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. 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. 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. Still eager to find glory in battle, he turned them all down. [25] On September 25, 1784, Eliza gave birth to her second child, Angelica, named after Eliza's older sister. [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. . The Real Story Of The Schuyler Sisters - BUST We don't get that often in fiction. Hamilton died from wounds received during the duel in July 12, 1804. 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. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. Soon after, Philip Schuyler died. 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. In real-life Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton lived to. The marriage took place at the Schuyler mansion in Albany, New York. Elizabeth at the age of 94, three years before her death. 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. 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. Hamiltons wife Eliza Schuyler was a key part of his life, but she was also an important historical character in her own right. FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. [9] Despite the unrest of the French and Indian War, which her father served in and which was fought in part near her childhood home, Eliza's childhood was spent comfortably, learning to read and sew from her mother. [3] She is recognized as an early American philanthropist for her work with the Orphan Asylum Society. The organization still exists today, as the children and families-supporting New York City non-profit Graham Windham. The first, Elizabeth, named for Eliza, was born on November 20, 1799. "[12] Much later, the son of Joanna Bethune, one of the women she worked alongside to found an orphanage later in her life,[14] remembered that "Both [Elizabeth and Joanna] were of determined disposition Mrs. Bethune the more cautious, Mrs. Hamilton the more impulsive. 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. Instead she immersed herself in charitable work, helping found New York's first private orphanage in 1806, and embarking on a decades-long campaignto ensure "her Hamilton" received the historical laurels she was sure he deserved. In 1848, she left New York for Washington, D.C., where she lived with her widowed daughter Eliza until 1854. The Hamilton Free School was free of cost, because Eliza believed all children should have access to educationspecifically in order to read the Bible. As Mazzeo notes, Eliza was simply passionate about children's welfare, and where she saw problems she tried to find solutions.. 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. Artifacts of domestic life in lower Manhattan, De Hooges Memorandum Book In 1772, after writing a powerful essay describing the devastation inflicted on Nevis by a recent hurricane, a group of local businessmen took up a collection to send young Hamilton to America to continue his education. In 1806, two years after Hamiltons death, Elizabeth became the co-founder of the Society for the relief of poor widows with small children. 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. ", At 22, Eliza met Alexander Hamilton, who was at the time serving under General George Washington, and fell in love "at first sight," per historical accounts. When Do New Episodes of 'Mandalorian' Come Out? Contrary to the musical,. In 1797, Hamilton had an affair with Maria Reynolds. Eliza died in Washington, D.C. on November 9, 1854, at age 97. (As the musical shows, Hamilton also got pretty flirty with Eliza's vivacious older sister, Angelica. [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). [24] Earlier that year, Angelica and her husband John Barker Church, for business reasons, had moved to Europe. is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Eliza would have grown up around slavery as her father was a slave owner. Elizabeth died in Washington, D.C. on November 9, 1854, at the advanced age of 97. But a series of events would soon rip that family apart. In 1806, Isabella Graham and Sarah Hoffman, two other widows and social activists with whom Eliza had become friends, approached her for help. Eliza was, at the time, pregnant with their sixth child. 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. Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton True Story | What To Know About Eliza Schuyler 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." For sixteen years, she lived in Europe with her British-born husband, John Barker Church, who became a Member of Parliament. Also known as Eliza or Betsy, she was from a prominent Dutch family in Albany, New York. Hamilton grew up as an orphan from the Caribbean and was able to come to America to study when benefactors paid his way. After moving to Washington, D.C., she helped Dolley Madison and Louisa Adams raise money to build the Washington Monument. Get the latest on new films and digital content, learn about events in your area, and get your weekly fix of American history. He had particularly fond dealings with Philip Schuyler and Elizabeth's eldest sister Angelica, a beautiful and charming woman. 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 November 1804, Gen. Philip Schuyler died, leaving Elizabeth Hamilton without both of her parents. [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. Hamilton met Maria Reynolds in Philadelphia in 1791, when she visited the then-Secretary of the Treasury to request financial support for her struggling family. "[28] Two years later, Colonel Antill died in Canada, and Fanny continued to live with the Hamiltons for another eight years, until an older sister was married and able to take Fanny into her own home. [38] Hamilton resigned from public office immediately afterwards[39] in order to resume his law practice in New York and remain closer to his family. 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. So of the original 14 siblings only five survived. [52] By the time she left she had been with the organization continuously since its founding, a total of 42 years. After Eliza's husband died and she moved to Washington D.C. in 1842 . 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. Schuyler sisters Peggy, Eliza, and Angelica in. [21], Soon, however, Eliza moved again, this time back to her parents' house in Albany. He then returned to Morristown where Elizabeth's father had also arrived in his capacity as representative of the Continental Congress. The Schuylers owned enslaved people and Philip was reportedly "the largest owner of enslaved people in Albany during his time. But the number of students quickly grew, that improvised setup wasnt adequate. "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. 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. No, Eliza as she was known, was not. [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. The founding father and the New York socialite came from opposing backgrounds but somehow found love during the Revolution. A chronicle of Rensselaerswijck, c. 16481656, For over three decades, NNI has helped cast light on America's Dutch roots. In 1780, Hamilton wrote Angelica a letter describing his infatuation with Eliza: Hamilton and Eliza married that year. A pension scheme later landed him in prison for forgery, and when he sought Hamilton's help, he was turned down. Known as Eliza by friends and family, she was a tomboy at heart, with a potent mix of intelligence, warmth and determination. 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. [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. A noted beauty, she was a bright star on the social scene of Albany before and after her marriage. The affair put a big strain on their relationship, but they eventually reconciled. 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. Eliza was a source of valuable advice and wisdom to Hamilton as his political career began to take off after the war. Lin-Manuel Miranda and Phillipa Soo as Alexander and Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton. 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 oldest son Philip died in a duel, just as his father would three years later. She made huge sacrifices to send the children to school in town and to keep them at home with her, Tilar J. Mazzeo, author of the 2019 biography Eliza Hamilton: The Extraordinary Life and Times of the Wife of Alexander Hamilton, explains. 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. How Alexander Hamilton's Widow, Eliza, Carried on His Legacy . Because his mother had never divorced her first husband, Hamiltons father, James, abandoned the family, likely to prevent Rachel from being charged with bigamy. The Unlikely Marriage of Alexander Hamilton and His Wife, Eliza, Photos: GraphicaArtis/Getty Images; Kean Collection/Getty Images, Every Candidate in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Race, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Eliza remained dedicated to preserving her husbands legacy. A single mother, Rachel struggled to provide for Alexander and his brother before she died in 1768, leaving him an orphan. Below, a primer on her real story. Mother, Supporter, Humiliated Wife 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. Ruthless: Monopoly's Secret History (espaol), Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804), a Profile. After a short honeymoon at the Pastures, Eliza's childhood home, Hamilton returned to military service in early January 1781. He found work at a local import-export firm, where he quickly impressed his bosses. In August, her request was granted and Congress bought and published Alexander's works, adding them to the Library of Congress and helping future historians of Hamilton view his works today. 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. She died in 1854, at the age of 97, one of the nation's last remaining links to its founders. Elizabeth Hamilton petitioned Congress to publish her husband Alexander Hamilton's writings (1846). He was born on January 22, 1782 and died on November 23, 1801 at the age of 19. As Hamilton is released on Disney Plus, the real lives of Alexander Hamilton and the characters in the musical are being discovered by new audiences. 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. NNIis registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The Van Rensselaers of the Manor of Rensselaerswyck were one of the richest and most politically influential families in the state of New York. Eliza later said of the presidents wife that she was always my ideal of a true woman.. It is said that after returning home from meeting her, Hamilton was so excited he forgot the password to enter army headquarters. Twice a week we compile our most fascinating features and deliver them straight to you. Eliza did not leave the orphanage until 1848, twenty-seven years later, when she left to live with her daughter, Elizabeth . The story provides a snapshot of her own life following the loss of her husband, such as her work founding an orphanage in New York, and she also sings of being with Alexander again at some point in the future (with Miranda briefly re-joining her on stage). 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? Not even wealth could lower that very high death rate. She was interred next to her husband in the graveyard of Trinity Church in New York City. Despite the move, Eliza retained a connection to people who lived a few miles away from her old home. After the war he was active in both local and national politics, even serving as a U.S. senator from New York from 1789 to 1791 losing his seat to none other than Aaron Burr (who would eventually kill his future son-in-law Alexander in a duel). ("The world has no right to my heart / the world has no place in our bed / they don't get to know what I said."). Hamilton, who had resigned as Treasury Secretary six years before, was in Albany on business that March when Peggy took a. 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. Dutch people, places, miscellany, Timeline of the Netherlands & Scandinavia in North America Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. [citation needed], By 1846, Eliza was suffering from short-term memory loss but was still vividly recalling her husband. The entire Schuyler family seemed as taken with Hamilton as she was. She survived a miscarriage, her daughter's mental health issues, and, within four years, the deaths of her son, husband, sister, mother, and father. Eliza would weather a storm of pain and embarrassment following very public revelations of Hamiltons adultery. She was rich, he was poor. The two became extremely close. [10][11] Her upbringing instilled in her a strong and unwavering faith she would retain throughout her life. 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. Eliza was also able to collect Alexander's pension from his service in the army from congress in 1836 for money and land. 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). Eliza was an ardent supporter of her husband, but it wasnt always plain sailing in their marriage. She also appears in the 2015 Broadway Musical Hamilton, written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. A 1781 painting of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton by Ralph Earl. 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. Elizabeth Hamilton died on November 9, 1854, at the age of 97. We may earn a commission from these links. 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. Sign up for the American Experience newsletter! Angelica Schuyler Church - Wikipedia During that winter Elizabeth also became friends with Martha Washington, a friendship that would remain throughout their husbands political careers. Attractive, if not beautiful. When he paid her a visit decades after the Reynolds scandal, she refused to speak with him. Q: Can you introduce us to Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton? googletag.cmd = googletag.cmd || []; Long-suffering yet intensely loyal, Elizabeth Hamilton buried her sister, her eldest son, her husband, and her father in the space of three turbulent 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.. He was born c. 1755 on the island of Nevis, in the British West Indies. In 1806, Eliza co-founded the Orphan Asylum Society, to aid children who were orphaned as her husband had been. Elizabeth Hamiltons parents were the noted American Revolutionary war general, Philip Schuyler and Catherine Van Rensselaer of the Manor of Van Renselaerswyck. Elizabeth also appeared in the 1986 TV series, George Washington II: The Forging of a Nation. // cutting the mustard Take this quiz about the debate over the Constitution. 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. In 1796, Hamilton took aim at Jefferson in an essay that hinted at the sexual relationship Jefferson had with his slave, Sally Hemmings. At that time she had been with the Society for 42 years. 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]. 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. 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. 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 Schuyler Hamilton was the wife of Alexander Hamilton, one of America's founding fathers. 2023 A&E Television Networks, LLC. 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. 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. 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 reaction to Hamilton's affair is, equally, lost to history, which Miranda imagines as deliberate in the lyrics to "Burn." Elizabeth Hamilton (1757-1854) | American Experience | PBS [citation needed]. As was common for young women of her time, Eliza was a regular churchgoer, and her faith remained unwavering throughout her lifetime. She re-organized all of Hamiltons letters, papers and writings with the help of her son, John Church Hamilton. 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. a daughter, Eliza, on November 20, 1799. [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. Born Elizabeth Schuyler, and later known as Eliza Hamilton, Alexander's wife was the co-founder and deputy director of the first private orphanage in New York City. Eliza's mother had died a year before. The Meaning Behind Eliza's Gasp at the End of Hamilton - Oprah Daily 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.. Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton (U.S. National Park Service) In those roles, she raised funds, collected needed goods, and oversaw the care and education of over 700 children. More. Who Were the Schuyler Sisters in Real Life? - Facts About Eliza Good-natured though somewhat serious, she was at ease in the outdoors and devout in her Christian faith. But if you're an astute historian, you might notice that Alexander Hamilton was killed in that famous duel way back in . But while Hamilton came from an impoverished background, he had two key traits that would help propel him to the top intelligence and ambition. The real Eliza Schuyler died at the old age of 97, and outlived the musical's other characters. Adieu best of wives and best of Women. Eliza later said of Mrs. Washington, "She was always my ideal of a true woman."[12][18]. And I am grateful . 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. While gone on the prisoner exchange, Hamilton wrote to Eliza continuing their relationship through letters. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. 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.