Rings for Mourning Alexander Hamilton, 1804

The sudden death in July, 1804 of Gen. Alexander Hamilton from wounds suffered during his infamous duel with Col. Aaron Burr shocked a country, and left his family and friends reeling. Overwhelmed with grief, his new widow Elizabeth did not attend the funeral.  She struggled to face life without the man she'd loved and supported, and told others that she longed to die as well. Not only was she left with seven surviving children -  the youngest still a toddler - but she had also inherited her husband's considerable debts.

And yet, despite all this, the rituals of death and mourning were observed by the grieving family. Mourning clothing was ordered and worn; Eliza continued to wear a version of the same high-waisted black mourning dress for the rest of her long life. Calls and letters of condolence were received and answered. Before the general was buried, Eliza would have cut and saved locks of his hair.

Hair was among the most precious and treasured of mementos in the 19thc, a lasting link to the deceased. As I shared here, strands of Hamilton's hair were still being given to admirers by his son decades after the general's death. For the family and closest friends, the hair became the centerpiece of mourning rings.

These are two surviving examples of mourning rings ordered by the family to honor Hamilton shortly after his death. The ring, above right, was presented by Eliza to one of her husband's friends. Made of gold with a double shank band, the ring includes a braided swatch of Hamilton's hair, preserved under a crystal. Now in the collection of the New-York Historical Society, the ring has survived with its original dome-topped presentation box, covered in red leather and lined with blue and white velvet.

The second ring, above left, and right, has remained in the Hamilton family, and is currently on loan and on display at the Museum of the American Revolution as part of their “Year of Hamilton” . This ring, also gold, features the precious hairs loosely wound together beneath a bevelled crystal, and surrounded by bands of white and black enamel. According to the description, the ring was worn as a pendant, suspended on a ribbon through the gold link added to the ring. The ring was said to have descended directly through the Hamilton-Schuyler family, and is believed to have been worn either by Eliza herself, or one of her daughters.

One thing that I find interesting about both rings are the inscriptions inside. Both are engraved with Hamilton's name, the date of his death, and his age at his death: "46 yrs. 6.mo.", which would make his birth year 1758. Most modern scholars, however, believe that he was born in 1757, or even 1755. Why the discrepancy? The current theory is that Hamilton was self-conscious about entering college at an age older than most of his classmates, and may have shaved a few years from his age before he arrived in New York to begin his studies at King's College. In any event, it's intriguing to think that his wife either didn't know the truth herself, or chose to perpetuate the incorrect date long after it would have mattered.

Above right: Mourning ring, maker unknown, 1805, New-York Historical Society; photo courtesy of N-YHS.

Above left: Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton's Family Mourning Ring, maker unknown, c1804, photo courtesy of Clifton & Anderson.

Read more about Alexander and Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton in my historical novel I, Eliza Hamilton; order here. My latest historical novel, The Secret Wife of Aaron Burr, is now available everywhere. Order here.

A "Knitted Gift" Made by Eliza Hamilton in her Nineties, c1854

For those of us who knit, embroider, crochet, and sew, October is the get-serious month for finishing handmade gifts for the coming holiday season. But as hectic as that can be, there's also a special satisfaction in putting a bit of yourself into something you've created, a one-of-a-kind memento that links the giver and the recipient in a way that a purchased present never can. If you're a "maker," you understand.

My guess is that Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton (1757-1854), the wife of Alexander Hamilton, and the heroine of my new historical novel I, ELIZA HAMILTON, understood this, too. For 18thc American women of the elite class like Eliza, handiwork could be as practical as mending worn garments or stitching baby garments, or as extravagant as embroidery incorporating imported gold lace and silk thread. While nearly all women of Eliza's generation and social rank would have been taught at least rudimentary sewing and fancier needlework, for some it became a form of self-expression as well.

The objects these women created were a way that they proudly shared themselves, their accomplishment, and their love with friends and family. Often the most treasured of heirlooms are the quilts made in honor of a marriage, a tiny smocked infant's dress, or an embroidered mourning picture commemorating a lost parent.

Although there are no surviving written records of what needlework meant to Eliza, I suspect that it was important to her, and that not only did her practical and industrious nature mean that she was seldom without some bit of handwork, but also that she excelled at it. I've already shared examples of her needlework executed while she was in her early twenties: this embroidered mat that surrounds her future husband's miniature portrait, and the embroidered handkerchiefs that she made for their wedding. These are the work of talented stitcher who clearly relished her time with her needle.

This knitted pillow cover, however, tells a much different story. The cover is believed to have been made around 1854, shortly before her death at age 97. Although Eliza was said to have been sharp-witted to the very end of her long life, it's evident from this that age had taken its toll on her eyesight. It's telling that she chose to knit the cover rather than embroider. Knitting is a more forgiving craft that embroidery, and the repetitive motions of knitting are less demanding than the precision of a needle through linen.

Yet as a knitter myself, I look at this pillow cover and see what a challenge it must have presented. There are dropped, repeated, and twisted stitches, stitches that are mysteriously increased and others that disappear. The colored stripes aren't consistent, the rows irregular and misshapen. Instead of neatly mitering the corners and making a single, shaped square, the piece was done in strips that were sewn together, with woven ribbons sewn over the seams (perhaps by someone else helping with the completion?) to soften the awkward joinings. But despite all the mistakes, what I see most is the elderly Eliza's determination and persistence to make something special for an acquaintance, no matter how difficult the actual execution must have been for her.

Fortunately the recipient understood, too. Britannia W. Kennon (1815-1911) was the great-granddaughter of Martha Dandridge Custis Washington, wife of George Washington. Britannia is a fascinating woman in her own right, and deserves a future blog post of her own. In 1848, Eliza and her daughter Eliza Hamilton Holley moved from New York to Washington, DC, and rented a house on H Street owned by Britannia. The three women, sadly, had much in common. All three had been widowed at relatively early ages: Eliza's husband Alexander had died at age 48 (approximately; his birthdate is uncertain) of wounds suffered in his duel with Aaron Burr in 1804; Sidney Holly had died in 1842 in his early forties, and Britannia's husband, Commodore Beverley Kennon, had been killed in a shipboard explosion in 1844, less than two years after their marriage.

Britannia took the legacy of her family's past seriously. The elegant house in which she lived, Tudor Place, had been built by her parents with an inheritance from George Washington, and the furnishings included many pieces that had belonged to the Washingtons at Mount Vernon. Britannia arranged and displayed these objects at Tudor Place, taking care to record the details about each on hand-written paper tags.

Eliza's knitted pillow cover joined Britannia's collection. Perhaps it earned its place there because Eliza, long before, had been friends with Martha Washington, or because her late husband's numerous accomplishments gave luster to her own name by association. Perhaps, too, Britannia cherished the cover simply from respect and regard for Eliza herself. Preserved with the pillow is a small clipped paper, right, with Eliza's signature - "Elizth Hamilton", and on the back is a label in Britannia's handwriting: "Made by/Mrs. Alexander Hamilton/a short time before her/death, for Mrs. Kennon."

Today Tudor Place Historic House and Garden is a National Historic Landmark, and open to the public; see their website here for more information. Eliza's "knitted gift" is now part of Tudor Place's collections. Information for this post came from unpublished sources from the Tudor Place archives, and from an annotated edition of Britannia W. Kennon's reminiscences that currently being compiled for future publication. Many, many thanks to Curator Grant Quertermous for his generous assistance with this post. And thanks, too, to Hannah Boettcher, Public Programs Coordinator, Museum of the American Revolution, for suggesting that I seek out Eliza's pillow cover.

Above: Pillowcase, made by Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton before 1854. Linen, wool. Courtesy of Tudor Place Historic House & Garden.

Read more about Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton in my latest historical novel, I, Eliza Hamilton, now available everywhere. 

Brave Peggy Schuyler, 1781

As much as I love reading about history, there are times when the tangible scars of a long-ago incident are infinitely more memorable than a thousand written words. A long time ago (oh, in the last century or so), when I was still in elementary school, my parents took me to Historic Deerfield as part of a family vacation. All the details of that trip are long gone from my memory except for one incredibly powerful object: the "Old Indian House Door" from the 17thc Capt. John Sheldon House.

The door survived the infamous 1704 Deerfield Raid by the French and their Native American allies, a massacre that killed fifty English men, women, and children, made captives of dozens of others, and left the town in ruins. The Sheldon House door stands as a mute testament to that harrowing day, with its broad beams hacked to form a ragged hole through which the French fired their muskets on the inhabitants. I recall the door being luridly displayed complete with a tomahawk in place, but I might be imagining that. In any event, the door fed my nightmares for years. Still does.

That door has yet to appear in any of my books, but I thought of it immediately while I was researching my historical novel, I, Eliza Hamilton. I've written before about the Schuyler Mansion, the house in which my heroine Eliza Schuyler Hamilton was raised (here, here, here, and here.) Originally known as The Pastures in the 18thc, the elegant brick mansion was surrounded by a large estate that overlooked the Hudson River.

But even The Pastures didn't entirely escape the American Revolution. Gen. Philip Schuyler, Eliza's father, first served in the Continental Army, and later in the war continued to advise his close friend Commander-in-Chief General George Washington. By the summer of 1781, the majority of the fighting had moved south, but the general's importance still made him a target to the enemy, and a small group of soldiers was assigned to the house to guard the general and his family. At the time, this included not only his wife Catharine and their younger children, but also his two older, married daughters, Angelica Church and Eliza Hamilton (both of whom were pregnant and visiting while their husbands were with the army), and Angelica's two children.

On a warm evening in August, the house was attacked by a group of local Tories and Native Americans. While the guards attempted to fight them off, the family fled upstairs to barricade themselves in one of the bedchambers until help arrived. Too late Catharine Schuyler realized to her horror that her youngest child, a baby also named Catherine, had been left asleep downstairs.

Bravely - or impulsively - the third daughter, twenty-two-year-old Margarita (better known as Peggy) raced back downstairs to rescue her baby sister. Challenged by the attackers who were now ransacking the house, Peggy thought quickly, and told them that armed reinforcements were on the way from the town. As she raced up the stairs with her sister in her arms, one of the attackers swung a tomahawk at her, catching her skirts and and hacking a deep gouge into the banister.  Soon afterward, reinforcements did indeed arrive, the general and his family were saved, and Peggy was lauded as a heroine.

Today some of the details of the attack are suspected to have been 19thc embellishments. But there's no doubt that a raw tomahawk gouge remains in the banister, above left, carefully preserved over the centuries as proof. The gouge has grown wider over time as early 20thc visitors who were intrigued by the story carved out slivers of the railing for themselves as souvenirs. But as I ran my fingers over it, I couldn't help but picture brave Peggy Schuyler, her skirts flying and her baby sister wailing, as she faced down the enemy who'd dared attack her home.

Photograph of the Schuyler Mansion staircase, ©2017 Susan Holloway Scott.

Read more about Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton in my historical novel, I, Eliza Hamilton. My latest novel, The Secret Wife of Aaron Burr, is now available everywhere. Order here. For more Peggy Schuyler, you might also want to check out Hamilton & Peggy: A Revolutionary Friendship, a young adult historical novel written by my good friend L.M.Elliott.

Another "Hamilton" on Broadway - in 1917

This comes from the collections and the Twitter feed of the Museum of the City of New York. Apparently long before "Hamilton: The Musical" (and long before I, ELIZA HAMILTON, too), there was another Broadway smash featuring the Alexander Hamilton. "Hamilton" was a play written by Mary P. Hamlin (described at the time as a "high society matron" who'd long dreamed of writing a play) and popular English actor, playwright, and filmmaker George Arliss. Arliss starred in the production as Hamilton, and the play opened in 1917 to favorable reviews and a respectable run at the Knickerbocker Theatre. 

According to Lin-Manuel Miranda, there's another coincidence, too. At the same time that the 1917 "Hamilton" opened on Broadway, another play was also running in a theater down the street. Its name? "The Heights."

Sufficient interest followed for the "Hamilton" play to be made into a film - now called "Alexander Hamilton" - in 1931. The title role was again played by Arliss, who was by this time sixty-three, and more than a bit long in the tooth to be playing Hamilton in his thirties.

The film turns up occasionally on TMC and other movie channels.  To modern viewers, it's a curiosity, stiff and dated and overly mannered - especially when compared with the swagger and energy of Lin-Manuel Miranda's interpretation. Still, the earlier version does prove the enduring appeal of Hamilton's story, and it's worth watching just for that reason alone.

Images courtesy of the collections of the Museum of the City of New York. Thanks to Joanne Freeman for her Hamiltonian contribution to this post.

Read more about Eliza Schuyler and Alexander Hamilton in my historical novel, I, Eliza Hamilton. My latest novel, The Secret Wife of Aaron Burr, is now available everywhere. Order here.

A Pair of Hand-stitched Handkerchiefs from the Wedding of Eliza Schuyler & Alexander Hamilton, 1780

Most historical research for a novel involves words, and more words: letters, journals, diaries, and other books. But sometimes research means things: objects that were significant to my characters, and somehow survived: a tangible, magical link to the past.

Despite the popular history myths, 18thc women didn't sew the their all the clothing that their families wore. Nor did they shear the sheep and harvest the flax, process all the fibers, spin the thread, and weave the cloth; even if you lived on the edge of the wilderness, there were skilled tradespeople who took care of all that, and merchants ready to supply their wares at every price point. But while creating jackets, breeches, and gowns was left to tailors and mantua-makers, women did make the less challenging items like baby clothes, neckcloths, handkerchiefs, shirts, and shifts at home.

Sewing by hand was a useful skill, and considered a virtuously industrious one as well for women of every rank. But for many women, sewing was also a form of personal satisfaction and self-expression. The past (and the present!) is filled with women for whom sewing a neat, straight seam of perfectly even stitches or completing an intricate embroidery pattern is a matter of pride, accomplishment, and zen-like peace. Stitching for a special person could create a personal, even intimate, gift as well. Hand-made items can come with love and good wishes in every stitch.

Eliza Schuyler Hamilton (the heroine of my new historical novel, I, Eliza Hamilton) enjoyed sewing, embroidery, and knitting. I've already shared one surviving example of her needlework, this lavish embroidered mat to display the miniature of her then-fiancee, Alexander Hamilton, made during the summer and fall when they were engaged but apart. Here are a pair of handkerchiefs that, by family tradition, were also made by Eliza, and carried by her and Alexander at their wedding in December, 1780.

The larger handkerchief, above, would have been Eliza's. Made of fine imported linen, it shows skilled cutwork over net inserts as well as precise stitching of the highest level, suitable for a special event like a wedding. (Given its size, I'm wondering if this might have been a neckerchief for wearing around the shoulders - a popular style in the 1780s - rather than a handkerchief, but since the archival description calls it a handkerchief, then so shall I.) Surviving, too, is the gentleman's handkerchief, below, with an embroidered geometric pattern with floral accents. Again, the legend is that Eliza made the handkerchief for Alexander, a romantic gift that he must have treasured.

Today the linen on the two handkerchiefs is yellowed and so fragile that they cannot be unfolded, but the beauty and the undeniable care (and likely love) that went into each one of those long-ago stitches remains. The fact that both pieces were set aside and treasured for more than two hundred years shows how special they must have been - and even now, in their special, acid-proof archival box, they're still stored together.

Many thanks to Jennifer Lee, curator, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University, for showing the neckerchief and the handkerchief to me.

Pair of wedding handkerchiefs, c1780, Alexander Hamilton Collection, Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University. Photographs ©2017 Susan Holloway Scott.

Read more about Eliza Schuyler and Alexander Hamilton in my historical novel, I, Eliza Hamilton. My latest historical novel, The Secret Wife of Aaron Burr, is now available everywhere. Order here.

Philadelphia in 1776

One of the more challenging things about writing a book set in the past is trying to imagine a modern city (especially one that I know personally, like New York or Philadelphia) the way that Eliza and Alexander Hamilton would have known it. Busy urban landscapes change by the week, let alone the century. Visiting historic sites is a wonderful gift to my imagination, but when a colonial building is now surrounded by high-rise buildings, complete with the noise of cars, trucks, and buses, it's not always easy to picture life in the same place nearly 250 years before.  

I recently came across this wonderfully detailed painting of Philadelphia in 1776 at the beginning of American Revolution. At the time, Philadelphia was the largest city in the new United States, with a population of around 40,000, and it continued to grow after the war, particularly while serving as the new country's capital. The work of modern artist Paul MacWilliams, this painting shows Independence Hall when it was still called the State House, a most imposing building standing over a city that still had plenty of trees and green space. Most of the city's commercial buildings were clustered around the docks on the Delaware River, which can be glimpsed at the top corner, and would have continued just beyond the right edge of the painting.  

All of this would have been familiar to both Eliza and Alexander Hamilton. Their various lodgings would have been to the east (the right in the painting) of the State House. Despite being large by early American standards, the city was still easily "walkable", and the distance between the Hamiltons' rented houses and the government offices where Alexander was employed was never more than a handful of city blocks. Churches, the city market, playhouses, taverns, and shops were also conveniently nearby.

According to a 2014 blog-post from The Library Company of Philadelphia, whose resources were consulted by Mr. MacWilliams to create this painting, the artist's research was exhaustive:

"Mr. MacWilliams, who holds a degree in illustration from the Philadelphia College of Art (now University of the Arts), used late 18th century Philadelphia maps, prints, and other visuals to research the landscape of the city looking north from Independence Hall. He also read through John Fanning Watson’s Annals of Philadelphia to gain a better understanding of life in the colonial city. Outbuildings, gardens, even horse droppings in the street are meticulously rendered in his work which took three years to paint."

Above: "Pennsylvania State House, 1776" by Paul MacWilliams, 2011, private collection.

I'm guessing that Alexander and Eliza would agree.

Read more about Eliza Schuyler and Alexander Hamilton in my latest historical novel, I, Eliza Hamilton, now available everywhere. Order now.

Writing Everywhere: Alexander Hamilton's Portable Desk

Most 18thc gentlemen who traveled frequently owned a portable desk, and Alexander Hamilton was no exception. Basically a hinged wooden box, these desks were the predecessors of modern laptops, and considered as indispensable, too. Because most were custom-made, designs varied to taste, but all have a surface covered in soft cloth (which made a quill pen move more easily over the page) for writing, plus compartments for storing bottles of ink, pens, paper, and other supplies. The desks folded and latched shut into a self-contained unit for carrying.

This desk shown open belonged to Alexander Hamilton, and was probably used by him most of his adult life. It's not large; I'm guessing that, open as shown here, the writing surface is probably only about 18" x 24".  It's currently on view at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, VA as part of their exhibition AfterWARd: The Revolutionary Veterans Who Built America, through November 27, 2017.

In the 1780s and after the war, Hamilton worked as a lawyer, frequently traveling by horseback and carriage for various cases around the state of New York. During this time, he also served as a representative to the New York State Legislature as well as the Continental Congress, and later as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, which meant more traveling between his home in New York City, Albany, and, most often, Philadelphia - hundreds of miles on unpredictable roads, in winter and in summer and in good weather and bad.

Hamilton was a ferociously prolific writer, full of ideas, opinions, and arguments, and blessed with the gift for words to express them. In an era before phones, telegraph, and internet, being able to communicate through letters was vital. Wherever Hamilton left his offices at home or at work, this desk would have accompanied him.

Made of Spanish mahogany with brass hinges and fittings, the desk is battered and worn from use. Tradition says that this was the desk on which Hamilton wrote the fifty-one essays that became his share of "The Federalist Papers," and helped lead to the ratification of the Constitution. As monumental an accomplishment as this must have been, it must also not have been easy, even for him. Striving to remove himself from the distractions of New York City in 1787, Hamilton, his wife Eliza, and their young children traveled by packet up the Hudson River to Albany and The Pastures, the home of Eliza's family, the Schuylers. The length of the voyage was dependent on winds and currents, yet it must have given him uninterrupted days to think and write - something every writer needs and craves.

Still, spoiled as I am by modern technology, I marvel at the idea of writing this way: drawing each letter, each word, with a quill pen in one hand and an open bottle of ink in the other, on a desk like this one braced against your knees or a rickety ship-board bunk, and everything (including you) rocking and shifting as the packet tacked back and forth across the river....

Above: Portable desk owned by Alexander Hamilton, American or English, late 18thc. Collection of Department of Special Collections, Burke Library, Hamilton College. Photo ©2017 Susan Holloway Scott. 
Read more about Eliza Schuyler and Alexander Hamilton in my historical novel, I, Eliza Hamilton. My latest historical novel, The Secret Wife of Aaron Burr, is now available everywhere. Order here.

Alexander Hamilton Signs the Constitution, September 17, 1787

Today is celebrated in the United States as Constitution Day. But while the delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia signed their names to the document on September 17, 1787, the Constitution did not become law until it was considered, debated, and finally ratified by the states. In September, 1788, with eleven states having voted for ratification, the Continental Congress passed a resolution that put the Constitution into effect. The final two states, Rhode Island and North Carolina, did not agree to ratification until 1790.

While Alexander Hamilton had serious doubts about many aspects of the Constitution, once he put his signature to the document, he threw himself whole-heartedly into the battle for ratification. Along with James Madison and John Jay, he wrote the eighty-five essays arguing for ratification that have become known as the Federalist Papers. Jay wrote five of the essays, Madison twenty-nine, and Hamilton, always deft with a pen and an argument, wrote the remaining fifty-one.

The Constitution is a four-page document; you can read the original in its entirety here. State by state, the delegates signed the final page. Hamilton was a junior delegate (not only among the least experienced politically, but also a mere thirty years old) from New York, but because the other delegates were not in favor of the Constitution, they had left the convention earlier, leaving Hamilton to be the only New Yorker to sign. In the close-up, above, his signature stands proudly alone - and makes something of a brash statement with that extra-long slash to cross the "T".

Read more about Eliza Schuyler and Alexander Hamilton in my latest historical novel, I, Eliza Hamilton, now available everywhere. Order now.

Eliza Schuyler and Alexander Hamilton: Love, a Miniature Portrait, and Fine Needlework, 1780

True love, a war-time memento, and virtuoso needlework: inspiration doesn't get much better for me than that! This elaborately embroidered mat was stitched by a young woman in Albany, NY in 1780, specifically to surround the miniature portrait of her fiancé. 

The mat is worked in silk and metallic (now tarnished) threads, with metallic bobbin lace (also now tarnished) framing the miniature. The lace may have been a costly import - perhaps it had originally trimmed a gown - or it may have been worked by the young woman herself. The harmony of the design, the elegantly shaded colors, and the precision of the stitches all indicate that she possessed considerable skill with her needle as well as a flair for design.

There's also little doubt that this was a labor of love whose sheer exuberance threatens to overwhelm the tiny miniature, which is less than two inches in height. Imagine how brilliant it must have been when the colors were still fresh and the metallic threads glittered! You can just tell that the young woman was dreaming of her beloved with every stitch she took. Perhaps she even kept the miniature nearby as inspiration.

Who were these two sweethearts? The needleworker was Elizabeth Schuyler, 22, and her fiancé was Lt. Colonel Alexander Hamilton, 23, who was serving in the Continental Army as an aide-de-camp to Commander-in-Chief Gen. George Washington. In 1780, the American Revolution was dragging through its sixth year, with no resolution in sight. The war had brought these two together - they had become engaged during the army's winter encampment earlier in the year - just as it also kept them apart during the summer and fall. Both had hoped for a quick wedding, but Alexander's military duties forced them to postpone their marriage until shortly before Christmas, 1780.

While Alexander was occupied with the war, Eliza had returned to her parents' home in Albany. They corresponded frequently, and though her letters no longer survive, his are filled with love and impatience. At one point during the summer and fall, she begged for him to have a miniature portrait of himself painted for her as a keepsake.

In this era before the constant imaging of cellphones, miniatures were the only small and portable reminders of a loved one's face available, much as daguerreotypes would a century later during the Civil War. In war-time, when a violent death or disfigurement could occur at any time, the significance of these mementos rose significantly. Enterprising American artist Charles Willson Peale held sittings in his Philadelphia studio as well as traveling to encampments during the war, painting miniatures of dozens of soldiers for the sum of $28 a piece - a not insignificant amount to young men in an army which was often late paying them.  

It’s thought that Alexander had himself painted in miniature twice by Peale: one earlier in the war wearing his uniform, and another that he sent to Eliza at her request. Although current scholarship has doubts, this has traditionally believed to be the second miniature of Alexander, showing him wearing a blue coat and a red waistcoat, with his auburn-red hair elegantly powdered and curled. In a letter discussing their coming wedding, he offered to wear either his uniform or civilian clothing for the ceremony; he left the decision to her. Perhaps he had himself painted as a civilian to reassure her that he wouldn't always be a soldier, and that peace would come. It did, but not until after Alexander had fought heroically in the last major encounter of the war, the Battle of Yorktown, in 1781. To her joy, he survived unscathed, and came home to her - a home that always included this portrait and the needlework around it.

Above: Portrait of Alexander Hamilton by Charles Willson Peale, c1780. 
Mat embroidered by Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, c1780. Both from the collection of the Office of Art Properties, Columbia University Libraries. Image copyright Columbia University Libraries.

Read more about Alexander and Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton in my historical novel I, Eliza Hamilton; order here. My latest historical novel, The Secret Wife of Aaron Burr, is now available everywhere. Order here.

First Booksigning for I, ELIZA HAMILTON: Saturday, Sept 16, at Brandywine 2017

The long wait is nearly over! I, ELIZA HAMILTON will be available everywhere on September 26 - but those of you who'll be in the Philadelphia area next weekend will be able to get yours early at a very special booksigning in Birmingham Township, PA. 

The booksigning will be part of Brandywine 2017, a weekend-long re-enactment event that marks the 240th anniversary of the Battle of Brandywine. Brandywine was the largest land battle of the American Revolution between the Continental and British forces, with 30,000 combatants meeting on the Pennsylvania fields and farms. Although the Americans lost, the battle proved that the Continental Army was to be taken seriously as a fighting force. General George Washington was in command, and with him was a young French aristocrat, the Marquis de Lafayette, making his first appearance on the battlefield for the Americans. 

Oh, and there was also another young officer at the battle, serving as one of General Washington's aides-de-camp - Lt. Col. Alexander Hamilton. Can you understand now why I wanted this to be my first signing for I, ELIZA HAMILTON?

Nearly a thousand uniformed Revolutionary War re-enactors will gather from around the country to recreate the battle, fighting on the same farmland as the original battle more than two centuries ago. There will be cavalry, dragoons, cannon fire, muskets, rifles, and military music. Before and after the "battle", visitors will also be able to tour the authentic encampments and observe military inspections, and check out the 18thc-style wares offered for sale by dozens of vendors and sutlers. There will be other authors, too, offering fiction, non-fiction, and children's books, all with a Revolutionary War connection. 

Perhaps best of all, the event is free, with plenty of free parking. Check out the Brandywine2017 website for all the details, plus directions.

I'll be signing I, ELIZA HAMILTON on Saturday, September 16, from 11:00 am-1:00 pm, in the author tent near the entrance. Hope to see you there!

Photograph courtesy Brandywine2017.

Read more about Eliza Schuyler and Alexander Hamilton in my latest historical novel, I, Eliza Hamilton, now available everywhere. Order now.

Alexander Hamilton and the Very Tall Clock

It's no secret that Alexander Hamilton was one of the most productive men of his age (or any other, for that matter.) In his short life, he wrote letters by thousand, juggled complicated matters of government policy, handled precedent-setting legal cases, and created most of the basis for the American financial system. It's not surprising that during the Revolution, he became General George Washington's favorite aide-de-camp on his personal staff. Hamilton got things DONE.

As the country's first Secretary of the Treasury, Hamilton oversaw the largest single office in the federal government at the time, and he expected his clerks and other employees to share his ferocious work ethic. Even during the onslaught of Philadelphia's Yellow Fever epidemic in 1793 - a terrifying disease that claimed hundreds of people, rich and poor - many of Hamilton's clerks continued to report for work until the office was officially closed.

All of which increases the significance of this tall case clock. From my photograph, it's difficult to tell just how large the clock actually is - except, of course, that it was too big for my phone to capture in its entirety. The word "tall" in its description is something of an understatement: according to the New-York Historical Society (which owns it), the clock stands 124", or over ten feet in height. Made of gleaming mahogany, the case of the clock is inlaid with sixteen stars, representing the sixteen states in the union at the time the clock was made in 1796. 

Traditionally the clock is said to have been commissioned by Hamilton for the Bank of New York, which he had established in 1784. He had a similar one made by the same New York clockmaker, Robert Joyce, for the First Bank in Philadelphia. These banks were grand, imposing buildings, and the towering clocks would have been designed to fit the space. Clocks represented efficiency, an admirable quality in a bank, and a clock of this size with its expensive cabinetry case would also have suggested prosperity and permanence.

Still, I can't help but imagine the effect that such a clock's size and relentless ticking must have had on the clerks who toiled nearby. Each click of the hand must have been an unending reminder of Hamilton's own determination to squeeze as much as he could into every minute - a daunting expectation in any workplace.

Tall case clock, by Robert Joyce, c1796, New-York Historical Society. Photograph ©2017 Susan Holloway Scott.

Read more about Eliza Schuyler and Alexander Hamilton in my latest historical novel, I, Eliza Hamilton, now available everywhere. Order now.

New York's Skyline in 1798

We're all so accustomed to modern New York City's skyline of towering skyscrapers that it's almost impossible to imagine how the city looked in the late 18thc, when Eliza and Alexander Hamilton lived there. Although by 1800 New York would become the largest city in the new country, it still was a fraction in both population and scale of what it is today. 

This print shows the east side of the city in 1798, with the Hudson River in the foreground. The spire of St. George’s Chapel, on Beekman Street, to the left is the tallest feature, and the large, multi-storied buildings on the waterfront are warehouses.  The ships to the right are in Peck Slip. 

During the British occupation of the city during the American Revolution, nearly all trees were cut down for firewood. It's interesting to see that at least in this artist's interpretation, trees are once again part of the landscape. Also note how the city itself is clustered close to the water, and rolling hills of farmland and country estates aren't far behind it. That, however, would soon change as the expansion and development of New York moved relentlessly northward up Manhattan Island.

Read more about Eliza Schuyler and Alexander Hamilton in my latest historical novel, I, Eliza Hamilton, now available everywhere. Order now.

Eliza Hamilton's "Keenest Sorrows" in August, 1804, After Alexander's Death

One of the more interesting books that I discovered in my research for my new book I, Eliza Hamilton was a solemn compendium with a monumental title: A Collection of the Facts and Documents, Relative to the Death of Major-General Alexander Hamilton: With Comments: Together with the Various Orations, Sermons, and Eulogies, that Have Been Published Or Written on His Life and Character. 

Published not long after Alexander Hamilton died from wounds incurred in his infamous duel with Aaron Burr in July, 1804, the book is exactly what that title says it is. Today's publishers often rush such titles to press to cash in on a topical event, usually branding them as "special souvenir collector's editions" and the like, but in 1804, this was unusual. Then again, the circumstances were unusual, too. The country - and particularly Hamilton's hometown of New York City - were stunned by news of a duel between the former Secretary of the Treasury and the current Vice President, and shocked by Hamilton's subsequent death.

The outcry was immediate. Even those who didn't fault Burr and felt that duels of honor still had their place between gentlemen (the practice was already illegal in New York), no one could deny the tragic waste of Hamilton's life, or the terrible effect his death had on his widow and young family. Charges of murder were filed against Burr, who had fled New York for the more sympathetic southern states. The city of New York was plunged into official, black-draped mourning. More pointedly, ministers deplored the sinful practice of dueling from their pulpits.

A Collection....was assembled by William Coleman, a former lawyer (and former law partner of Aaron Burr) who had been chosen by Hamilton in 1801 to be the editor of the Federalist newspaper, The New York Evening Post. Coleman himself was no stranger to duels; earlier in 1804, he had killed a man in a duel over a dispute with a rival newspaper.

Nor was Coleman an impartial editor. In the preface, he described Hamilton as "my best earthly friend, my ablest adviser, and my most generous and disinterested patron." He quickly put together the collection both as a tribute to Hamilton, and a defense of his friend's actions relating to the duel, and the book was published before the end of the year. A 1904 edition of A Collection.... is available to read for free online here.

One article in particular - from the August 29, 1804 edition of The Albany Centinel - touched me the most since it focussed on Eliza. Immediately following her husband's death, Eliza was so distraught that friends and family feared for her sanity. She did not attend the funeral, and soon retreated with her daughters and younger sons to her father's house in Albany. Yet by the end of August, she must have been beginning to appear again in public - though as this excerpt shows, her grief was clearly still painfully raw.

"On Sunday morning the afflicted Mrs. HAMILTON attended divine service in the Presbyterian Church in this city, with her three little sons [I'm guessing that this must have been her youngest sons, John Church, 12, William Stephen, 7, and Little Phil, 2.]

"At the close of a prayer by the Rev. Mr. Nott, the eldest boy dropped on his face, in a fainting fit.

"Two gentlemen immediately raised him, and while bearing him out of the church, the afflicted mother sprung forward, in the agonies of grief and despair, towards her apparently lifeless son.

"The heart-rending scenes she had recently struggled with, called forth all the fine-spun sensibilities of her nature – and seemed to say, that nature must, and will be indulged in her keenest sorrows – She was overpowered in the conflict, and likewise sunk – uttering such heart-rending groans, and inward sighs, as would have melted into mingled sympathies, even Burr himself.

"Both of them soon recovered – and while the little son was supported standing on the steps, yet speechless, the most affecting scene presented itself – a scene, could it be placed on canvas by the hand of a master, would be in the highest degree interesting and impressive. The mother, in this tender situation, fastened herself upon the son, with her head reclining on his left shoulder – the agonies so strongly painted on her countenance – her long flowing weeds – the majesty of her person – the position of both – and above all, the peculiarity of their trying situation in the recent loss of a husband, and a father – who could refrain from invoking on the head of the guilty author of their miseries, those curses he so rightly merits? The curse of living despised, and execrated by the voice of a whole nation – the curse of being held up to the view of future ages – a MONSTER, and an ASSASSIN."

Poor Eliza!

Above: Title page, A Collection of the Facts and Documents, Relative to the Death of Major-General Alexander Hamilton.... New York: Printed by Hopkins & Seymour for I. Riley & Co, 1804. Collection, University of California Libraries.

Read more about Eliza Schuyler and Alexander Hamilton in my historical novel, I, Eliza Hamilton, now available everywhere. Order now. My next historical novel, The Secret Wife of Aaron Burr, will be published by Kensington Books on September 24, 2019. Pre-order now here.

The Lasting Legacy of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton

Legacies are notoriously fickle things. They're difficult to create, and even harder to maintain.

Yet one New York woman's legacy still flourishes after more than two centuries. Built on kindness and a genuine concern for the welfare of others, the legacy of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton (1757-1854) continues today because the same challenges that faced many children in 1806 unfortunately remain a part of our society in 2017.

During her lifetime, Eliza Hamilton thought of the present, not posterity.  Born to privilege and married to Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasure, she still believed in helping others directly. She brought food, clothes, and comfort to refugees of the French Revolution, and to new widows after yellow fever epidemics. She took in a young motherless girls who'd no place to go, and the child became part of her own family for years. In 1797, she was one of the founders (with her friend Isabelle Graham and her daughter Joanna Graham Bethune) of the Society for the Relief of Poor Widows with Small Children.

When Alexander Hamilton died after his infamous duel with Aaron Burr in 1804, Eliza was grief-stricken, but refused to fade into genteel widowhood. Financial difficulties - Hamilton had left her saddled with many debts - forced her to seek assistance from family and friends to support herself and her children, yet still she continued to help others. Her late husband had begun life as a poor and fatherless child, and orphans were always to hold a special place in her heart - and her energies.

In 1806, Eliza, Isabella Graham, and Joanna Bethune founded the Orphan Asylum Society in the City of New York (OAS). Eliza was named second directress. The OAS began with sixteen orphans, children rescued from a harrowing future in the city's streets or almshouses.

But Eliza and her friends realized that these first orphans must be only the beginning of their mission. In the first years of the nineteenth century, New York had grown into the largest city in America with a population of over 60,000, crowded largely into the winding streets of lower Manhattan. the harbor had made the city a major port, and goods and passengers arrived from around the world.

While some New Yorkers prospered, many more fell deeper into poverty and disease, and it was often the children who suffered most. In greatest peril were children who arrived in the city as new orphans, their immigrant parents having died during the long voyage. Completely alone, these children were often swept into dangerous or abusive situations with little hope of escape.

Eliza and her friends would not abandon them. With each year, the OAS grew larger, and was able to help more children, yet the goals of the OAS never changed. Children were provided not only with food, clothing and shelter, but also education and the skills of a trade so that they cold become independent and successful adults.

In 1821, Eliza was named first directress (president), with duties that ranged from the everyday business of arranging donation for the children in her charge to overseeing the finances, leasing properties, visiting almshouses, and fundraising to keep the OAS growing. With her own sons and daughters now grown, these children became an extended family. She took pride in each of of them, and delighted in their successes, including one young man who graduated from West Point.

She continued as directress until 1848 when she finally, reluctantly, stepped down at the age of 91, yet she never lost interest in the children she had grown to love. When she died in 1854 at the remarkable age of 97 - over fifty years after her beloved Hamilton - The New York Times wrote of her: "To a mind most richly cultivated, she added tenderest religious devotion and a warm sympathy for the distressed."

The OAS that Eliza Hamilton helped found continues today. Now known as Graham Windham, it has evolved into an organization that supports hundreds of at-risk children and their families in the New York area. Times have changed - the 19th century's orphans are today's youth in foster care - but the mission remains true to Eliza Hamilton's original goals: to provide each child in their care with a strong foundation for life in a safe, loving, permanent family, and the opportunity and preparation to thrive in school, in their communities, and in the world.

"We serve the children who need us most," says Jess Dannhauser, president and CEO of Graham Windham. "It's a deep personal commitment for us. We don't turn anyone away. These are hard-working, courageous kids who want to make something of themselves and are looking for ways to contribute, and we're constantly adapting to discover the best ways to serve them."

Last week - August 9 - marked the 260th anniversary of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton's birthday. Although I completed writing I, Eliza Hamilton months ago, I've been thinking a lot about Eliza again lately, especially in a world that seems to have become increasingly selfish and uncaring, with little regard for those in need.

Not long ago, I visited the churchyard of Trinity Church in Wall Street, where Eliza and Alexander Hamilton are buried side by side. It's become something of a pilgrimage site for fans of Lin-Manuel Miranda's phenomenal musical, and Alexander's ornate tomb in particular is often decked with flowers and other tributes.

On this morning, Eliza's much more humble stone - where she is described only as her father's daughter, her husband's wife, as was common for 1854 - was notably bare, and I resolved to find a nearby florist. Before I did, however, I stopped inside the church itself. Near the door is a box for contributions to Trinity's neighborhood missions, and I realized then that Eliza didn't need another memorial bouquet. Her legacy instead continues in the example of her own selflessness, compassion, and generosity to others. With a whisper to the woman who'd lived long before me, I tucked the money I'd intended for flowers into the contribution box.

Thank you, Eliza, and may your legacy always endure.

Above: Grave of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton. Photograph ©2017 Susan Holloway Scott.

Read more about Eliza Schuyler and Alexander Hamilton in my latest historical novel, I, Eliza Hamilton, available everywhere. Order now. My next historical novel, The Secret Wife of Aaron Burr, will be published by Kensington Books on September 24, 2019. Pre-order now here.

What Alexander Hamilton Wrote to Eliza Before (and After) the Siege at Yorktown, 1781

The Battle of Yorktown has been a popular topic on social media this past week after the television series TURN: Washington's Spies featured the siege in last Saturday's episode, and an excitingly smoke-and-explosion filled depiction it was, too. 

Yorktown was Alexander Hamilton's last moment to shine on the revolutionary battlefield, and he knew it. Although he had fought bravely and efficiently in battle during the early days of the war, he had spent most of the conflict at a desk as one of General George Washington's aides-de-camp. It didn't matter that he had in fact become the general's "right hand man", briskly handling not only Washington's correspondence, orders, and the headquarters' finances, but also serving as an interpreter during delicate negotiations with French allies. Alexander felt he was no better than a secretary, and longed for the opportunities of battle. He was right, too. No one would remember his skillfully written letters on behalf of his general. Military glory and fame would last beyond the war, and with his lack of a fortune or famous family, such a reputation would be necessary to carry him to the next stage of his life.

For years Washington had resisted Alexander's pleas for a field command, until the summer of 1781, when at last Alexander was made commander of a battalion of light infantry. Alexander was elated. This was exactly what he'd most desired: the light infantry were the Continental Army’s elite assault troops. It was clear that a major, and perhaps final, battle was coming that would likely decide the war, and now he was sure to be in the thick of it. 

And yet pulling at his heart throughout all this was Eliza. They'd been married less than a year, and she was expecting their first child in January. Although she was safe with her parents at The Pastures in Albany, she was still never far from Alexander's thoughts throughout the late summer as the army marched south towards Virginia. Given the circumstances, it's likely that many of their letters arrived out of sequence, or perhaps not at all. The tone of his letters to her bounces back and forth: in one eager sentence his anticipation is palpable as he tells her more than he should about the army's movements, and in the next he wants her to know how deeply he loves her in case he doesn't return. 

In September, he wrote to her from Elkton, MD:

"To-morrow we embark for Yorktown.... I would give the world to be able to tell you all I feel and all I wish, but consult your own heart and you will know mine....Circumstances that have just come to my knowledge, assure me that our operations will be expeditious, as well as our success certain. Early in November, as I promised you, we shall certainly meet. Cheer yourself with this idea, and with the assurance of never more being separated... be it my object to be happy in a quiet retreat with my better angel." (You can read the entire letter here.)

A week later in Annapolis, MD, he had time to write only a few sentences, tinged with melancholy: 

"How chequered is human life! How precarious is happiness! How easily do we often part with it for a shadow! These are the reflections that frequently intrude themselves upon me, with a painful application. I am going to do my duty. Our operations will be so conducted, as to economize the lives of men. Exert your fortitude and rely upon heaven."

On October 12, camped at Yorktown, VA, he longs to be with her and their unborn child:

"The idea of a smiling infant in [your] arms calls up all the father in it. In imagination I embrace the mother and embrace the child a thousand times. I can scarce refrain from shedding tears of joy. But I must not indulge these sensations; they are unfit for the boisterous scenes of war and whenever they intrude themselves make me but half a soldier. Thank heaven, our affairs seem to be approaching fast to a happy period... Five days more and the enemy must capitulate or abandon their present position; if they do the latter it will detain us ten days longer; and then I fly to you. Prepare to receive me in your bosom. Prepare to receive me decked in all your beauty, fondness and goodness. With reluctance I bid you adieu." (Read the whole letter here.)

Two nights later, Alexander was an important part of the planned attack. Under cover of darkness, smoke, and fog from the river, he led his troops towards a strategically important earthworks fortification known as Redoubt 10, manned by about 70 British and Hessian forces. To preserve the element of surprise, Alexander's men attacked with unloaded muskets, relying instead on only their bayonets. While the British fired upon them, Alexander charged up the palisades ahead of his men; he was the first to jump into the redoubt as other Continental troops swarmed the redoubt from the rear to end any hope of a British retreat. Thanks to daring and courage, the redoubt was captured, and victory soon followed for the combined Continental and French forces. And, finally, Alexander was lauded as a hero.

But his brief letter to Eliza two days later downplayed his heroics, and if anything, he seems almost sheepish in admitting the danger in which his bravery had placed him, and promising her he won't do it again: 

"Two nights ago, my Eliza, my duty and my honor obliged me to take a step in which your happiness was too much risked. I commanded an attack upon one of the enemy’s redoubts; we carried it in an instant, and with little loss. You will see the particulars in the Philadelphia papers. There will be, certainly, nothing more of this kind; all the rest will be by approach; and if there should be another occasion, it will not fall to my turn to execute it."

Days later, Alexander was on his way again, racing back to Eliza in Albany. His battlefield role in the war was done, and his reputation as a hero secured. Soon he would be back safely in Eliza's arms in time to welcome their first child together in January, 1782.

The remnants of those same redoubts from the siege are still visible at the Yorktown Battlefield, above. Now they're protected by metal fencing instead of British artillery. They're thick with grass and weeds, and the land surrounding them is peaceful and green. But if you listen closely (and your imagination is like mine), you can still hear the sounds of battle, and victory.  

Photograph copyright 2017 by Susan Holloway Scott.

Read more about Eliza Schuyler and Alexander Hamilton in my latest historical novel, I, Eliza Hamilton, now available everywhere. Order now.

Visiting The Grange: Eliza & Alexander Hamilton's "Sweet Project" of a Home

Recently many of you saw me in a short video interview on Instagram and here on Facebook, standing in front of The Grange, the house that Alexander Hamilton began to have built for Eliza and their family. We didn't have time to go inside for the interview, but I thought you might like a glimpse into several of the house's restored rooms.

The house was the Hamiltons' "American Dream" even before there was an America. Alexander's letters to Eliza while they were engaged in 1780 envisioned the home he hoped they'd one day share. Yet for most of the first twenty years of their marriage, they lived in rented houses in New York and Philadelphia; The Grange is the only one with a record of their ownership, and the only one to survive. 

Alexander bought the land for the house in 1800, teasing Eliza about the "sweet project" he had in mind. At the time, the thirty-two acre lot in upper Manhattan was still considered country, far from New York City, yet close enough that Alexander could commute (a 90-minute ride by horse or carriage) to his law office on Wall Street. The Federal-style house was designed by architect John McComb, Jr. and was built from wood supplied by Eliza's father, General Philip Schuyler, from the Schuyler family's lands and sawmill in upstate New York. The Hamilton family moved into the completed house in 1802.

Situated high on a hill with views of both the Hudson and East Rivers, The Grange was perfect for both family life and the frequent entertaining that the Hamiltons enjoyed. The porches and numerous windows made the most of the view, while the doorways between the large parlor and dining room could be thrown open to make an even larger space to accommodate more guests.

Alexander oversaw every element of the house's design, decoration, and gardens, and the results are elegant but comfortable. In the house's hallway stands a marble bust of Alexander by the Italian sculptor Giuseppe Ceracchi, and in the parlor is the piano that belonged to their elder daughter Angelica; the piano was sent from London by Eliza's sister, Angelica Schuyler Church, as a gift to her namesake niece. In Alexander's office - painted a brilliant, fashionable green - is a replica of his desk, and nearby are tall bookcases holding a few of the hundreds of volumes that he originally kept in the house.

Compared to the country homes of other Founders - consider George Washington's Mount Vernon, Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, and James Madison's Montpelier - the wood-framed Grange is small and almost humble. Although Alexander called his house after the estate belonging to his Scottish grandfather, the name itself is unpretentious, if a little droll: "grange" is an archaic term for a barn. 

But to the Hamiltons, it was home. Tragically, Alexander did not live to enjoy his country retreat for very long, dying in 1804 after his fatal duel with Aaron Burr. Although Alexander's creditors threatened to foreclose on the house after his death, friends stepped in to make sure that Eliza and the children would not lose their home. Eliza continued to live there until 1833, when she moved in with her second daughter Eliza and her husband back in the city. 

The house passed through several owners as the city grew around it. Development cut the once-spacious grounds into a tiny parcel, and the house itself was physically uprooted and moved twice: once in the late 19thc, and again in 2008 to its present location in St. Nicholas Park. Known now as Hamilton Grange, it's a National Park Service property, and open free to the public. 

Yet despite all this, The Grange still feels very much like the home of Eliza and Alexander Hamilton. Visit, and you'll understand. In some way, more than two hundred years later, they're still watching over the "sweet project" that was their dream.

Read more about Eliza Schuyler and Alexander Hamilton in my latest historical novel, I, Eliza Hamilton, now available everywhere. Order now.

The Wedding Ring that Alexander Hamilton Gave to Elizabeth Schuyler

It's kept in an acid-free box in the Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Columbia University in New York City. Tiny in size, it's only brought out by special request, or for the even-more-rare times that it appears on display as part of an exhibition. 

It's believed to be Eliza Schuyler Hamilton's wedding ring. THE wedding ring, the one that Alexander Hamilton slipped on her finger when they were married in December, 1780. 

Made of gold grown burnished with  time in the way that only wedding rings can be, Eliza's ring is impossibly delicate, worn thin and no longer exactly round after nearly seventy-four years on her finger. It's small, too, for Eliza was not a large woman. I wasn't permitted to try it on (nor would I have wished to: that's Eliza's ring), but when I placed my own size-5 ring beside it, mine looked large and thick by comparison. 

The style is ingenious. It's called a gimmel ring (or gimmal, or puzzle ring), with two separate, twisted circles that are linked and fit together side by side to form a single band. Gimmel rings had already been popular for betrothals and weddings long before Alexander bought one for Eliza, with the earliest known examples dating from the 14th century. If you look closely, you can see the little notch and peg that clicked the rings together. 

The symbolism of two forming one is perfect for a marriage, and this ring was made even more special by having the names of the groom and bride - Alexander & Elizabeth (he got the ampersand) - engraved inside each ring, where they were always pressed against one another. Without the added enhancement of precious stones, this was also a comparatively inexpensive ring, which was likely a consideration for the impoverished young lieutenant colonel in the middle of the American Revolution.

But I also imagine that the simplicity of the ring must have appealed to Eliza (the heroine of my historical novel I, ELIZA HAMILTON)  as well. There on her finger, the gold band must have been a constant comfort to her, a reminder of love and happiness through the tragedies and sorrows of her life, and through the half-century - more than fifty years! - of her widowhood.

Given that, I'm surprised that the ring was not buried with her. Seeing this little double-circle of gold, touching it lightly with my fingertip, was like having Eliza herself there beside me in the library. Research doesn't get any better - or more magical - than that.

Many thanks to Jennifer B. Lee, Curator, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University, for showing me the ring along with other Hamilton memorabilia. 

Gold double-band wedding ring of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, wife of Alexander Hamilton, 1780. Columbia University; gift of Furman University Library, through the suggestion and assistance of the Hamilton family descendants: Mrs. Marie Hamilton Barrett and Mrs. Elizabeth Schuyler Campbell.

Read more about Eliza Schuyler and Alexander Hamilton in my historical novel, I, Eliza Hamilton. My latest historical novel, The Secret Wife of Aaron Burr, is now available everywhere. Order here.

Preserving Historic Hair from Alexander Hamilton & George Washington

In the days before photographs, a lock of a loved one's hair was often the single most lasting link that the living could have with the deceased. Whether cut while the person was alive or dead, the hair could be elaborately woven or braided, preserved under glass or incorporated into jewelry, or simply tied with a ribbon or thread and tucked away as a precious memento.

But hair from from a famous head became more than a mourning memento. It was history, a surviving reminder of a notable man or woman. Famous hair was collected and treasured as a tangible reminder of a more glorious past.

I saw these two wisps of hair, above, framed together in the collection of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Even though these two were surrounded by dozens of other examples, they stood out, and would have been prized for a number of reasons. The strands of hair at the top belonged to Alexander Hamilton, the first United States Secretary of the Treasury, while the strands on the bottom were from General George Washington, the first President of the United States and "The Father of his Country."

As the Society's records note: "Given by Alexander Hamilton's son, James A. Hamilton of Nevis, to Eliza Jones Hersey Andrew (1826-1898), the wife of Massachusetts' Civil War Governor John Albion Andrew (1818-1867) on October 27, 1865." The hair is affixed to writing paper by red shellac seals, and the inscriptions are by James A. Hamilton.

This gift would have had special significance in the fall of 1865. The American Civil War had just ended, and the Union forces had won. Mrs. Andrew and her husband were ardent abolitionists, and Governor Andrew had been responsible for authorizing the 54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry in 1863 as soon as President Lincoln had permitted the enlistment of African-American soldiers. Mrs. Andrews must have welcomed the gift of hair belonging to two of the Founding Fathers - men who had helped create the original United States that the Union forces had just fought so hard to secure.

But the hair must have been treasured by James A. Hamilton, too. Washington's hair had most likely been given to his mother or father at the time of the general's death in 1799. The hair of his father, Alexander Hamilton, would probably have been cut soon after his death in 1804, following his fatal duel with Aaron Burr - sixty years before its presentation to Mrs. Andrew.

James Alexander Hamilton was the third son of Alexander and Eliza Hamilton. Born in 1788, he was only sixteen when his father died, yet throughout his life he vigorously defended his father's reputation against numerous detractors. Look more closely at the the inscription beneath the hair, and compare the two way he's written his father's name, and then how he's signed his own. Then look at the example of Alexander Hamilton's signature, below: it certainly appears that at some point the grieving son borrowed his father's distinctive signature and made it his own, a small, poignant homage. The MHS's mention of James Alexander being "of Nevis" is a reference to his sizable country house on the Hudson River that he named Nevis in honor of the Caribbean Island that was his father's birthplace. In other words, James Alexander would not have given away his father's hair lightly.

Then, of course, there's the hair itself. Both Hamilton and Washington are so often portrayed in portraits with white hair - the result of fashionable powdering (see my earlier post on Hamilton's hair) - that it was something of a shock to see that they both did indeed have the reddish-brown hair that contemporaries described. The strands of Washington's hair are short and fine, a tidy clip, but Hamilton's are long and wiry, weaving back and forth again and again in their thread binding. At the time of Hamilton's death, most men had begun to prefer shorter hair styles, but he still wore the by-then old-fashioned long queue (ponytail.) Were these strands cut from that same queue? I wonder....

Many thanks to Anne E. Bentley, Curator of Art & Artifacts, Massachusetts Historical Society, for her assistance with this post. Strands of hair of Alexander Hamilton and George Washington, Massachusetts Historical Society. 

Read more about Alexander and Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton in my historical novel I, Eliza Hamilton; order here. My latest historical novel, The Secret Wife of Aaron Burr, is now available everywhere. Order here.

Coming Face to Face With Eliza Hamilton - In Yorktown, Virginia

There are numerous portraits of Alexander Hamilton (you may even be carrying one in your wallet on a ten-dollar-bill), but only a handful of his wife, Eliza. The most famous portrait of Eliza is by the American artist Ralph Earl, painted in 1787. It belongs to the collection of the Museum of the City of New York, but the last time I tried to see the painting, I was told it was on loan to another institution. 

Imagine my surprise, then, to come face to face with the portrait where I didn't expect it - in the new American Revolution Museum in Yorktown, VA. The portrait is included in an exhibition called "AfterWARd: The Revolutionary Veterans Who Built America" (now on display through November 27, 2017), in a section devoted to Alexander. I tuned a corner, and there she was, and yes, I gasped out loud. 

She's much more beautiful in person. The colors of the painting are much richer, more vibrant, than in reproductions. Her expression seemed more lively, too, especially her famous dark eyes, praised for their beauty by Alexander. To me she looked as if she took posing very seriously, but also couldn't wait to be done so she could once again relax, and speak, and laugh at the vanity of having her portrait painted. 

This was no ordinary portrait sitting, either. In the all-too-unfortunate way of all too many artists, Ralph Earl was far better at painting than at business, and he had been imprisoned for debt. Eighteenth century debtors were held in gaol until their debts were paid, a system that had its challenges: how could the debtor work to pay off his debts while languishing in prison? Alexander heard of Earl's plight, and resolved to help. He commissioned Earl to paint Eliza's portrait, hoping that other prominent women in New York City would follow the Hamiltons' example, while a charitable group dedicated to the relief of prisoners supplied Earl with fresh paints, brushes, and canvas. Dressed in an elegant white silk dress, her dark hair frizzed and powdered in the latest style, Eliza went for her sittings in a room set aside for the purpose in the city's gaol. This beautiful painting is the result - and yes, other New York ladies did follow Eliza's example, and soon Earl was able to pay off his debts and resume his career in more civilized surroundings.

The curving desk and armchair in front of the portrait are original congressional furnishings from Federal Hall in New York City. They were made c1788, and first used by the Congress of the Confederation (1781-1789) followed by the Congress of the United States during the brief time when New York was the country's capitol, from 1785 to 1790. Alexander Hamilton served as a delegate to the Congress of the Confederation, and later joined President George Washington's first cabinet as Secretary of the Treasury. Both chair and desk are from the collection of the New-York Historical Society.

Read more about Eliza Schuyler and Alexander Hamilton in my historical novel, I, Eliza Hamilton. Order now. My latest historical novel, The Secret Wife of Aaron Burr, is available everywhere, in paperback, ebook, and audiobook. Order now here.

The Schuyler Family Parlor and a Winter Wedding, December, 1780

After a swift courtship during the Continental Army's winter encampment in Morristown, NJ, Eliza Schuyler became engaged to Lt. Col. Alexander Hamilton in the spring of 1780. Soon afterwards, the army broke camp, and Eliza returned to her parents' home, The Pastures, near Albany, NY. Eliza and Alexander had hoped for a short engagement and a quick wedding, but Alexander's duties as one of the most trusted aides-de-camp made him too important to Gen. Washington to be spared. Eliza and Alexander spent the summer and autumn apart, reluctantly contenting themselves with letters. At last the general gave Alexander leave, and in December the lovesick colonel raced to his bride in Albany.

They were married on December 14, 1780, in this room, the family parlor in the Schuylers' house. Even without the yellow woodwork, it's a sunny space with large windows, and on that day was likely made brighter still by the sun reflecting on the snow outside. The view from the windows would have swept down over the pastures that gave the house its name to the North River (known today as the Hudson River) and to the hills beyond.

Of course, the parlor was used for far more than this wedding. For the Schuylers, this parlor would have been the equivalent of a modern family room, adapting to various purposes from formal events (like the wedding) to daily gatherings with friends. Eighteenth century American rooms were meant to be adaptable rather than static, with chairs and tables that could be easily moved and rearranged to accommodate a card game or music lesson, or drawn closer to the fireplace or an open window depending on the season. The deep recesses of the windows offered extra seating as well.

The best part about the family parlor: it still exists in the Schuyler Mansion, and welcomes visitors much as it did when the Schuylers lived there and when Eliza and Alexander exchanged their vows. In a way, the bride and groom are still there, too: that's a replica of Eliza's portrait by Ralph Earle on the wall to the right, and a replica of one of Alexander by John Trumbull on the left. For more information on touring the Schuyler Mansion, see their Facebook page.

UPDATE: Since I wrote this blog post in 2017, the family parlor has had a number of wonderful renovations and improvements that make it even more the way that Schuylers and Hamiltons would have known it, right. There’a new carpeting on the floor and drapery at the windows, all in keeping with what Gen. Schuyler first chose. Most exciting is the new ceiling, a replica of the original one of paiper-mache, and the height of fashion when it was imported from London in the 1760s. Read more about it here.

Photo, above, by the Schuyler Mansion.

Photo, right, by Jessie Serfilippi.

Read more about Eliza Schuyler and Alexander Hamilton in my historical novel, I, Eliza Hamilton. My latest historical novel, The Secret Wife of Aaron Burr, is now available everywhere. Order here.