Elizabeth Schulyer Hamilton

Personal Life:

Elizabeth Schuyler was an upper class elite, born to General Phillip Schuyler and his wife Catherine Van Rensselaer. She was brought up well educated and was always interested in current events, even as a young girl. Elizabeth lived in the midst of political turmoil in the United States, with her own father being part of the Revolution and fighting in the Continental Army. When Elizabeth met Alexander, he was the right-hand man of George Washington in the Continental Army. On December 14th of 1780, Elizabeth and Alexander had their wedding on the Schuyler Estate in upstate New York, which marked the beginning of Elizabeth becoming a foundation in Alexander's work and life. Elizabeth was present when Hamilton was working on the Federalist Papers and the establishment of the first National Bank. She was a tried and true supporter of her husband's work, claiming his enemies as her own and managing the Hamilton household along with their eight children. During this period, she also took in orphaned children and raised them as her own. Elizabeth's life was one filled with hardship and loss. Despite her comfortable upbringing as a socialite in New York, her married life did not follow suit. In the summer of 1791, her husband Alexander Hamilton had an affair with Maria Reynolds. He would then go on to publish the Reynolds Pamphlet to air out the most private details of the affair in an attempt to clear his own name. Later on, Elizabeth's sister, Peggy, would pass away, followed by Elizabeth's eldest son Phillip who lost his life after a duel. Then followed the tragic losses of her father and her husband. Instead of being consumed by overwhelming grief of the loss of her loved ones, Elizabeth turned to charity and began working on the projects that would define her legacy.