The April Fools’ Day article is a fond tradition here at Schuyler Mansion, with topics ranging from non-factual but plausible tales of Philip Schuyler as a composer or Rensselaer Schuyler’s fancy mask store, to outrageous claims that Philip Schuyler fought armored dinosaurs in a wickerwork battle-mech. Each one was a bit of harmless fun had at the expense of historical solemnity… or so we thought. It turns out, however, that every one of these posts has been in direct violation of a longstanding Albany city ordinance specifically prohibiting the celebration of April Fools’ Day! Yes, you ..read more

This blog was written by Sarah Lindecke, a Fall 2023 intern at Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site from Siena College ‘s History and Public History program. The letter examined in this blog had been one of interest for various other Schuyler Mansion staff members but was taken up for examination by the intern. Connecting winter labor to the enslaved men mentioned in the letter brings a great opportunity to examine the lives and social spaces of the enslaved during the colder parts of the year.     Twenty Large Pitch Pine Logs: Enslaved People at the Schuyler Saratoga Property a ..read more

This blog was written by Sarah Lindecke, a Fall 2023 intern at Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site from Siena College ‘s History and Public History program. The letter examined in this blog had been one of interest for various other Schuyler Mansion staff members, but was taken up for examination by the intern. Finding note of an enslaved woman seemingly sold in exchange for a carpet struck interest and thus the 1776 letter in the correspondence between Philip Schuyler and John Taylor presented the basis for this blog post. Taken up North: Sold for a Carpet Displays of Wealth and Severance ..read more

Excerpt of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton's commonplace book.  Did you know that the first Saturday in May is National Scrapbook Day? Although the term “scrapbook” wasn’t used until the mid to late-1800s, the concept has existed for centuries. Popularized in the 15th century with the advent of the printing press, people have been using what were called “commonplace books” to compile documents such as recipes, letters, poems, and journal entries. Even as early as the 8th century, these types of books were used to compile biblical texts, and the concept of these books as a form of persona ..read more

Phillis Wheatley, possibly by Scipio Moorhead; circa 1773 In April we introduced you to poets from around the world who lived during the 18th and early 19th centuries! Here’s a recap, in order of the poets’ births, in case you missed out on a post. JUPITER HAMMON Jupiter Hammon was born into slavery in 1711, on Henry Lloyd’s estate on Long Island, New York. Though the details are unknown, he was educated by the Lloyds. As an adult, he worked with Henry on his business, often going to New York City to negotiate trade deals. Hammon may have served in a similar role to Prince, a man ens ..read more

Mary Morris Hamilton, circa 1870s. The following blog post is a compilation from our 2023 Women’s History Month social media posts. Enjoy! When researching women’s history, there can be a lot of missing information. That’s why it was so exciting to receive about 20 letters from 1830-1835 that show in detail the lives of five siblings—four sisters & one brother—great-grandchildren of the Schuylers. Reading the letters is like taking a deep-dive into their world: the trips between their home in Manhattan and their other in Westchester, their brother constantly asking for updates fro ..read more

It’s that time of year again, when we post our annual April Fools article. In past years, every effort has been made to make these seem strange stories that like they really shouldn’t be true, but where everything seems to line up in a believable enough way. As much fun as that is, it can cause problems from time to time, such as when one reader prepared Philip Schuyler’s “recipe” for bacon-wrapped eels on the grill- a reference that we made up (at least they were tasty!) This year we’ve decided to take a subtly different tack: The following is not history. At all. Occasionally we may include ..read more

Fanny Antil's gravetone.     We’re celebrating Women’s History Month by sharing a few stories of women close to the Schuyler family. One of the more unique stories is that of Frances “Fanny” Antill, a young girl adopted by the Hamiltons in 1787. Fanny was born in 1785 to Charlotte Riverin (1752-1785) and Edward Antill (1742-1789) on Long Island. Edward received his law degree from King’s College (now Columbia University) in 1762, and moved to Quebec shortly thereafter. Her mother was descended from a long line of wealthy merchants from Brittany, who emigrated to Quebec ..read more

Dr. Samuel Stringer On a bitterly cold February day in 1776, a man named Prince sat in a freezing cell in Albany, preparing a letter to Catharine Schuyler as frostbite gnawed at his feet. In this letter, Prince described his situation, reporting that he had “quite lost the use of my limbs with cold” after a forced march from Canada over the preceding winter. Prince was eventually purchased by the Schuyler family, but staff at Schuyler Mansion have often wondered about the long-term impact of that winter imprisonment on Prince’s health. Was he fortunate enough to make a full recovery ..read more

A painting of early Albany by James Eights.  The woman is thought to be  Diannah Jackson. While we are committed to interpreting Black history as an essential part of our nation’s past, present, and future every month of the year, Black History Month is a time to acknowledge and celebrate the stories of people of African descent in our history. As an 18th century historic site and former home of one of the largest slave-holding families in the region, Black History at Schuyler Mansion is often inextricably intertwined with the history of slavery and enslavement. Betwe ..read more