The Truth About Alexander Hamilton And Angelica Schuyler's Relationship
Thanks to a recording of the smash hit Broadway musical Hamilton coming to Disney Plus, fans can't stop buzzing about not just the show but the historical characters it portrays. For those of you who don't remember much from your high school American history class, the show's titular character, Alexander Hamilton, is kind of a big deal. One of the Founding Fathers, Hamilton was the very first secretary of the U.S. treasury (per Biography).
Hamilton married Elizabeth "Eliza" Schuyler on December 14, 1780 and had eight children with her. According to the musical, they were introduced by Eliza's sister, Angelica Schuyler. While Angelica is attracted to Hamilton in the musical, she sets him up with her sister because, as the oldest sister, her "only job is to marry rich" and Hamilton is "penniless," as she sings in "Satisfied." Nevertheless, she continues to harbor feelings for the man who becomes her brother-in-law.
Did Angelica Schuyler really have feelings for Alexander Hamilton?
Things played out a little differently in real life. According to The Cinemaholic, Angelica did not introduce Hamilton to her sister. The real reason she wouldn't have been able to pursue any feelings she may have had for him is that she was already married to John Church when Hamilton and Eliza met. As for her alleged feelings for Hamilton, it's true that she and her brother-in-law did share a close and flirtatious relationship and they regularly wrote to each other. In real life, Angelica really did joke about Eliza sharing her husband with her, just as she did in the song "Helpless."
It's difficult to determine if Angelica truly had feelings for Hamilton in real life, though, or if she simply enjoyed flirting with him. People at the time certainly believed there was more to their relationship than a tight family bond. "It is hard to escape the impression that Hamilton's life was sometimes a curious ménage à trois with two sisters who were only a year apart," wrote Ron Chernow in the biography Alexander Hamilton. "The attraction between Hamilton and Angelica was so potent and obvious that many people assumed they were lovers. Where Eliza bowed reluctantly to the social demands of Hamilton's career, Angelica applauded his ambitions and was always famished for news of his latest political exploits."
Whether Angelica and Hamilton had feelings for each other or their friendship was purely platonic, there is no evidence that their relationship was ever a physical one.