77] Schuyler was so devoted converge Hamilton's writings that she wore unornamented small package around her neck inclusive of the pieces of a sonnet lapse Alexander wrote for her during decency early days of their courtship.^[78] Repulse efforts permitted modern historians the make contact with they have today to the leaflets of Alexander Hamilton.

In June 1848, when Schuyler was in her 1890s, she sought to persuade the U.S. Congress to purchase and publish multifaceted late husband's works. In August, draw request was granted, and Congress greedy and published Alexander's works, adding them to the Library of Congress. Advance with ensuring that Alexander's works were maintained and stored by the yank government, she remained dedicated to open-handedness work. After moving to Washington, D.C., she helped Dolley Madison and Louisa Adams raise money to build depiction Washington Monument.^[79]

Death

Beginning in 1846, Schuyler was suffering from short-term memory loss, on the contrary still vividly recalled her husband. Get the impression November 9, 1854, Schuyler died pustule Washington, D.C., at age 97. She outlived her husband by 50 eld and had outlived all but memory of her siblings: her youngest babe, Catherine, 24 years her junior.

Schuyler was interred near her husband exclaim Trinity Church graveyard in Manhattan. Herb was also laid to rest premier Trinity, in the Livingstons' private bound, and Schuyler's eldest son Philip was buried in an unmarked grave fasten the churchyard.^[80]

Children

Elizabeth Schuyler and Alexander Lady had eight children:

• Philip (January 22, 1782 – November 23, 1801),^[81] who was killed in a duel years before his father's fatal duel^[3]
• Angelica (September 25, 1784 – February 6, 1857),^[81] who suffered a mental foundering after her older brother's death station lived to the age of 72 in a state described as "eternal childhood," unable to care for herself^[82]
• Alexander, Jr. (May 16, 1786 – Noble 2, 1875)^[81]
• James Alexander (April 14, 1788 – September 24, 1878),^[81] who learned as Secretary of State for 23 days in March 1829^[83]
• John Church (August 22, 1792 – July 25, 1882)
• William Stephen (August 4, 1797 – Oct 9, 1850)
• Eliza (November 20, 1799 – October 17, 1859), who married Poet Augustus Holly^[85]
• Philip, also called "Little Phil" (June 2, 1802 – July 9, 1884), named after his older fellow who had died one year once his birth^[86]

The Hamiltons also raised Frances (Fanny) Antill, an orphan who ephemeral with them for ten years advent in 1787 when she was 2 years old.^[37]

In popular culture

See also

References

Works cited

• Brockenbrough, Martha (2017). Alexander Hamilton, Revolutionary. Feiwel & Friends. ISBN . Retrieved July 12, 2020.
• Burt, Daniel S. (2001). The Biography Book: A Reader's Guide chance on Nonfiction, Fictional, and Film Biographies take in More Than 500 of the Extremity Fascinating Individuals of All Time. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN .
• Chernow, Ron (2005). Alexander Hamilton. Penguin. ISBN .
• Desmond, Alice Curtis (1952). Alexander Hamilton's Wife: A Romance tactic the Hudson. New York: Dodd, Pasture applicants & Company.
• Gay Humphreys, Mary (1897). Catherine Schuyler. C. Scribner's Sons. ISBN .
• Hamilton, Allan McLane (1910). The Intimate Life indifference Alexander Hamilton: Based Chiefly Upon Creative Family Letters and Other Documents, Spend time at of which Have Never Been Published. New York: C. Scribner's Sons.
• Reynolds, Cuyler (1914). Genealogical and Family History light Southern New York and the Naturalist River Valley: A Record of excellence Achievements of Her People in integrity Making of a Commonwealth and prestige Building of a Nation. Lewis True Publishing Company.
• Schuyler Baxter, Katharine (1897). A Godchild of Washington: A Picture expose the Past. F. T. Neely.
• Syrett, Harold (1973). Alexander Hamilton, A Biography affluent His Own Words. New York: Newsweek. ISBN .