ANGELICA SCHUYLER CHURCH
ROLE AS A WOMAN IN SOCIETY
Angelica Schuyler (later, Chruch) certainly looked the part of the wealthy, charming socialite of her time. Born in a region of New York near Albany, Angelica Schuyler grew up in a “privileged atmosphere which was closer to that of southern plantation owners than to that of many northerners,” (Wolfe, 2012). Her background lays down the foundation for her as a woman of the elite upper-class. Endowed with privilege known only to few at this time, Angelica used it as a stepping-stone for a larger network of individuals that would never have anything bad to say about her. In fact, most would be absolutely delighted by her, including Alexander Hamilton, proving her to be a prominent woman in society in her adult life.
For the daughter of a general, Angelica was unusual. In fact, when her father didn’t approve of her marriage to John Church, Angelica eloped and was married without her parents’ knowledge (Wolfe, 2012). This could be interpreted as her relentless need to care for others. She was connected to so many people, and kept correspondence with more than just Hamilton. Angelica was also exchanging letters with Thomas Jefferson at the time she was in correspondence with Hamilton. In February of 1788 he replied to a note she sent him, which mentioned that one of her faults was ‘not caring enough for herself and too much for others,’ which is telling of how dear her large network of interpersonal relationships were to her (Wolfe, 2012).
LIFE IN EUROPE
When the American Revolution ended, Angelica moved to England with her husband and was “...a member of the royal circle...giving balls for the Prince of Wales, and entertaining both diplomats and artists” which shows how much of a socialite and an entertainer Angelica was (Wolfe, 2012). People tended to receive Angelica as someone who “charms in all companies,” according to James McHenry, Hamilton’s cohort on General Washington’s Staff (Wolfe 2012). There’s no question she was well-liked, especially by political and social higher-ups. She was like the Princess Diana of her time; everyone that met her fell in love with her. She was just that charming.
RELATIONSHIP WITH HAMILTON
At the time of meeting Alexander Hamilton in 1780, Angelica was already married to John Barker Church. . After Angelica and her husband moved to Paris, Hamilton and Angelica continued their relationship through correspondence. Hamilton notes from a letter in 1785 that she’s written him more than he has her but trusts that she knows it is “anything else rather than a defect of pleasure in writing you” (Hamilton 1785). A mixture of both intellectually references and a bit more than sibling-in-law love, the letters between them could be best described as charged.
There’s debate on whether or not Angelica and Hamilton had an affair. While there’s no evidence to back-up an amorous physical affair between Angelica and Hamilton, they did share a flirtatious correspondence. “Take a Break”’s infamous comma-sexting is actually present in a letter to Angelica. Hamilton writes “Adieu ma chere, soeur” which translates to “goodbye my dear, sister” (Hamilton 1787). Not to be outdone in coquettish correspondence, Angelica writes back: “Me voila mon tres cher bien en mer et le pauvre coeur bien effligé de vous avoir quitté” meaning “Here I am, my dearest good at sea and the poor heart very efflected to have left you” (Schuyler 1789).
Angelica’s dynamicism enchanted several other prominent men of the time, one of which was Thomas Jefferson. She went on to correspond with him as well. But by the time he and Hamilton’s mutual disdain escalated to a full blown beef Angelica stayed loyal to Hamilton. She would pass along information she’d learned from or about Jefferson to Hamilton.
Their known correspondence dwindles down after January 1797. Later that year, Hamilton published the Reynold’s Pamphlet. The next recorded letter we have between them is when Hamilton sends Angelica a letter in 1800. After Hamilton’s duel with Burr, Angelica along with other family members were with him after he was mortally wounded.