Constitution Day: 2022

Philip Schuyler, the Schuyler sisters and Hamilton!

Philip Schuyler, a general in the American Revolutionary War,  was also a delegate from New York to the Continental Congress. Later, he served as a state senator and led New York to ratify the United States Constitution along with his son-in-law Alexander Hamilton. His last name may sound familiar. Our own Fort Schuyler is named after him. 

Alexander Hamilton, who served as a New York State Assemblyman, was the first delegate chosen to the constitutional convention and the only signer of the constitution from New York. He campaigned for the ratification of the constitution in New York and his essays defending the proposed constitution are known as the Federalist Papers.

Personal History as National History - Webinar on 9/20 at 3:00 pm

Douglas Hamilton is the five times great-grandson of Alexander Hamilton,one of the most important founders of the American Republic. Alexander Hamilton played a key role in the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, served as the first Secretary of the Treasury, established a financial foundation for America, authored 51 ofthe essays which comprise the 85 Federalist Papers, and is considered the founder of the US Coast Guard. Douglas Hamilton is a descendant of John Church Hamilton,
Alexander and Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton’s fourth son. Alexander Hamilton’s wife, Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, was
Doug’s five times great-grandmother, so that all Hamilton descendants are also descendants of Major General Philip
Schuyler, Alexander Hamilton’s father-in-law. SUNY Maritime College’s Fort Schuyler was named in honor of Philip
Schuyler. https://www.sunymaritime.edu/about/visitingmaritime/
maritime-museum/about/fort-schuyler-history Doug’s interest in Alexander Hamilton began back in the 1950’s when his grandmother gave him a coloring book with a picture of George Washington and Alexander Hamilton,
introduced him to genealogy and explained that Hamilton was one of his great grandfathers. For an eight-year-old child,
this was utterly fascinating. Over more than four decades, Doug has read hundreds of books and done research on the founding fathers and his own family’s heritage, attended over 150 Hamilton-related events and visited dozens of historical sites where Hamilton lived, worked, fought and died – and learned so much about his forebear’s extraordinary contributions to the founding of our Republic.
Mr. Hamilton is a member of the Society of the Cincinnati an organization based in Washington, D.C., which is made
up of descendants of the officers who fought under George Washington in the Revolutionary War, and is president of the
New York State Society of the Cincinnati. From his family tree research, Doug has learned about the accomplishments of many of the 1000 identified descendants of Philip Schuyler, including 521 Hamilton descendants. Doug
lives in Westerville, Ohio with his wife Debbie. His children, Alexander and Elizabeth live nearby with six grandchildren.

About Constitution Day
Voting rights have been a source of contention and dispute throughout American history. Eligibility to vote is provided by the US Constitution (including various amendments, such as the 15^th, 19^th, 23rd, 24^th and 26^th Amendments) as well as State Law, and significant legislation such as the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

The 15^th Amendment (ratified 1870) enfranchised African-American men; women were given the right to vote by the 19^th Amendment (ratified 1920); and the 26^th Amendment (ratified 1971) allowed individuals 18 years of age or older to vote. The 23^rd Amendment (ratified 1961) gave the residents of the District of Columbia the right to vote and the 24^th Amendment (ratified 1964) prohibited limiting voting rights through a poll tax or other tax.

Regretfully, America has not always been inclusive with respect to voting rights and many groups of Americans have been disenfranchised until action was taken to include such groups in the right to vote. Throughout American history, different groups became eligible for voting rights. Even with all of this progress, voting inclusion still remains a compelling issue for all Americans. How do we assure that everyone who wants to vote will have the right to vote? Voter ID laws, residency requirements and concerns about mail ballots present challenges to Americans exercising their right to vote.