Philip Schuyler

Chappel, Alonzo, Artist, and John Trumbull. Library of Congress.

Philip J. Schuyler (1733-1804) was a soldier, businessman, and politician from a prominent Dutch family in the Albany, New York area. Schuyler began his military service in the French and Indian War. In 1768, he became a member of the provincial assembly, and he advocated for the constitutional rights of the colonies.

In 1775, Schuyler became a delegate of the Second Continental Congress. When the American Revolutionary War began, Schuyler sided with the Patriots and was commissioned as a Major General on June 19, 1775. He helped to plan the Saratoga Campaign, but his leadership decisions were questioned, and he was replaced by General Horatio Gates. In 1779, Schuyler resigned from the military in protest. Nevertheless, in the following years he was elected to serve as a United States senator.

In 1780, Alexander Hamilton married Schuyler’s daughter Elizabeth. Schuyler contributed to the construction of their country home by providing wood from his sawmill, consulting on techniques to prevent water damage and pest infestations. In 1804, Schuyler passed away a few months after the death of Hamilton.