Elizabeth Hamilton (August 9, 1757 – November 9, 1854) was the wife of Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton was a Founding Father, soldier, economist, political philosopher, one of America's first constitutional lawyers and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury...

. She was born in Albany, New York

Albany, New York

Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...

, the second daughter of Philip Schuyler

Philip Schuyler

Philip John Schuyler was a general in the American Revolution and a United States Senator from New York. He is usually known as Philip Schuyler, while his son is usually known as Philip J. Schuyler.-Early life:...

, an American Revolutionary War

American Revolutionary War

The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...

 general, and Catherine Van Rensselaer Schuyler, one of the richest and most political families in the state of New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

. She was a sister of Angelica Schuyler Church

Angelica Schuyler Church

Angelica Schuyler Church was the eldest daughter of Continental Army General Philip Schuyler, wife of British MP John Barker Church, sister of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton , and a prominent member of the social elite wherever she lived; first in New York, then in Paris, London and New York again...

.

Alexander Hamilton's wife

In spring 1779, Alexander Hamilton asked his friend John Laurens

John Laurens

John Laurens was an American soldier and statesman from South Carolina during the Revolutionary War. He gained approval by the Continental Congress in 1779 to recruit a regiment of 3000 slaves by promising them freedom in return for fighting...

 to find him a wife in South Carolina

South Carolina

South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...

:

"She must be young—handsome (I lay most stress upon a good shape) Sensible (a little learning will do)—well bred. . . chaste and tender (I am an enthusiast in my notions of fidelity and fondness); of some good nature—a great deal of generosity (she must neither love money nor scolding, for I dislike equally a termagant

Termagant

In Medieval Europe, Termagant was the name given to a god that the Europeans believed Muslims worshipped.-Origin of the concept:European literature from the Middle Ages often referred to Muslims as pagans, with sobriquets such as the paynim foe...

 and an economist)—In politics, I am indifferent what side she may be of—I think I have arguments that will safely convert her to mine—As to religion a moderate stock will satisfy me—She must believe in God and hate a saint. But as to fortune, the larger stock of that the better."

On December 14, 1780, Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler were married at Schuyler Mansion

Schuyler Mansion

Schuyler Mansion is a historic house at 32 Catherine Street in Albany, New York, United States. The brick mansion is now a museum and an official National Historic Landmark. It was constructed from 1761 to 1762 for Philip Schuyler, later a general in the Continental Army and early U.S. Senator,...

 in Albany, New York. Throughout her life, Elizabeth Hamilton defended her husband against his critics, maintaining his authorship of George Washington's

George Washington

George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...

 "Farewell Address"

George Washington's Farewell Address

George Washington's Farewell Address was written to "The People of the United States" near the end of his second term as President of the United States and before his retirement to his home at Mount Vernon....

 and refusing to acknowledge his responsibility in the duel and sexual scandals of his life. James Monroe

James Monroe

James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States . Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father of the United States, and the last president from the Virginia dynasty and the Republican Generation...

 had accused Alexander of financial irregularities during the Reynolds

Maria Reynolds

Maria Lewis Reynolds is best known as the mistress of Alexander Hamilton and wife of James Reynolds, and she played a central role in one of the first sex scandals in American political history.-History:...

 affair. Steadfast until the end, Elizabeth demanded a complete apology, which Monroe would not give. Before his death, Monroe visited Elizabeth to reconcile their differences concerning her husband's reputation, but Hamilton gave the former president a cool reception and refused his apology.

Surviving Hamilton

Elizabeth (known as Eliza or Betsey), survived Hamilton for fifty years, until 1854. A religious woman, Eliza spent much of her life working to help widows and orphans. After Hamilton's death, she co-founded New York's first private orphanage, the New York Orphan Asylum Society.

She is buried near Hamilton in Trinity Churchyard at Wall Street and Broadway in New York City.

Children

Hamilton and Elizabeth had 8 children, although this can be confusing because two sons were named "Philip".

• Philip (January 22, 1782–1801)
• Angelica (born September 25, 1784)
• James Alexander (April 14, 1788 – September 1878)
• John Church (born August 22, 1792)
• Alexander (born May 16, 1796)
• William S. Hamilton
  William S. Hamilton
  William Stephen Hamilton , a son of Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, was a politician and miner who lived much of his life in the U.S. state of Illinois and territorial Wisconsin. Hamilton was born in New York, where he attended the United States Military Academy before he...
  
   (born August 4, 1797 - October 9, 1850)
• Eliza (born November 26, 1799)
• Philip (born June 2, 1802)

External links

• http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/albany/bios/s/elschuyleranb.html