Philip Schuyler | |
---|---|
![]() Portrait by Jacob H. Lazarus after a miniature by John Trumbull | |
United States Senator from New York | |
In office March 4, 1797 – January 3, 1798 | |
Preceded by | Aaron Burr |
Succeeded by | John Sloss Hobart |
In office July 16, 1789 – March 3, 1791 | |
Preceded by | Office established |
Succeeded by | Aaron Burr |
1st Surveyor General of New York | |
In office March 30, 1781 – May 13, 1784 | |
Preceded by | Office established |
Succeeded by | Simeon De Witt |
Personal details | |
Born | Philip Schuyler November 20, 1733 Albany, Province of New York, British America |
Died | November 18, 1804 Albany, New York, U.S. | (aged 70)
Resting place | Albany Rural Cemetery[1] |
Political party | Pro-Administration, Federalist |
Spouse | |
Children | |
Parent(s) | Johannes Schuyler, Jr. Cornelia van Cortlandt |
Relatives | See Schuyler family |
Profession | Soldier, Statesman |
Military service | |
Allegiance | ![]() ![]() |
Branch/service | New York Provincial Troops New York Colonial Militia Continental Army |
Rank | Captain (NY) Colonel (NY) Major general (USA) |
Battles/wars | |
Philip John Schuyler (/ˈskaɪlər/; November 20, 1733 - November 18, 1804) was an American general in the Revolutionary War and a United States Senator from New York.[2] He is usually known as Philip Schuyler, while his son is usually known as Philip J. Schuyler.
Born in Albany, Province of New York, into the prosperous Schuyler family, Schuyler fought in the French and Indian War. He won election to the New York General Assembly in 1768 and to the Continental Congress in 1775. He planned the Continental Army's 1775 Invasion of Quebec, but poor health forced him to delegate command of the invasion to Richard Montgomery. He prepared the Continental Army's defense of the 1777 Saratoga campaign, but was replaced by Major General Horatio Gates as the commander of Continental forces in the theater. Schuyler resigned from the Continental Army in 1779.
Schuyler served in the New York State Senate for most of the 1780s and supported the ratification of the United States Constitution. He represented New York in the 1st United States Congress but lost his state's 1791 Senate election to Aaron Burr. After a period in the state senate, he won election to the United States Senate again in 1797, affiliating with the Federalist Party. He resigned due to poor health the following year. He was the father of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton and the father-in-law of Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton.