Hamilfacts Part 7

We've heard a lot about Ale, but it's time to turn our attention towards someone else who is amazing. She doesn't get enough credit for her role in helping form our new county, how we view revolutionary history, and the anchor to Alex's life, Elizabeth Hamilton (aka Betsey to her loved ones).

Eliza was born into a wealthy New York family of 14 children (both father & mother were from wealthy families). Her father was a politician. She lived until the age of 97, for 50 years after the early death of her husband and is one of the sole witnesses of the Revolutionary War, birth of the country, and the early rumblings that lead to the Civil War. Later in her life, she worked tirelessly to interview soldiers who'd served under General Washington & for Alexander. Mrs. Hamilton was personally dedicated to preserving the legacy of her husband and worked with one of her sons to write the first official biography of Alexander. She was one of the main voices and fundraisers for the Washington monument built in D.C. She also established the first private orphanage in NYC, which is still in operation by serving children in the city today.

After the Reynolds affair, Eliza burned all of her correspondence to Alexander related to the affair. Although it's impossible to know completely her motivations, a big part of it was not wanting the world to see into her personal life. The musical does a great job portraying this moment with the song Burn.

The song below is First Burn, which was performed by the women who were playing Eliza from the various companies (Broadway & touring). It's the first version of Burn:

Fun Fact: The Washington Monument is the tallest stone structure in the world and was the tallest structure in the world from 1884-1889 when it was overtaken by the Eiffel Tower.