Eliza Hamilton

Elizabeth Schuyler was the daughter of Philip Schuyler, who was a general in the Revolutionary War. As such, she was born into one of the wealthiest and most influential families in New York during the late eighteenth century. She is the second-oldest of fifteen children, as well as one of the eight that managed to survive to adulthood. Her family regularly attended church, which instilled strong, lifelong faith in Eliza.

Elizabeth Schuyler became Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton on December 14th, 1780. The couple had eight children together, and adopted one more. Their relationship was tumultuous at times, particularly in 1797 when Alexander publicly admitted to a year-long affair with Maria Reynolds that had occurred in 1791. He paid James Reynolds over $1,000 to keep quiet about the affair, and was eventually accused of embezzlement, which prompted him to come forward with the truth when he did. Eliza, pregnant at the time, returned to her parents’ house in Albany for a month. Initially returning home only to attend to her eldest son’s sickness, she and Alexander eventually grew close once again. Throughout her life, Eliza strongly supported her husband’s career pursuits. The two remained married until Alexander’s death in 1804.

Before the 2015 Broadway musical Hamilton, Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton’s contributions went largely unrecognized. The popular musical established the importance of her achievements, and not just those of her husband. Eliza founded the first privately-run orphanage in New York City, called The Orphan Asylum Society. The orphanage is still around and active today, 213 years later, as the Graham Windham. Despite having lived in the nineteenth century, when the average life expectancy was around 40 years, Eliza Hamilton lived to the astounding age of 97. She was dedicated to charity even in her old age. She helped gather the necessary funding for the Washington Monument, whose construction began in 1848. Eliza was 91 at the time.