Elizabeth "Eliza" Schuyler Hamilton

Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton (1757–1854) was the second daughter of wealthy patriot Philip Schuyler. In 1780 she married Alexander Hamilton despite his lack of social standing or wealth. They had eight children, the eldest of whom, Philip, was killed in a duel in November 1801. Elizabeth stood by her husband during both personal and political scandals. After his death, she honored his memory throughout half a century of widowhood. Elizabeth survived her husband by a full fifty years. She spent those decades doing charitable work and securing Hamilton’s legacy. She co-founded and served as deputy director of New York’s first private orphanage. In 1848, she and Dolley Madison raised funds to build the Washington Monument.