Hamilton: What Happened To Alexander’s Kids After The Musical

Hamilton reveals the fate of Philip Hamilton, but what happened to his seven siblings that aren’t included in the musical? There’s a strong familial dynamic in the Disney+ movie, whether it’s about Alexander’s relationship with wife Eliza or their shared grief after the tragic death of their first-born. In real life, Philip was indeed the oldest Hamilton child, but he was survived by six siblings upon passing away in 1801 at age 19.

In Hamilton, Anthony Ramos portrays Philip in Act II. The character first appears during “Take a Break,” in which he recites numbers in French while reading a self-composed poem to his father. 10 years later, Philip graduates from King’s College and defends Alexander’s name against a critic named George Eacker. The two men agree to a duel, and Philip is fatally wounded in “Blow Us All Away.” The devastating loss ultimately brings Alexander and Eliza back together after they’d previously experienced marital problems due to The Reynolds Pamphlet. For dramatic purposes, Hamilton uses the Philip character as a means to push the story forward. Incidentally, the lives of Alexander and Eliza’s six other children aren’t explored.

Angelica Hamilton was born 1784, just two years after Philip. News of her brother Philip’s death reportedly led to a mental breakdown, with the shock leaving her in a state of “eternal childhood.” After Alexander died in 1804, Angelica was moved to Flushing, New York to receive treatment. She eventually passed away in 1857 at age 72. The Hamiltons’ third child, Alexander Jr., was born in 1786 and attended a boarding school in New Jersey with Philip. He later graduated from Columbia College, became a lawyer, and eventually represented Eliza Jumel in divorce proceedings against her husband, Aaron Burr – the man who killed Alexander Sr. He eventually died at age 89 in 1875 – over seven decades after his father.

James Alexander Hamilton, the fourth child, was born in 1788 and lived to be 90 years old. He also became a lawyer and later served as the Secretary of State for U.S. President Andrew Jackson. In honor of Alexander’s West Indies heritage, James built a home in Irvington, New York and named it after the birthplace of his father, Nevis. The fourth Hamilton child, John, was born in 1792 and followed in the footsteps of Alexander Jr. by studying law at Columbia College. He served in the War of 1812, and later wrote biographies about his father while working as a historian. John had 14 children and died in 1882 at age 89.

William S. Hamilton was born in 1797 and became a politician in both Illinois and Wisconsin. He also served during the Winnebago War of 1827 and the Black Hawk War of 1832. Around the same time, he established a mining company called Hamilton’s Diggings in Wiota, Wisconsin. In 1950, William died at age 54 in California, just two years after leaving home because of the Gold Rush. The seventh Hamilton child, Eliza, was born in 1799 and married a prominent businessman named Sidney Augustus Holly in 1825. After her husband’s death in 1842, Eliza Hamilton moved in with her mother in Manhattan and enjoyed the socialite life. She died in 1859 at age 59. The eighth Hamilton child, Philip, was born in 1802 and received the name of his deceased older brother. Despite not attending college, “Little Phil” became a lawyer and served as an assistant U.S. Attorney to his brother James. His oldest son, Louis, served under George Custer and died during the Battle of Washita River in 1868. Little Phil passed away 16 years later at age 82. Hamilton succeeds with its drama but leaves out plenty about Alexander’s family life.

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Q.V. Hough
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Q.V. Hough is a senior writer at Screen Rant. He’s also the founding editor at Vague Visages, and has contributed to RogerEbert.com and Fandor.

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