do you know anything about angelica hamilton? there’s so little information on the hamilton kids and i don’t have my books 😭😭 tysm your blog is so helpful <3333
If you want I can recommend some books!
Angelica Hamilton was born in New York City, September 25, 1784. She was the second child and eldest daughter of Elizabeth ‘Schuyler’ Hamilton and Alexander Hamilton.
Marquis de Lafayette wrote to Hamilton on the 8th of October, 1784, from Albany about Angelica's birth;
“With all the warmth of my long and tender friendship I Congratulate You Upon the Birth of Your daughter, and Beg leave to present Mrs Hamilton With my most Affectionate Respects.”
In 1786, Angelica and her younger brother, Alexander Hamilton Jr., would be inoculated for the smallpox disease that had been going around;
“We have been Innoculating Angelica and Alexander. The first as before has escaped without any appearance of Infection. The last has had a pretty good share of the disease but is now, I may say, well.”
Contrary to the claims of author and biographer, Ron Chernow, Angelica was not actually baptized as an infant — unlike her brother Philip — she was baptized at Trinity Church (Picture below) in Manhattan at the age of four, on October 12th, 1788, with her brother Alexander Jr. Her sponsors had been her grandparents, father, and Elizabeth's older sister, whom Angelica was named after, Angelica Schuyler Church.
(Church records of Hamilton's children being baptized, Angelica Hamilton, Alexander Hamilton Jr., and James Alexander Hamilton)
Philip Schuyler, her grandfather, wrote of Angelica and described her as “My Angelica is perfectly happy, And very lively.” She was commonly said to be a sensitive and lively girl, and had great musical talent. She was said to resemble in beauty of her maternal aunt Angelica Schuyler. Allan McLane Hamilton, her nephew (Son of Philip II's), described her as “a very beautiful girl” and “a charming character.”
In 1793, Angelica, at the age of nine, was taken to Albany to escape the Yellow Fever outbreak alongside her three brothers (Philip, Alexander Jr., and James), as their parents had contracted it while they were in Philadelphia. During this time, Angelica would begin French lessons, as mentioned in a letter from her father sometime in November;
“I was very glad to learn, my dear daughter, that you were going to begin the study of the French language. We hope you will in every respect behave in such a manner as will secure to you the good-will and regard of all those with whom you are. If you happen to displease any of them, be always ready to make a frank apology. But the best way is to act with so much politeness, good manners, and circumspection, as never to have occasion to make any apology. Your mother joins in best love to you. Adieu, my very dear daughter.”
Her brothers would eventually return home without her, as she stayed behind to continue in her lessons. Also that same year, her aunts — 17 year old Cornelia, and 12 year old Caty — were taking lessons with an Albany tutor. It's unknown if Angelica took lessons with them or from a family member, but it's worth noting at the possibility.
She played the piano and harp, and even sometimes sung with her father, Hamilton, while she played, as recalled by her younger brother James Alexander Hamilton in his memoirs;
“Hamilton's gentle nature rendered his house a joyous one to his children and friends. He accompanied His daughter Angelica when she played and sang the piano.”
At the end of the year, Angelica Church promised for her niece that “Angelica shall have the very best piano that can be made in London, by the person who made her sisters I mean her cousins.”
The beloved piano is still around to this day, and is free to see at the Grange historical estate.
The Hamilton family was also quite close with their neighboring friends, the Washington's. And would often visit, or the children would have playdates together for a majority of their days. Angelica would make good friends and playmates with Nelly Custis (Eleanor Parke Custis Lewis, she was a granddaughter of Martha Washington and a step-granddaughter and adopted daughter of George Washington). Martha Washington would also take Angelica and her younger adopted sister, Frances Antill, to dancing lessons twice a week;
“When Gen. Hamilton was Secretary of the Treasury, and Gen. Washington, President of the United States, they lived opposite to each other in Philadelphia, and the children of the two families were together every day. Mrs. Washington took the Custis children, and Angelica Hamilton, and Fanny Antill, (my mother,) in her carriage to dancing-school twice a week. She stayed with them through the lesson and brought them home.”
Angelica grew to be a very lovable member in her family. She was very close to her aunt Church, grandparents, and was said to have been very close with her brother Philip, whom was two years older than her. Angelica had spent a lot of time with her grandparents during her childhood. In August of 1797, Philip Schuyler wrote to Elizabeth that “Angelica is a good and attentive child, pleases her Grandmama and me very much” And then in 1799, he begged Eliza to "send at least Angelica & JA [James Alexander Hamilton]” And then in July of 1803, he wrote to Elizabeth that Angelica's “endearing and unremitted attention hence sank deep into my heart, there and the amusement she afforded me has relieved many a painful moment and blunted the edge of reflection which in defiance of effort still arises.”
It appears Angelica had a teasing and close bond with her father, as Hamilton wrote with jest to Elizabeth sometime in 1801;
“Give my love to Angelica & assure [her] that I did not leave her pye out of resentment for her having changed its original destination; but because it was impossible to take it with us without abandonning a basket of Crabs which was sent to my care for Mrs. Rensselaer. It has always been my creed that a lady’s pleasure is of more importance than a Gentleman’s, so the pye gave way to the Crabs. It was a nice question, but after mature reflection I decided in favour of the latter. Perhaps as a Creole I had some sympathy with them.”
In the November of 1801, when Angelica was 17 years old, she would hear the tragic news of her oldest brother's death. Phillip having died in a duel against George I. Eacker, after him and — his classmate and friend — Stephen Price, intruded into Eacker's theatre box while he had company and made obnoxious and sardonic remarks against his Fourth of July speech, which supposedly had defamed, his father, Hamilton and hailed Burr, his father's political rival. Eacker and the two boys would escort the box and go to the lobby, where Eacker would confront them on their public display. He called them ‘Rascals’ and surely after much if their drunk behavior and a debate at a nearby Playhouse (A bar, basically) Eacker challenged them both to duels. Price and Eacker would make it out unharmed and alive, but unfortunately not for Philip. In the next duel, Philip aimed for the sky as his father demanded, and so had Eacker for a moment, but after sometime Eacker eventually shot Philip through the hip as the bullet lodged into his arm. He would die the next day in his mother's arms, with his devastated father laying besides him.
The news of her closest brother and his death had supposedly triggered a mental breakdown from the shock that left Angelica in a state described as “eternal childhood”, and often unable even to recognize her own family members. Angelica's nephew, psychiatrist Allan McLane Hamilton, claimed his aunt to be an “invalid” and her condition as a type of “insanity”. Though it is unknown what truly would have been the diagnosis, as 18th century mental medical standards were not ethical, nor proper at all. There is a masterpost theorizing the possibility it may have been schizophrenia, but take it with a grain of salt as we do not know all the details of her state in the aftermath. As the Hamilton family did not discuss much of Angelica's condition, nor really knew how to help. So we know very little knowledge of what had truly happened. But McLane writes of the incident as so;
“Upon receipt of the news of her brother’s death in the Eacker duel, she suffered so great a shock that her mind became permanently impaired, and although taken care of by her devoted mother for a long time there was no amelioration in her condition, and she was finally placed under the care Dr. MacDonald of Flushing, and remained in his charge until her death at the age of seventy-three. During her latter life she constantly referred to the dear brother so nearly her own age as if alive. Her music, that her father used to oversee and encourage, stayed by her all these years. To the end she played the same old-fashioned songes and minuets upon the venerable piano that had been bought for her, many years before, in London, by Angelica Church, during her girlhood, and was sent to New York through a friend of her father.”
Nothing seems to indicate Angelica having any kind of mental health issues up to this point, she generally seemed to be a talented, happy, and smart young girl. McLane is the only source who appears to pinpoint the cause of time of Angelica's breakdown. Though AMH was rarely writing from first hand experience, his father, Phil II, does seem to have maintained the closest relationship with Angelica out of his siblings (Aside from maybe Holly), and she was possibly living with him at a period of time. So it is very possible McLane met his aunt, and/or knew her story from the rest of his family. And therefore, I find him to be a fairly credible source.
It is my belief Angelica's mental health deteriorate through time, especially with her aunt Margret and grandfather's death so close to Philip's. With descriptions of her being in a “child like state” it's my guess she stopped comprehending much of anything past Philip's death, as she was said to refer to him as if he was still alive and continuously play the old tunes she was taught as a little girl. Perhaps the deaths of her beloved family members was too much and so she retreated into a happier mindset of more joyous times. But that is purely speculation, and has no real ground to it considering I'm not in any medical field of profession. Interestingly, many records of Angelica's condition vary through witnesses.
As on April 26, 1804, James Kent — a judge of the New York Supreme Court — describes his visit to the Grange in the following letter to his wife, Elizabeth. But he also mentions of Angelica;
“His daughter, who is nineteen years old, has a very uncommon simplicity and modesty of deportment, and he appeared in his domestic state the plain, modest, and affectionate father and husband.”
While with far less kindness, another visitor at the Grange, whom was recorded only as ‘Mrs. Q’, referred to Angelica merely as “a deranged daughter.”
Despite Angelica's worsening condition, her parents remained there for her. Hamilton bought a few birds for his Angelica, as she was “very fond of” them. As said in a letter to his friend, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, dated the 29th of December, 1802;
“My daughter adds another request, which is for three or four of your peroquets. She is very fond of birds.”
Though unfortunately, in July of 1804, Alexander Hamilton was killed dueling Aaron Burr. During Hamilton's last dying moments on the bed, Elizabeth would line up her, and her surviving siblings, at the foot of his bed before he would pass.
“The great source of his anxiety seemed to be in his sympathy with his half distracted wife and children. He spoke to me frequently of them—“My beloved wife and children,” were always his expressions. But his fortitude triumphed over his situation, dreadful as it was; once, indeed, at the sight of his children brought to the bed-side together, seven in number, his utterance forsook him; he opened his eyes, gave them one look, and closed them again, till they were taken away.”
And alongside herself, Elizabeth, her younger sister, Eliza Hamilton Holly, and baby brother, Philip Hamilton II, she did not attend their father's funeral.
Shortly after, Angelica, her younger siblings, and their mother, went to Albany at Philip Schuyler’s request. Sadly, when they left the Schuyler Mansion, they would never see Philip Schuyler again, as he died just a few months later.
After 1804, there are not many records of Angelica or how her condition continued. There are references to Angelica traveling to visit family, at an undated time (likely the 1820s-30s).
Interestingly, Angelica appeared to have had a close relationship with her youngest brother, Philip Hamilton II. As a letter from Elizabeth to her Little Phil (As he was often nicknamed) dated the 23rd of May, 1837, just shy of her 80th birthday, she was on a trip out west of the country to visit her fifth son, William Stephen Hamilton. That or she was living with him at the time. She asks him particularly how Angelica is doing;
“Let me hear from you, particularly respecting Angelica and all the family.”
Eventually, Angelica's aging mother could no longer care for her, and with her siblings having moved on with their lives (Some passed and others with families to tend to). Angelica was soon placed in the care of a Dr. MacDonald of Flushing, Queens, where she remained for the rest of her life.
(The Sanford Hall mental institution for the wealthy in Flushing)
In 1848, Angelica's sister Eliza Hamilton Holly moved their 91 year old mother from New York to Washington, D.C., where she died in 1854 at the age of 97. Elizabeth requested in her will that her other children be “kind, affectionate, and attentive to my unfortunate daughter Angelica.”
Only three years after her mother's death, in February of 1857, Angelica died, marriage-less and without any children, in New York at the age of 72. She was buried alongside her sister, Eliza Hamilton Holly, in Westchester County, New York at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.
Eliza Hamilton Holly wrote about her death in the following letter;
“I thank you kindly for your letter of sympathy & though, however we must feel parting with our own, we yet are bound to rejoice in her great relief, her from the precarious care of strangers. Kind as Mr. Macdonald, Mrs. Camp and the nurses have ever been—her Heavenly Father will be kinder—her youth, her beauty, her intelligence in the spirit home, will once more be all that it was before I knew her—such as I hope and believe will be an abundant reward for the darkness of fifty years. My Beloved Mother always wished to have her depart before herself.”
