The scandal cost Hamilton any chance at the presidency, and the humiliating news became public when Eliza was pregnant with their sixth child. And yes, she really did burn her letters to her husbandbut no one knows when or why. if ( 'querySelector' in document && 'addEventListener' in window ) { On December 14, 1780, the couple wed at the family home in Albany. The Hamiltons had an active social life, and became well known among the members of New York Society. [25] On September 25, 1784, Eliza gave birth to her second child, Angelica, named after Eliza's older sister. Unlike two of Elizas sisters (including Angelica) who had eloped due to family doubts about their husbands, Eliza received her fathers blessing. [citation needed]. More. In those roles, she raised funds, collected needed goods, and oversaw the care and education of over 700 children. Hamilton rose to become a Revolutionary War hero, an advocate for the Constitution, and a rescuer of the nascent American government from financial ruin. .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. The following year, according to another newspaper account in the New York Tribune, the school building was destroyed in a fire. [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. Elizabeth was portrayed by Doris Kenyon in the 1931 film, Alexander Hamilton. } 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. 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." [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. After a short honeymoon at the Pastures, Eliza's childhood home, Hamilton returned to military service in early January 1781. 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. 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. His mother, Rachel Faucette, had been born there to British and French Huguenot parents. A number of other familiar historical figures also feature, from Hamilton's friend-turned-nemesis Aaron Burr to his mentor George Washington to his political rival Thomas Jefferson. Elizabeth was appointed second directress. She survived a miscarriage, her daughter's mental health issues, and, within four years, the deaths of her son, husband, sister, mother, and father. Her father, Philip Schuyler, was a revered American Revolutionary war general, and her mother was. All rights reserved. But while his brilliance was apparent to those who met him, Hamilton was eager to prove himself on the field, not just with the pen. Both her mother and father came from wealthy and well-regarded families. 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. Along with getting Alexander's works stored while Eliza was in her 90s, she remained dedicated to charity work. In Hamilton's closing number, "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story," Eliza is framed as the driving force behind Hamilton's legacy. The pair had eight children, and also took in Fanny Antill, the orphaned toddler daughter of a Revolutionary War colonel. 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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. With my last idea; I shall cherish the sweet hope of meeting you in a better world. Hamilton followed the Army when they decamped in June 1780. Catherine,. He had particularly fond dealings with Philip Schuyler and Elizabeth's eldest sister Angelica, a beautiful and charming woman. 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. 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? Eventually, Eliza Hamiltons school evolved into a scholarship fund that helps students from Washington Heights and Inwood attend Columbia University. So James decided to take his story to Hamilton's political rivals, and was paid a jail cell visit by none other than future president James Monroe. As was common for young women of her time, Eliza was a regular churchgoer, and her faith remained unwavering throughout her lifetime. 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. The two became extremely close. Eliza was an ardent supporter of her husband, but it wasnt always plain sailing in their marriage. Just a teenager, he made a name for himself writing pamphlets and articles supporting the Revolutionary cause. Eliza was also able to collect Alexander's pension from his service in the army from congress in 1836 for money and land. 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. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. [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. Eliza was giving much of her time to her other big projecthelping to found the citys first private orphanage in lower Manhattan. 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. Sign up for the American Experience newsletter! This may have coincided with the discovery that she was pregnant with her first child, who would be born the next January and named Philip, for her father. 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.. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. Contrary to the musical, the Schuylers had a total of eight children who survived to adulthood, including three sons. What Was Alexander Hamilton's Role in Aaron Burr's Contentious Presidential Defeat. 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 the eldest daughter of Continental Army General Philip Schuyler, and a sister of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton and sister-in-law of Alexander Hamilton . Then I found the musical Hamilton, and suddenly it was a marvel to see healthy sister relationships. Hamilton insisted upon his innocence, and the matter was kept private for years. 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 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. [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. A slight inheritance from Philip Schuyler helped with that, as did the private raising of money from Hamilton's friends that enabled Elizabeth to stay in the house she and Hamilton had shared. READ MORE: What Was Alexander Hamilton's Role in Aaron Burr's Contentious Presidential Defeat? Hamilton: Building America on HISTORY Vault. Schuyler sisters Peggy, Eliza, and Angelica in. Two years later on July 12, 1804, Hamilton died during a duel with Aaron Burr. When Do New Episodes of 'Mandalorian' Come Out? 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. Contrary to the musical,. She had eight children with Hamilton during their rather short marriage of 24 years. She re-organized all of Hamiltons letters, papers and writings with the help of her son, John Church Hamilton. [citation needed], Eliza remained dedicated to preserving her husband's legacy. 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." Peggy Schuyler died young. In 1797 Eliza was told of an affair that had taken place several years earlier between Hamilton andMaria Reynolds, a young woman who had first approached him for financial assistance. ' Eliza, who had to struggle to pay for her own childrens education after her husbands death, could empathize. 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. 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 . Eliza remained dedicated to preserving her husbands legacy. Elizabeth Schuyler was born on August 7, 1757, in Albany, New York, the second daughter of wealthy landowner and Revolutionary War general Philip Schuyler. Her father, Philip J. Schuyler, was a general in the Continental Army, politician, and businessman. Elizabeth, Angelica and Margarita Schuyler are the three famous sisters portrayed in the Broadway Play Hamilton. We remember Maria's older brother dying in a brawl with Tony from West Side Story. In 1806, Isabella Graham and Sarah Hoffman, two other widows and social activists with whom Eliza had become friends, approached her for help. They would raise a large family but see their eldest son killed in a duel while defending his fathers honor. 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. 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. Hamiltons wife Eliza Schuyler was a key part of his life, but she was also an important historical character in her own right. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. Eliza was supportive of her husband throughout his career and aided him with his political writings. The organization still exists today, as the children and families-supporting New York City non-profit Graham Windham. But she was immediately smitten with the brilliant, charming young man, and the two quickly started up a correspondence. 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. Her oldest daughter, Angelica, suffered a nervous breakdown after her brother Philip's death. 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. Judging by Hamilton's correspondence at the time, the feeling was mutual.