Alexander Hamilton

Aaron Burr Revised: Conspiracy, Treason and Justice

June 16, 2015 by Kathleen Hulser 2 Comments

Who remembers Aaron Burr as anything more than Quick Draw McGraw shooting down the near-sighted Alexander Hamilton at dawn in 1804? But there is much more to the man, as Gore Vidal revealed in his intriguing 1973 historical novel, and other subsequent scholarship.

Two aspects of Burr’s varied career stand out in today’s world. First, his treason trial that closely examined issues of what counts as an act of war against one’s own government. And second, his relationships with a series of highly intelligent and accomplished women, reflecting his high opinion of the female sex and its potential. [Read more…] about Aaron Burr Revised: Conspiracy, Treason and Justice

Hamilton’s Mistress; My Historic Namesake

June 11, 2015 by Maria Reynolds 1 Comment

In the study of history, a personal connection is often what draws us in to begin to explore a subject, place, or era. We might be interested in World War II after hearing grandpa’s war stories. We might begin to read about the Underground Railroad after discovering stations in our hometown.

Making a personal connection with the people we read about and study is a common impulse for history lovers. It helps make history come alive. This story isn’t about an ancestor, or a history connection to my home town, it’s about a woman with a more unique connection to me, one who shares my name. [Read more…] about Hamilton’s Mistress; My Historic Namesake

The Albany Connections of Burr, Hamilton, and Schuyler

May 14, 2015 by Peter Hess 10 Comments

During the Revolutionary War, Alexander Hamilton served as an artillery captain and later a colonel and trusted aid to General George Washington. Colonel Aaron Burr also served in the Colonial Army and accompanied Benedict Arnold on his march through the Maine wilderness and his failed attempt to capture Quebec. Burr had been with General Richard Montgomery when Montgomery was shot and killed in Quebec. Later in the war, Burr was placed in charge of a regiment and his troops were stationed in Westchester County, New York. [Read more…] about The Albany Connections of Burr, Hamilton, and Schuyler

Alexander Hamilton and the Schuylers of Albany

April 3, 2015 by Bob Cudmore 1 Comment

This week “The Historians” podcast features Heidi Hill of Schuyler Mansion and Albany attorney Richard Bader on Alexander Hamilton’s connections to the Schuylers. Elizabeth Schuyler married Hamilton at her parents’ home in 1780. And Hamilton wrote some of the Federalist Papers in Albany. Listen at “The Historians” online archive at http://www.bobcudmore.com/thehistorians/
[Read more…] about Alexander Hamilton and the Schuylers of Albany

Alexander Hamilton: America’s Savior Redux

April 2, 2015 by Peter Feinman 1 Comment

Can Alexander Hamilton once again ride to the rescue of America? This overblown claim deserves a second look. In previous posts, I examined the impact of the new musical Hamilton in an America with a desperate need for a We the People story that transcends the hyphenization now running rampart in our society.

For Americans, authenticity means being true to the Constitution, an evolving document which was amended in the beginning, throughout American history, and which can be amended again. [Read more…] about Alexander Hamilton: America’s Savior Redux

The Hamilton Musical and America’s Future (Part II)

March 26, 2015 by Peter Feinman 3 Comments

Last week, I described what I think is a significant perilous trend facing history and the American culture through the process of hypehnization. I argued that identity in a society nominally based on We the People and e pluribus unum was being replaced by one where people self-identify as hyphenated Americans, with corresponding history classes and museums to reflect these differences.

Diversity resonates in New York history. Take William Johnson, the the British royal agent in the 18th century, and an Irishman. His European world consisted of Dutch, French, English, and German (Palatines), all of whom were distinct from each other, as demonstrated for example, by the French and Indian War. [Read more…] about The Hamilton Musical and America’s Future (Part II)

Events Mark NYC Ties to Battles of Saratoga, Yorktown

October 5, 2014 by Editorial Staff 1 Comment

A ceremony commemorating the American victories at the battles of Saratoga and Yorktown will be held on Sunday, October 12, 2014 in Manhattan’s historic Trinity Churchyard. The cemetery holds the bodies of General Horatio Gates, the commanding general at the Battle of Saratoga to whom a 10,000 man British force surrendered on October 17, 1777, and Alexander Hamilton, who led the charge against Redoubt 10 at the Battle of Yorktown on October 19, 1781. Both men are buried within a few yards of each other.

The ceremony will be preceded by a two hour walking tour beginning at 12:30 p.m. sponsored by Open House New York in which walking tour historian James S. Kaplan, will lead a group through sites of Revolutionary War importance in Lower Manhattan, ending at Trinity Churchyard. [Read more…] about Events Mark NYC Ties to Battles of Saratoga, Yorktown