Remembering Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton on the 166th anniversary of her death

Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton has come back into the spotlight due to the popularity of Hamilton (2015). She was more than just the widow of Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804). She a philanthropist in her own right. She was the co-founder and deputy director of Graham Windham, a private orphanage in New York City. She helped Dolley Madison and Louisa Adams raise money for the Washington Monument, She was also a strong defender of her husband’s work and legacy. Today is the 166^th anniversary of her death. I wanted to look deeper into the woman, the Founding Mother, who was more than just the wife of a Founding Father.

Elizabeth, Eliza to her family, was born on August 9, 1757, the second daughter of Continental Army General Philip Schuyler, and Catherine Van Rensselaer Schuyler, the daughter of one of the richest and most politically influential families in the state of New York. She was raised in the Reformed Dutch Church of Albany which instilled in her a strong and unwavering faith she would have throughout her life. On December 14, 1780, she married Alexander Hamilton. Her first child, Philip, was born on January 22, 1782. She and Hamilton would have a total of 8 children with the last child, another son named Philip, born June 1, 1802. In addition to their own children, Eliza and Hamilton often took in orphan. Frances “Fanny” Antill, was the two-year-old daughter of Colonel Edward Antill, a family friend, was taken in by the Hamilton when her mother died and stay with them when her father died, until her older sister was married and able to take over her care. Eliza would be more than just a wife and mother. She would also aid her husband in his political career, serving as an intermediary and helping him write out his papers when he was too weak and too tired to hold a pen. Many of his surviving writings have portions in were written in her hand. Even after the very public revelation of her husband’s affair, Eliza would reconcile with Hamilton and she would two more children. When Hamilton died on July 12, 1804, she and their children were by his side.

Eliza would dedicate the rest of her life to various endeavors. She was determined to preserve her husband’s work and memory. Eliza was determined to make sure Americans remembered and acknowledged Alexander’s contributions to America and his achievements from a humble birth to the pantheon of American heroes. She has a steady stream of visitors whom she would interview for their memories and recollections of her husband. In June 1848, she petitioned Congress to buy and publish Hamilton’s works. In August 1848, it would be granted, and the works would be added to the Library of Congress. Her son, John C. Hamilton would go on to publish History of the Republic of the United States America, as Traced in the Writings of Alexander Hamilton and his Contemporaries (1861). History of the Republic would set the bar for future biographies of Alexander Hamilton. She was a committed abolitionist who delighted in entertaining slaves children and referred to the slaveholding states as the African States. Unfortunately, there are no records which detail her abolitionist; however, after reading Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton, I have a feeling she did most of her work in privately conservations rather than public activism.

In 1798. Eliza accepted the invitation of her friend, Isabella Graham, and joined the Society for the Relief of Poor Widows with Small Children. New York in 1806 was a harsh place even with the best of circumstances with poverty, hunger and diseases being rampant. As life expectancy was short, countless children would lose one or both parents. And with no child protective services or a public child welfare program, many children would be placed in the care of family or a church family. Sadly, many children would end up indentured or placed in almshouses. To answer this need, Eliza, along with several other woman including her friend, Joanna Bethune, founded the Orphan Asylum Society. She would service as its first director in 1821 and held that position for 27 years until she left New York in 1848. She would raise funds, collected the needed goods, and oversaw the care and education of at least 765 children. She had a particular interest in one child, Henry McKavitt (Long, 2016). She personally paid for his schooling and arranged for a military commission at West Point. When he died in the Mexican American War, he left his entire estate to the orphanage. The orphanage is now known as the Graham Windham which operates as a family and youth development agency. It currently serves approximately 5,000 children and families every year. The services they provide include family counseling and treatment, after school academic support and health services.

In conclusion, Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton is a hero in her own right. Without her determination to preserve his papers, biographers like Ron Chernow would have had very little information to research. And Lin Manuel Miranda’s musical would have never been. As Alexander Hamilton deserves to be among American heroes like Washington and Jefferson, America owes her a great debt as it was her efforts to see that he was remembered. When she died at the age of 97, she held firm to her belief that she would see her beloved Hamilton again. She was buried next to him in the Trinity Churchyard.

 

 

References

 

Long, Kat (February 25, 2016). Why Elizabeth Hamilton Is Deserving of a Musical of Her Own. Smithsonian Magazine. www.smithsonianmag.com/history/why-elizabeth-hamilton-deserving-musical-her-own-180958214/. Retrieved November 7, 2020.

 

 

For Further Reading

 

Chernow, Ron (2004). Alexander Hamilton. Penguin Books. Available in hardcover, paperback and eBook

 

Graham Windham www.graham-windham.org.

Alexander Hamilton: the man, the musical and thoughts for today

This weekend is the anniversary of the famous duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton. At dawn on July 11, 1804, Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton met at Weehawken, New Jersey. Hamilton would later die the following afternoon on July 12, 1804, 216 years ago. With the help of the brilliance of Lin-Manuel Miranda, he is back in the forefront of American minds. With the release of Hamilton (2015) on Disney+, the story of this founding father is reaching a wider audience than ever before. While I was in school, I knew his name and his basic contributions as a founding father. I first learned of the famous duel, and this might be true for many people, in the 1993 Got Milk? commercial. However, it would not be until I was in college when I took a US History course that I was exposed to more detail about this man. I remember my professor being a great admirer of Hamilton and used him as an example of someone who pulled himself up from nothing and made his mark on history.

Alexander Hamilton was born on January 11, 1755 or 1757 in Nevis, British West Indies. He would come to New York, orphaned, with no money to his name, at a time when change was brewing. He would become General George Washington’s right-hand man and eventually lead his own battalion at the Battle of Yorktown to help end the war. By the end of his life, he would accomplish so much. He was an influential interpreter and promoter of the US Constitution as well as the first Secretary of the Treasury. He was the founder of the US financial system. He was the founder of the Federalist Party. He was the founder of the US Coast Guard and founder of the New York Evening Post newspaper. He was a prolific writer, writing 51 of the 85 Federalist Papers. He is generally regarded as an astute and intellectually brilliant politician and financier. He was also known to be impulsive which led to the end of his political career as well as personal issues. He was an abolitionist as he had written “Who talks most about freedom and equality? Is it not those who hold the bill of rights in one hand and a whip for affrighted slaves in the other?” However, his close friendships and other relationships, including his father-in-law, Philip Schuyler, indicated “he somewhat partook in the system himself” (Vincenty, 2020).

No musical since The Phantom of the Opera (1986) and Les Misérables (1980) had captured my heart, soul and mind but Hamilton has. I’ve been eager to see it since I saw an interview with Lin-Manuel Miranda when the musical was first gaining popularity. I’m not a huge fan of hip-hop but I was curious how Miranda would mix hip-hop with the story of Alexander Hamilton. When it was released on Disney+, I was excited, I sat down and prepared myself to see the musical that took the country by storm. From the opening refrains, I was hooked. The hip-hop rhythms worked and flowed. Telling his story as a young man of 19 as revolution was brewing through his political rise and fall, and ending with his death, Hamilton highlights the man, his strengths and weaknesses, and shows that Alexander Hamilton isn’t given enough credit for his role in the creation of this beautiful country. Even though the story is about Alexander Hamilton, I think Eliza Schuyler Hamilton is a heroine of his story as well. She would live additional 50 years after her husband’s death and worked to preserve his memory as well continue the work, he didn’t have a chance to do including abolitionist activism. One of my favorite songs is “Helpless” which tells the story of Alexander meeting Eliza, their romance and wedding. Another song is the ending, “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story,” as the characters reflect on their legacies and how their stories will be told for future generations. It’s a reminder us to use the time we have because we never know if we’ll have more time.

In today’s social climate, many are looking back at our founding fathers in a new light. Many have called for their statutes to be removed. We, as Americans, have been taught to revere and hold the founding fathers and even our leaders, to hero/icon statues, that we often ignore or push aside their mistakes and faults. Because they were human too. As Shannon Lallier, co-author of Jefferson’s Children: The Story of One American Family, said “He [Thomas Jefferson] was a brilliant man who preached equality, but he didn’t practice it. He owned people” (Halliday, 2020). We need celebrate these men and women’s accomplishments as well as acknowledge and learn from their mistakes and faults. Hamilton’s 5^th great-grandson, Douglas Hamilton agrees, “None of us are perfect. None of them were perfect” (Somerville, 2020). As Aaron Burr sings in Hamilton, “Life doesn't discriminate/Between the sinners and the saints/It takes and it takes and it takes/And we keep living anyway/We rise and we fall and we break/And we make our mistakes,” we need to examine the whole person in the situations in which they faced. They didn’t have the benefit of hindsight like we do. We can look back on their successes and their mistakes. To learn from their example. To be better. “I think we do need to keep the past. You need to understand it. You do need to learn from it. But, at the same time, you need to look forward and say, ‘How can we get better?” (Sommerville, 2020).

In conclusion, on this anniversary of the famous duel and his death, we look back on Alexander Hamilton. He was a man of flaws and amazing intellect. He wasn’t saintly, he made mistakes, but he left a legacy that we cannot ignore. Hamilton is a brilliant show about one man and the creation of our country. American is the land of opportunity and Alexander Hamilton is one of many examples of men and women rising from nothing to make a better life for him or herself as well as make a huge impact on America. There are many examples that follow him who came to this country with nothing and become something. We have the benefit to learn from history. To learn about the men and women, good and bad, to follow their path and avoid their mistakes. We cannot undo their mistakes, but we can learn from them. Erasing the statutes for the individuals’ mistakes doesn’t erase their successes and impact on our country. I highly recommend watching Hamilton, the brilliance of the music, the talents of the cast are worth the time spent.

References

Halliday, Ayun (July 6, 2020). Thomas Jefferson’s Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great Grandson Poses for a Presidential Portrait. Open Culture. http://www.openculture.com/2020/07/shannon-lanier-poses-as-his-sixth-great-grandfather-thomas-jefferson-two-portraits-juxtaposed.html. Retrieved July 7, 2020.

Somerville, Bryant. (July 7, 2020). Westerville man, relative of Alexander Hamilton, talks history, today’s racial climate. WBNS. https://www.10tv.com/article/news/local/westerville-man-relative-of-alexander-hamilton-talks-history-todays-racial-climate/530-9f3764fb-7a25-4845-921d-251ba5b5cf79. Retrieved July 7, 2020.

Vincenty, Samantha (July 6, 2020). Lin-Manuel Miranda Responds to the "Hamilton is Canceled" Controversy. O The Oprah Magazine. https://www.oprahmag.com/entertainment/tv-movies/a33216431/hamilton-cancelled-lin-manuel-miranda/. Retrieved July 7, 2020.

A tribute to a great man who is greatly missed

Today’s post is going to be a little different. On this day, an important man left this world and his presence is missed more and more every day. He wasn’t famous. He wasn’t a president or an actor or even a household name. He was a father, a husband, an uncle and a great man who was taken from this world too soon but whose influence still affects his son, Joe, my husband. This great man is my late father-in-law, the greatest man I never knew. My husband will take over and talk about the man who greatly influenced his life….

Joe Ysabel Lara was born November 5, 1930 in Los Angeles, California. He was the third child of Victoriano and Petra Lara. He would lose his mother at the age of 3 when she died in childbirth giving birth to his twin brothers, Henry and Robert. When he lost his father at the age of 16, Joe was left to take care of his younger sister, Lupe. So he did what he could do. He lied about his age to enlist in the army. He would be stationed in Korea at the start of the Korean War in 1950. From what I remember about his stories, he was a paratrooper during the war. Jennifer has discovered, based on a few pictures I have, that he was a part of the 40^th Infantry Division nicknamed the “Sunshine Division.” From her research, the 40^th Infantry Division was called into active service on September 1, 1950. Shipping out of Oakland & San Francisco, California in late March 1951, the division was deployed to Japan for training and for the next nine months, participated in amphibious, air transportability, and live fire training. In Korea, the 40th Infantry Division participated in the battles of Sandbag Castle and Heartbreak Ridge. In these campaigns, the division suffered 1,180 casualties, including 311 who were killed in action, and 47 who later died from wounds received in action. Total division casualties in Korea included 376 killed in action, 1,457 wounded in action, and 47 died of wounds. My father once told me that he was wounded in battle during Korea. I wonder if he could have been one wounded at these battles.

He would stay in the army for most of the 1950s, leaving after he served two enlistments. Between the late 1950s to the 1980s, his life is much a mystery as he was a private man who didn’t reveal too much. When I was born on May 2, 1980, my father was 49 years old. He and my mother would go on to have my four younger siblings. His last child, my brother Anthony, was born when he was 57 years old. He was a loving father who worked several jobs to provide for his family. He worked as a security guard at local nightclubs in downtown L.A. He worked as a roofer, as a landscaper and other difficult jobs. He wasn’t afraid of hard work. He was a blue collar man who did his best to provide for our needs and even a few of our wants. My father would soon became ill. He would be partially blind in one eye. I remember being his guide as we traveled around L.A. I was his navigator. He would pass away on January 19, 1997 at 10:15 am at the age of 66. I was 16 years old. His death led me down a path that would change my life forever. I often think about if he had survived and was alive and well today, what would my life be like? I realize that I wouldn’t have moved out at 18 to a cousin’s home I barely knew. I wouldn’t have started working for Albertsons and moved to Ontario. I wouldn’t have moved out on my own for the first time at the age of 24. And I wouldn’t have met the woman who would become my wife and my life with her and our daughter wouldn’t exist.

Knowing all that, I wouldn’t go back and change it. I learned quickly how to survive on my own as he had to survive following his own father’s death. I see a lot of my father in me. I see his hard work ethic, always doing something and being active. I see his determination to not let physical or financial limitations get in the way of going places. He rode his bike everywhere. I, too, would ride a bike for many years. Now I have a rickety old car that I deeply appreciate as it takes me to work and brings me home every night. I see my father’s stubbornness in me. As a father, I see myself bonding with my daughter over movies, cartoons and just being together as he did with me. I find myself following his example as he always explained why he punished me and he was ended his explanation with “I love you.” I wish he could be here to experience his grandchildren. I wish I could see him interact with my daughter. I imagine him being a kid with her. Getting on her level and playing with her toys and making her laugh. I wish he could be here to experience the changes in our town, our country and in the world. I often wonder what his thoughts, opinions and ideas would be about where the world has come to. I wish I could ask him about his life: growing up, his service in Korea, his life after the army. I wish I could have adult conversations with him, ask his advice as a man, as a father. I wonder what he would say about the man I’ve become.

I also look back and I remember how ill he was and how much he was suffering. I am comforted to know that he is with Christ in a new body. He is no longer in pain. I will always wish he could be here to experience my family. To talk with Jennifer about his eyewitness accounts of the historical events he was able to see. I wish he could see my daughter grow and see me in her. I even wish he could tell them my childhood antics and the embarrassing stories only parents can tell. From his example, I’ve learned to appreciate life. I want to remain as healthy as I can and hopefully, by the grace of God, be around to see my daughter get married and have a family of her own. I know that my father would wish to be here today too. People may think I’m cruel that I don’t visit his gravesite. But my father, my dad is not there. His earthly body may be buried there but he lives in me, in my memories. I’d rather remember him as the man and father he was. I will always miss him but I know that I will see him again one day….

My father-in-law was a great man. A man with flaws and limitations but a man who did the best he could and was a hero to his family. From the stories I have heard about Joe Sr, I know that he would be proud of his son and the life he has built. Even though I have never met him, I am comforted to know that my babies, AJ and Ziva, have their grandfather in heaven to take care of them while they wait for us. It may not be true but it’s a nice image to have when the weight of our longing for our loved ones becomes too much.

To Joe Ysabel Lara

a great father who is greatly missed

each and every day.

The first 5 years: Happy Anniversary!

On July 11, 2009, I married my best friend. I know that many people say that and few truly mean it. I truly do. Joe is the first man I have truly been comfortable around. To be comfortable to share my secrets and be amazed at the support and acceptance I receive instead of shock and later rejection.

Joe and I met in 2005 when I was hired at the grocery store where he worked. I was in the bakery and he was in general merchandise. Almost from the beginning, a fellow co-worker hounded me to go out with him saying the same old lines, “You have so much in common,” etc, etc. And for months I refused. I was burned before when I dating someone I worked with and vowed never to do so again. In June 2007, she finally wore me down. I told her that IF he asked me out, I would go, thinking he’ll never ask me. Little did I know that another co-worker left the department to seek out Joe and give him a hint to go ahead and ask me out. He would later confess that he thought about it for a while because he, too, had reservations about dating someone at work. He decided to take the risk and he came into the bakery department, jumped up and sat on the table where I was decorating cupcakes and asked me to a movie that night. I was shocked and said yes. 

And they say the rest is history. We would go out almost every night for weeks before officially becoming a couple on July 12.We experienced our first kiss at Knott’s Berry Farm in the Ghost Rider as he didn’t tell me that he doesn’t like roller coasters, quickly kissed me at the beginning and the end of the ride. We did everything together. We went to the movies, Disneyland. He even took me to Las Vegas for my birthday! He would proposed on July 17, 2008 while we were watching The Phantom of the Opera, one of my favorite movie.

Our marriage has had its ups and downs from the beginning. In May 2010, we discovered we were pregnant. A little before we had planned but we were excited and just as the excitement began to spread, we miscarried. Not losing faith we tried again and in October 2010, we were pregnant again! Things were going great and just as we spread the news, we discovered that our baby had died. January 7, 2011 is burned in our memories as a day that we began to lose hope.

But after going through medical testing, we were pregnant again in April 2011. On January 27, 2012, our beautiful daughter Abigail Hope was born. We moved to a bigger home in January 2013 and much to our surprise, found out we were pregnant again on June 25^th. Despite being pregnant before we planned, we were excited. Even though Joe was hoping for a boy, he was excited to learn that we were going to have another little girl. Then our worst nightmare. On October 29, 2013, I was rushed into the hospital because of an incompetent cervix and the doctors couldn’t stop it. On October 30, 2013, our daughter Ziva Rae was born and died. The past 9 months has been an emotional roller coaster for both us but we have great faith in our Lord that he has a plan for us and we rely on His strength every day.

Here on our fifth wedding anniversary, Life has dealt us some pretty strong blows but we are stronger for it. I love you, Joe. I thank God every day for you! You are the husband I was praying for when I was 17. You are a wonderful husband and father!