Schuyler Mansion – Albany, New York
After seeing Hamilton on Broadway, exploring the real-life connections from the play became a fun pastime. One stop was the Schuyler Mansion in Albany. This was the home of General Philip Schuyler and his three daughters: Angelica, Eliza and Peggy.
General Schuyler was a decorated leader during the American Revolutionary War, serving as a major general in the Continental Army. Beyond his military career, he was a noted statesman serving as a US Senator from New York.
The mansion overlooks the Hudson River and once sat in the middle of an 80-acre estate that included orchards, gardens and stables. The Schuyler’s entertained many prominent figures of the era, including Benjamin Franklin, the Marquis de Lafayette and George Washington. The home was a hub of political and social activity.
The Schuyler family valued education and Philip Schuyler kept an extensive personal library. He believed in educating his daughters, which was progressive for the time. Their home became an intellectual gathering place where young men would come to study and exchange ideas. One of these young men was Alexander Hamilton.
It was in the mansion’s elegant parlor that Hamilton married Eliza Schuyler in 1790. It is great to see in real life where the moments happened, and for those moments, history steps out of the pages and becomes a living story.
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