Welcome back to my blog!

This week, I will be comparing Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton: An American Musical to the real life Angelica Schuyler Church. I chose Angelica for this week because in my opinion her and Eliza come in a package–if you’re going to write about one, you have to write about the other one. In the musical, Eliza’s story is essential to understanding key aspects about Angelica. In last week’s post, I wrote in detail about Eliza’s life. If you haven’t done so, I highly recommend you go back and review it in order to get a better understanding about Angelica. If you read/already know about Eliza, then continue reading!

Although Angelica is not a main character in the musical, her role is definitely an important one. Her first appearance in the show is in the opening act, in which she appears alongside Eliza and Maria Reynolds claiming that they all loved Alexander Hamilton. When you think about that, it makes sense coming from Eliza and Maria. After all, Eliza was Hamilton’s wife and Maria the woman he had an affair with. But why did Angelica love him?

Well, that’s where her story begins.

The first song where we really get to know Angelica is in The Schuyler Sisters. This song introduces Angelica, Eliza, and Peggy–The Schuyler sisters–and reveals a little about their background and their ambitions. Angelica, as the oldest sister, is in a way the lead here. She establishes her defiant personality by expressing her lack of agreement with Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, and believes women should be included in the statement, “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.” So, from the very beginning we see she is straightforward and will not tolerate anything she doesn’t agree with.

A little bit further into the show, Philip Schuyler (their father) holds a Winter’s Ball, in which the girls meet Alexander Hamilton for the first time. This is where Eliza fell in love with Hamilton at first sight, yet it was actually Angelica who introduced them. At Eliza and Alexander’s wedding, Angelica has her infamous solo Satisfied, where she reveals that she also fell in love with Alexander the night they met, yet she could never be with him because 1) he had no money or social status, and 2) she loved her sister and would never betray her that way. This powerful solo demonstrates Angelica’s loyalty towards Eliza, as well as the pressure she had being the oldest sister in a family of wealth.

Eventually, Angelica finds love and moves to London, leaving Eliza and Alexander behind. It is suggested that despite Hamilton’s marriage to Eliza, he had some sort of amorous connection with Angelica. Although this is never verified, it implies that Angelica was selfish for not accepting he was not for her to have. However, she remains loyal to her sister, and after she finds out about Hamilton’s affair, she became Eliza’s emotional support. At the end of the musical, it is said that both Angelica and Eliza were present when Alexander Hamilton passed away.

Overall, Angelica in the musical is witty and rebellious, yet had to carry the weight of being the oldest sister in a rich family. Her loyalty to her Eliza despite her interest in Alexander Hamilton is a crucial part of their sister bond. I admire this bond because it is part of what keeps Eliza sane throughout her tragic life, and thanks to Angelica’s help, Eliza was able to make Hamilton’s legacy known.

The real life Angelica, whose full name is Angelica Schuyler Church, was known as an American socialite in the 19th century and has a fascinating role in history. In the musical it is simply mentioned that she married to a rich man, and in reality that was a member of the British Parliament. His name was John Barker Church, and he helped the American and French army in the Revolutionary War.

For part of her married life, she lived in France, where she developed friendships with important characters in U.S. history, such as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Marquis de Lafayette. Being so involved in current affairs at the time, it leads me to assume that Angelica’s personality must have been similar to the one depicted in the show. In her time, it must have been hard to make a name for yourself as a woman, yet she did it flawlessly.

I briefly discussed with in Angelica’s analysis in the musical, but it applies to the real life Angelica as well. It was never confirmed, but according to some correspondence that was exchanged between Alexander Hamilton and Angelica Schuyler, historians have made the assumption that they seemed to be closer than just friends. Whether this is true or not, Angelica Schuyler did hold Alexander dear to her heart nonetheless. In a letter she wrote to her brother moments before Hamilton’s death, you can sense her heartbreak and grief in her tone.

According to a biography I read about her, Angelica was often described as a “muse, confidente, and a thief of hearts.” After reading about how her life played out, I don’t doubt it for a second. I believe that Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of the musical, was able to build a character for Angelica that meets all of the expectations perfectly. Now, I know for a fact that she was also played a key role in the life of our founding father, and without her, American history would be incomplete.