schuyler sisters

Since the musical Hamilton opened on Broadway we’ve been getting a lot of requests to cover the Schuyler sisters, Angelica, Eliza and Peggy. (You sang that, right?) But we couldn’t make it work because there wasn’t enough material available to us to fill a whole show in the way we would want to…so we met someone who could:

Author Amanda Vaill.

Amanda has written several award winning biographies, scripts, articles and…be still our hearts…has been contracted to write a biography on the two most famous Schuyler sisters, Angelica and Eliza. She’s begun her research and graciously agreed to talk with us and dish Schuyler. We talk about the three sisters, the family that they came from, the families that they created, the rumors that surrounded them…basically who lived, who died and with Amanda’s help, we get to tell their story! (And please note disclaimer at beginning of show, sometimes podcast audio imitates life and just doesn’t quite work out like we expect.)

Author photograph by Xanthe Elbrick Photography
Author photograph by Xanthe Elbrick Photography

Visit Amanda Vaill’s website to keep up with her projects and catch up on her previously published books! (Attention, Team Zelda: She wrote Everybody Was so Young:Gerald and Sara Murphy, a Lost Generation Love Story) AMANDA VAIL DOT COM

The book that was referenced a lot in this episode and the one Lin-Manuel Miranda used for his story:

Ron Chernow
Ron Chernow

And the one every Hamilton musical fan should have on their shelves…

You guys! We both BOUGHT this book. Not borrowed it from the library...bought it.
You guys! We both BOUGHT this book. Not borrowed it from the library…bought it.

Founders Online from the National Archives has a plethora of letters you may like to spend forever reading.

Courtesy, Library of Congress, Hamilton Papers
To Eliza before his last duel -click through this link for more —Courtesy, Library of Congress, Hamilton Papers

GO HERE FOR A NERDTACULAR Hamilton Experience: Genius dot com

Listen to the whole original Broadway cast recording of the musical, read the historical annotations as well as listener contributed commentary AND commentaries by Lin-Manuel Miranda AND …and you will be there for a very, very, very long time.

The orphanage Eliza founded in New York (the greatest city in the wooorld…) is STILL HELPING CHILDREN as a not-for-profit child welfare agency Graham Windham.

Thomas Jefferson and his letters to Angelica via a Church family genealogy site, and dig around some more into the Church family.

The Women of Hamilton from The New Yorker

Beckett’s favorite song, You’ll Be Back (King George’s break up letter with the colonists).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdxLohjwhoQ

We thought this was just too adorable to not share:

And, finally Susan’s favorite, also the last song in the show… Eliza gets the last word in Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jyg3Lo_-Ep8

********ADDITION SINCE ORIGINALLY POSTING THESE SHOWNOTES:

If you find yourself in Albany, New York you MUST get yourself to the Schuyler Mansion State Park. From their website: “The Georgian structure, reflecting Schuyler’s English tastes – was built on a bluff overlooking the Hudson River…. Today, visitors can enjoy a guided tour of the mansion as well as an orientation exhibition in the Visitor Center focusing on Philip Schuyler’s life. Temporary exhibitions and public programs are scheduled year-round.” Go! Learn! Take some pictures and post them on Instagram #historychicksfieldtrip !