“When my time is up, have I done enough? Will they tell my story?” Phillipa Soo, who originated the role of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton in the hit musical “Hamilton”, sang these words. Ever since the musical took the world by storm, many people have been delving into the rich lives of the historical figures featured in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s masterpiece. One such figure is the wife of the first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton. Elizabeth Schuyler, Hamilton’s wife, changed the world by establishing one of the first private orphanages, speaking out against slavery, and by leading one of history’s earliest suffrage movements.
Elizabeth Schuyler was born to Philip and Catherine Schuyler, one of the most wealthy couples in the state…show more content… Margarita had passed away that March, and Angelica was in England with her husband. Eliza felt completely isolated, and so she endeavored to reconnect with her husband. She and what remained of her family moved uptown to try to cope with the heartbreak of losing Philip. Soon after they moved, their eldest daughter had a nervous breakdown, unable to deal with the untimely death of her older brother. Eliza and Alexander ended up reconciling shortly prior to the move uptown, and because of their mutual grief for their fallen son and institutionalized daughter, they were able to connect with one another. A great amount of tragedy had befallen the family, and they felt secure in the fact that things couldn’t get much…show more content… However, after the death of her father, she inherited a small sum of money. Rather than using her own money (which she needed to feed her family) or her last name to get charitable projects off of the ground, she relied on donations and the goodwill of others. (1) She and her compatriots established one of the world’s first private orphanages, and she is said to have raised at least 765 children in the time that she was there. (“The Life of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton timeline.” 1)
Along with her work with orphans and the homeless, Eliza raised funds in Washington D.C for the construction of the Washington Monument. She also spoke out strongly against slavery, and she was known as one of the “Founding Feminists.” Though she may not have ever dreamed that women would win the right to vote, she laid the groundwork for women such as Susan B. Anthony would have a shot at making America a land of great opportunities for both men and women.
Hamilton and women like her could see the results of their labors manifested on the topography of their cities,through identifiable buildings, such as an orphanage or an old age home, newspaper offices and employment bureaus, and rented storefronts or workrooms. Rising on the urban scene and labeled with the group’s name, such edifices embodied one version of what was now seen as collective feminine responsibility for the public good. (The Origins of Women’s Activism
