Unlike her two sisters, Elizabeth did not elope with Alexander Hamilton. Once the marriage took place, however, it was generally accepted, with some family members even agreeing to the marriage on the basis that the association with Philip would aid Stephen’s political career. Since the family of Margarita’s lover, a distant cousin by the name of Stephen Van Rensselaer III, felt that he was too young to get married (he was only 19 at that time), they opposed the marriage. Angelica, Philip’s eldest child, eloped with John Barker Church in 1777 when she was just 21 years old.

Two of Elizabeth’s sisters, Angelica and Margarita, are also quite well-known, thanks in part to their portrayal in the popular Broadway musical Hamilton. Her parents, Philip and Catherine, had a total of fifteen children together, though only eight of them survived into adulthood. ( Public domain ) Family Life in the Schuyler Household Located at 32 Catherine Street in Albany, New York, it is now a National Historic Landmark. The Schuyler family home, where Elizabeth was married to Alexander Hamilton. Subsequently, Philip was elected as a delegate for New York at the Second Continental Congress, served in the New York State Senate, and represented New York in the Senate of the first United States Congress. Prior to the American Revolutionary War, for instance, he was elected a member of the General Assembly of New York, representing the district of Albany. He fell ill, however, shortly after the expedition began, and so the actual command of the army was in the hands of General Richard Montgomery.Īs a politician, Philip held various offices during his lifetime. He was placed in command of the northern department, where he made preparations for the invasion of Canada. Later on, when the American Revolutionary War broke out in 1775, Philip was commissioned as one of the four major generals of the Continental Army. During the French and Indian War, which lasted from 1754 to 1763, Philip fought on the side of the British. American People Suffering Historical Amnesia With Many Citizens Knowing “Virtually Nothing” About Their HistoryĪpart from being a landowner, Philip was also a soldier and a politician.The American Revolution and Women’s Struggle Against Injustice.Fort Hamilton: Black Caribs vs The British on Strategically Important Island in the Caribbean.As both families were of Dutch origin, it would be safe to assume that Dutch was probably the main language used in the everyday life of the Schuyler household. The Schuylers and the Van Rensselaers were two of the wealthiest and most prominent families in New York at that time. She was the second daughter of Philip John Schuyler and his wife, Catherine Van Rensselaer, who belonged to Manor of Rensselaerswyck.

Where Was Eliza Hamilton From?Įlizabeth Schuyler (known also as Eliza or Betsey) was born on the 9th of August, 1757 in Albany, a settlement in the province of New York, which was part of the original Thirteen British Colonies. This narrative, however, seems to have changed in recent times, with some suggesting that Alexander Hamilton is remembered today because of the work that Elizabeth did after his death. Yet, whilst Alexander Hamilton is remembered even today, Elizabeth has been largely left out of the picture. During this time, she created her own legacy, in addition to defending her late husband’s. As a matter of fact, Eliza Hamilton outlived her husband by half a century. The saying that “behind every great man is a great woman,” certainly holds water in the case of the Hamiltons. She is perhaps best-known for being the wife of Alexander Hamilton, one of the American founding fathers. Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton was an American socialite and philanthropist who lived between the 18th and 19th centuries.

Hamilton eliza