There was a time when you probably had to be an avid Revolutionary War fan or an aficionado of early Albany aristocracy to know Philip J. Schuyler’s name.
But that was before Hamilton.
In fact, as any fan of this blockbuster musical will tell you, the Schuylers are colonial doers and shakers, central to the show’s messy love triangle between two sisters, Hamilton and Schuyler. was.
Philip Schuyler is never mentioned in the film, but he’s been around since before he became Hamilton’s father-in-law. “Take Philip Schuyler, this man is in trouble,” exclaims Aaron Burr, whose name is also frequently mentioned by his daughter Angelica. , Eliza and Peggy.
In fact, Skyler was far more prominent than a minor role. A wealthy Albany patriarch, a Dutch-era landowner known as his patron, he served as a New York legislator, a U.S. Senator, and a major general. He participated in the war with England and was a close friend of George Washington.
Nearly a century ago, these achievements led to the installation of a seven-foot tall statue of Schuyler on a pedestal in front of Albany’s magnificent Romanesque City Hall, directly across from the State Capitol. In recent years, “Hamilton” fans have even taken selfies.
However, Schuyler is also reported to have enslaved the largest number of people in the Albany area at the time. This fact led to a rethinking of his legacy and ultimately the removal of his statue. Slow motion retreat on a flatbed trailer — in the backlash of some who, after years of delay, argue that such actions do little to right past sins and may even miss educational opportunities.
The removal is part of a broader condemnation of racist acts by historic figures, and the movement supports the death of George Floyd, who died in May 2020 after being handcuffed and pinned to the ground by a white man. It gained momentum during the Black Lives Matter protests that sparked the killings. Minneapolis police officer. That reassessment included the removal or demolition of numerous monuments dedicated to Confederate figures, and touched on Hamilton himself, with some scholars questioning Hamilton’s claimed to have been enslaved. his reputation as an abolitionist.
In Schuyler’s case, Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan gave permission to detach the statue from the pedestal that concealed a 1920s time capsule containing letters from Schuyler’s descendants. By Presidential Decree of June 2020.
In an interview, Sheehan said the decision was made after concerns were raised by black members of staff. “I couldn’t walk into City Hall without walking past the statue,” said Sheehan, a Democrat, who said budget issues and the pandemic had hampered previous efforts to move the statue.
Ms Sheehan noted that Mr Schuyler’s slave ownership was well known. Almost 20 years ago, the bodies of enslaved people were kept. found buried On the grounds once owned by the Schuyler family.
Alice Green, executive director of the Center for Law and Justice, an Albany civil rights group, said the statue’s removal was “a relief.”
“It didn’t seem right to erect a statue on public land to honor and honor someone who did what they did to African Americans,” Dr. Green said. She added that her group had been working for years to build the statue. Schuyler sent the package, but she said the “Hamilton” promotion may have spurred the effort.
“I think some people got even more angry after learning more about who Skyler was,” Dr. Green said. “And they were able to do that because ‘Hamilton’ made people start talking about Skyler.”
The dismissal was met with opposition from some prominent local legislators. Rep. Elise Stefanik, the third-highest-ranking Republican in the House of Representatives representing the upstate New York constituency, accused Sheehan of trying to: “Clear history” With the removal of the bronze statue.
Republican Rep. Jeff Purley of the Albany County Council expressed a similar opinion.
“I Think of it as a poor reflection of your perception of Albany and its history,” said Parry, adding that unlike Confederate figures, Schuyler “is someone who has sacrificed everything to build this country.” ‘ he added.
“Can you imagine Boston turning its back on Sam Adams or Virginia denying Thomas Jefferson?” “I think the leaders of those places are sophisticated enough to understand the historical background and the overall scale of attributes and negative characteristics of historical figures. And unfortunately , the Albany leaders are not.”
There is no question that Skyler and Hamilton had a big presence at Albany. Hamilton famously died in a duel with his political rival Burr in 1804, but he married Eliza Schuyler in 1780 at his family’s mansion on the south side of Albany, where he helped create the United States Constitution. said to have worked “Oh, Albany!” A history of the city by Pulitzer Prize-winning author William Kennedy. Both Hamilton and Barr practiced law in the capital, not far from City Hall.
of Schuyler HouseThe former Albany seat of power overlooking the Hudson River was an impressive mansion with formal gardens and a farm where dozens of slaves and other servants worked, according to the State Park Service. Kennedy said Schuyler, married to Katherine van Rensselaer, who is from another prominent Dutch family, hosted some of the most famous figures during America’s most formative period.
“When he was planning the Declaration of Independence, he was always talking to people like Benjamin Franklin,” said Kennedy, 95 and a prominent Albany literary villain. “And his house was a common place of exchange with the leaders of this country.”
Schuyler Statue — Bronze, Made J. Massey Lind Gift of Scottish-born sculptor George C. Hawley. local beer kingIt was front-page news in the Knickerbocker Press, detailing the June 1925 parade and the thousands of onlookers, including military units and Boy Scouts, who participated in its unveiling.
“Millions of people around the world will be watching General Schuyler as an eloquent reminder of his duty as a man and his duty as a citizen,” said keynote speaker Charles H. Johnson. The paper reported.
Johnson’s predictions may have been exaggerated, but the huge success of “Hamilton,” which opened at the Public Theater in 2015 and moved to Broadway, had ripple effects for related Albany attractions. . Attendance at the Schuyler Mansion (now a state historic site) doubled from 2015 to 2019 as the mansion and others began offering exclusive tours of Alexander Hamilton in the mansion and around Albany.
The Schuyler sisters also get a close-up on a special tour of the mansion, 2019 Exhibition at the Albany Institute of History and Art.
But at the same time, the historians here aren’t trying to cover up Schuyler’s personal ties to slavery, including the mansion, said Heidi L. Hill, the site’s curator. The mansion’s exhibits focus on the story of Philip Schuyler’s enslaved butler and his squire, as well as the story of an enslaved woman who escaped from the mansion. This mansion also 2020 paper Link Hamilton to slavery.
Schuyler died in 1804, just months after Hamilton was killed in a duel.Skyler’s fame has faded, but his name lives on kept sticking village, school and bakery Around Albany (but in some areas, decided to change the name).
“He was one of the most important figures in his life, but he played a less prominent role after the Revolution,” said Maeve Kane, an associate professor of history at the University of Albany. “I mean, he played this role during the revolution, and then he disappeared.”
Dr. Kane added that while the musical did not necessarily change Philip Schuyler’s perception, it “functioned as a catalyst for a broader conversation about early America.”
“And as a historian, I think that’s a valuable thing,” Dr. Kane said.
As for the sculpture itself, the bronze was taken to an undisclosed location as the city considers where to place it. A 2022 study authored by a local youth group, “What to do with Phil?” Young Abolitionist Leadership Institute — Considered several options, including moving the statue to a location closer to the Capitol.
In the meantime, Mayor Sheehan said he hoped the new city council, likely to be approved by the Albany City Council this summer, would find a better place to tell the story of Skyler’s life, saying the removal would be “not to be scrubbed.” No,’ he said. ” Past.
“It’s not about canceling the culture, it’s not about canceling him, it’s about moving him to a place where the whole story is contextualized,” she said, adding, “It’s about contextualizing the history of someone in a roundabout. I can’t,” he added.
