Hamilton, Elizabeth Schuyler << SKY lur >> (1757-1854), was the wife of the American patriot and statesman Alexander Hamilton . Elizabeth’s role in early United States history made her a notable figure in her own right. She managed a large family, led charitable efforts, and worked to preserve her husband’s legacy following his death in an infamous 1804 duel.
Elizabeth Schuyler was born on Aug. 9, 1757, in Albany, New York. At the time, New York was one of Britain’s 13 American Colonies. Elizabeth’s father, Philip Schuyler , was a prominent landowner and statesman. Elizabeth’s mother was Catherine van Rensselaer, a member of one of the colony’s wealthiest families. As a child and young adult, Elizabeth went by the nicknames Eliza and Betsey. She was known for her wit and skill in conversation, as well as for such practical abilities as sewing and cooking. After the American Revolution began in 1775, Philip Schuyler became a major general in the Continental Army. Elizabeth briefly met Alexander Hamilton early in the war, but they renewed their acquaintance in early 1780. At the time, Hamilton was a colonel on the staff of General George Washington . He served as Washington’s secretary and assistant.
Elizabeth and Alexander Hamilton married on Dec. 14, 1780. In 1782, following the end of major fighting in the revolution, Alexander served as a New York delegate to the Congress of the Confederation . The Congress was a forerunner to the United States Congress. He later worked for the passage of the U.S. Constitution in 1787. In 1789, Alexander became secretary of the treasury in President Washington’s Cabinet . In 1796, he helped write Washington’s famous Farewell Address. Throughout this time, the Hamiltons raised eight children. Elizabeth assisted Alexander in the writing of his political essays and correspondence with national leaders. In 1802, the couple built a house they called the Grange in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.
A series of family deaths caused Elizabeth deep grief in the early 1800’s. In November 1801, her son Philip was killed in a duel. Elizabeth’s sister Peggy also died that year. Her mother died in 1803. On July 11, 1804, Aaron Burr , a political rival of Alexander’s, shot him in a duel. Alexander died the next day. Elizabeth’s father died four months later. Elizabeth soon found herself in financial peril, and creditors repossessed the Grange. Elizabeth managed to reclaim the home with a modest inheritance from her father and help from friends.
Elizabeth soon devoted herself to charitable work. In 1806, she became one of the founders of the Orphan Asylum Society, New York’s first private orphanage. She raised funds and collected donations for the orphanage for much of the rest of her life. Elizabeth also worked to preserve her late husband’s papers and correspondence. With Elizabeth’s encouragement, their son John Church Hamilton later completed several volumes of Alexander’s biography. In the 1830’s, Elizabeth sold the Grange and moved in with two of her children in New York City. In the 1840’s, Elizabeth relocated to Washington, D.C., where she lived with a daughter. Elizabeth Hamilton died on Nov. 9, 1854.
In 2015, the stage musical Hamilton , written by composer and actor Lin-Manuel Miranda , made its debut on Broadway. The success of the musical, based on the life of Alexander Hamilton, returned the lives of the Hamiltons to popular attention.
