Eliza grew up in a rich family, but her life was full of ups and downs
Eliza was born in Albany, New York to one of the richest most politically influential families at the time. She had 14 siblings, but only 7 llived to adulthood. She learned to read and sew from her mother.
Eliza met Alexander Hamilton in early 1870. He was an orphaned immigrant who had come to New York in 1772 to pursue his education. They got married on December 14 the same year!
Even though Alexander Hamilton's story had ended there, Eliza's wasn't over at all. She wanted to honor her husband's memory, and she started by founding the first school in a poor town. The school had free tuition, and was called the Hamilton Free School! She also founded New York's first private orphanage, but I go into more detail about that in a different page.
Eliza continued to preserve Alexander's legacy. She supported his claim of writing the George Washington Farewell address, made James Monroe give an official apology for his accusations of financial improprieties, and petitioned congress to publish Hamilton's writings. She also published his biography!
Eliza lived another 50 years after her husband died. She lived a grand total of 97 years, which is a lot now, but was absolutely crazy back then, when the average life expectancy was 30 to 40 years! She was a very inspiring and tenacious woman, who definitely deserves more recognition for all she accomplished in her life.