#rachel faucette

[pub-lius]

RACHEL HAMILTON FACTS

Help I have a wax museum project for school and I’m doing her I cannot find anything about her

OKOKOK This ask is the reason I opened my inbox and discovered all my unanswered asks FSHSJKHFSKH mb. My source for this is Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton (because when isn't it) because exactly as you said, there is very little information about Rachel, and Ron walked so the rest of us could run. Here we go

Rachel was one of seven children

Five of Rachel's siblings died in childhood, leaving only our girl and her sister Ann. Ann went on to marry James Lytton after she fled Nevis (where they lived) due to an agricultural plague. Ann Lytton could not take in young Hamilton when he needed it, but she was the only blood relative on Rachel's side that he maintained contact with, and helped her out financially later on.

She was a child of divorce (basically)

Her parents had a very rocky relationship, and this possibly impacted her later relationships with men. Eventually, her parents separated, and she lived with her mother. She seems to have been very close with her mother, as they moved often together, or at least stayed close to one another.

She was previously married, and divorced

Before she met James Hamilton, she was married to man named Johann Lavien. Lavien was really horrible to her and financially and mentally abused her. When she ran away, Lavien sued for divorce, but long story short, Rachel didn't show up for court, and ended up being imprisoned for several years for adultery. The way divorce worked at the time was that a man could win a divorce case with just one accusation of adultery (especially if the woman didn't show up for court) but a woman needed several different, confirmed charges against the man to win. So, it would have been very hard for her to have won in the first place. Also, because of her no-show, she was forbidden from ever remarrying, hence why Hamilton was a bastard.

It is not incorrect to call her Rachel Hamilton and/or Rachel Faucette

While it is probably more respectful to use her maiden name, Faucette, there was a time where she lived as Rachel Hamilton, even though her marriage to James could not have been legally valid. While they lived in Nevis, James and Rachel lived with their two children as a married couple. However, it was when they moved to St. Croix that people recognized her as the former Mrs. Lavien, and tormented her and the boys with their illegitimacy.

She was a very independent woman

If Hamilton inherited anything from his mother, it was his quick thinking and independent mind. Rachel had her own income, and was able to provide for her two sons and tutor them after James left them. She was described by one of Hamilton's sons as "a woman of superior intellect, elevated sentiment, and unusual grace of person and manner. For her he was indebted for his genius." These are all words used to describe Hamilton later in life.

She supported other local women

In teaching her son in his earliest education, she chose a local Jewish woman to do so. Hamilton recalled being taught by her when he was small enough to sit on the table to read next to her. Towards her death, she was tended to by a woman named Ann McDonnell. In a society that was incredibly hostile to women, this was very important.

She died of an unknown illness next to her son, Alexander

She caught a fever in 1768, and was tended to by the aforementioned Ms. McDonnell and a man named Dr. Herring. She was given valerian, and bloodletting was used on Alexander (medicine of the 18th century is a whole other can of worms). Unfortunately, she did not recover, and died at nine o'clock on February 19, 1768.

Those are some of the most important and interesting facts, I believe, about Rachel Faucette. She is really one of my favorite historical figures, and I could talk about her and Maria Reynolds all day. I just love women who overcome the disadvantages they were given in life, I respect them so much. Hope this helps with your project!!!

#i got so excited when I saw this in my inbox #alexander hamilton #rachel faucette #rachel hamilton #history #amrev #asks #american history #amrev history #caribbean history #caribbean #womens history

[yr-obedt-cicero]

Do you think that Hamilton’s children were aware of his illegitimacy? I highly doubt Hamilton talked about his childhood much, but do you think at least one or two of the children suspected something while he was alive? I know J.C. Hamilton skimmed over it in the biography he wrote of his father, so he at least was somewhat aware of it in adulthood.

It's not clear, but my best assumption is that he likely told them if they were curious (Which I'm sure they were, after all they were quite close with their maternal relatives and knew no one from their dad's side) the same story he told William Jackson, which was;

A Dane a fortune-hunter of the name of Lavine came to Nevis bedizzened with gold, and paid his addresses to my mother then a handsome young woman having a snug fortune. In compliance with the wishes of her mother who was captivated by the glitter of the [blank] but against her own inclination she married Lavine. The marriage was unhappy and ended in a separation by divorce. My mother afterwards went to St Kitts, became acquainted with my father and a marriage between them ensued, followed by many years cohabitation and several children. But unluckily it turned out that the divorce was not absolute but qualified, and thence the second marriage was not lawful. Hence when my mother died the small property which she left went to my half brother Mr Lavine who lived in South Carolina and was for a time partner with Mr Kane.

Source — Alexander Hamilton to William Jackson, [August 26, 1800]

Because interestingly, John C. Hamilton tells the exact same story in his biographies of his father;

Hamilton was the offspring of a second marriage. His mother's first husband was a Dane, named Lavine, who, attracted by her beauty, and recommended to her mother by his wealth, received her hand against her inclination. The marriage proving unhappy, she applied for and obtained a divorce, and removing to St. Christopher's, there married the father of the subject of these notices, and had by him several sons, of whom Alexander was the youngest.

Source — The Life of Alexander Hamilton, by John Church Hamilton

The falsehood here being that Rachel never acquired the proper divorce they make it seem. Additionally they had James Hamilton Jr. in 1753, and in 1757 or 1755 they had Hamilton (And whatever other possible siblings), before the divorce in 1759.

Nine years after Rachel left Lavien and was with James Sr., Lavien had found himself in a lot of debt, he had to sell most of his plantation, and rent out his few slaves to make enough. Additionally there was a woman living with him, and cleaning for him, so it is likely that he wished to marry her, which lead to him wishing to obtain a divorce summons on February 26, 1759. Lavien claimed Rachel had; “absented herself from [Lavien] for nine years and gone elsewhere, where she has begotten several illegitimate children, so that such action is believed to be more sufficient for him to obtain a divorce from her.” [x] Lavien also said he “had taken care of Rachel's legitimate child [Peter Lavien] from what little he has been able to earn,” while she had, “completely forgotten her duty and let husband and child alone and instead given herself up to whoring with everyone, which things the plantiff are so well known that her own family and friends must hate her for it.” [x] Lavien demanded that Rachel also be denied all legal rights to his property. He warned that if he died before her, Rachel as a widow would possibly seek to take “possession of the estate” and therefore, “not only acquire what she ought not to have but also take this away from his child and give it to her whore-children.” [x]

But the thing is, Rachel didn't even try to refute the allegations, or show up to court; which meant on the 25th of June, Lavien recieved a divorce that permitted him to remarry—but on the other hand, Rachel couldn't. So then, her children were deemed illegitimate, and she was barred from ever marrying again. There haven't been any discovered court or wedding records to show that Rachel may have tried to marry James before the divorce came up a few years later, so there is still the slight possibility Hamilton was right about his parents trying to marry and eventually when the divorce came up later it disallowed their marriage. But until that is actually proven, it seems like it was something Hamilton's parents told him, instead of the actual reality of the situation (Which definitely would have been a comprehensible lie, because Rachel knew full well she was not properly divorced, and even continued to go by “Lavien” on some of the records on the island). And he may have discovered the truth later on. After all, the records were on the island, and he would have found out about the 1759 divorce, or the 1769 probate record, especially since he was a smart kid and would have questioned their situation after his mother's death. He was pushed through several homes and lost everything, I think something would have noticably not been clicking together and he would have asked. But even so, it is likely Hamilton may have continued to repeat the story his parents told him to spare himself and his family roots. Granted, that is mostly all speculation.

John mentions that his father “rarely as he dwelt upon his personal history”, [x] so I don't think it was an open conversation topic with his kids. Although Hamilton did seem to fondly tell his kids about his mother and his time attending a Jewish school, so it wasn't as though he told his kids nothing. Just probably the sugarcoated truth. But I'm also sure the truth may have bypassed the older ones, especially when you consider how aware of politics Philip was at a young age, he was bound to hear at least a few times from his father's political rivals about Hamilton's illegitimacy. Wether he confronted his father about this, wether Hamilton probably tried to cover it up as mere slander, or wether Philip truly believed him, or may have had lingering suspicion; is all speculation. Perhaps that is why he was quite eager to fight for his father's honor when Eacker slandered the Federalist party. But I also think eventually all the kids would have had to have heard sometime in their adulthood about the illegitimacy rumors surrounding their father, but it's complete speculation what happened after. Did they ask their mother about it? Did Eliza also continue the myth that Hamilton used? Who knows. But it seems the family all followed the story that their father wasn't actually a bastard, but some legal mistakes got in the way.

Hope this helps!

#amrev #american history #alexander hamilton #historical alexander hamilton #rachel faucette #rachel faucette hamilton #rachel faucette lavien #johann lavien #john church hamilton #history #hamilton family #hamilchildren #hamilton children #hamilkids #hamilton kids #queries #sincerely anonymous #cicero's history lessons

[diane-the-phoenix-awen]

My Hamilton story pt. 1

This is the "safe" version. I have an uncensored version available on Amazon which you can read for free if you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited. 18+ only, please. You can also buy it on kindle or print paperback on Amazon.

Passion: The Life and Loves of Alexander Hamilton - Book 1: The Islands (Unedited Edition) (Passion: The Life and Loves of Alexander Hamilton - Unedited Editions)

https://a.co/d/eWI5zmd

#alexander hamilton #hamilton musical #hamilton #hamilton fanfiction #ao3 fanfic #ao3 writer #ao3feed #ao3 link #fanfic #american history #amrev #american revolution #historical fiction #james hamilton #rachel lavien #rachel faucette #ned stevens #hugh knox #peter lavien #nicholas cruger #john michael lavien #johan cronenberg

[binch-i-might-be]

The moon hung full and heavy in the sky, painting the gentle waves that rippled the vast ocean below and crashed against the cliffside silver. Stars dotted the nighttime sky, shining like the lights of the city nestled along the coastline, and George thought of his brother.

George Washington contemplates his life and death–twice.

did anyone ask for a vent fic featuring Gwash contemplating fucking murking himself?? no??? WELL TOO BAD BITCHES HERE IT IS

#i wrote this in a blur <3 #forgot to eat because of this so now i'm at work with a completely empty stomach lmao we love being neurodivergent #alexander hamilton #george washington #rachel faucette #fanfic

[ohshit-its1776]

@pinklady6457 's Request

#shut up he's looking at Alex #rachel faucette buck #alexander hamilton #gorgeous george #george washington #martha washington #john parke curtis

[hampye]

The earliest fact based article about Hamilton's parentage. If anyone can translate this into English...

#alexander hamilton #hamilton #rachel faucette hamilton #james hamilton #rachel lavien

[thereallvrb0y]

does anybody know what rachel faucette buck / james hamilton jr looked like?

#rachel faucette buck #james hamilton jr

[46ten]

Rethinking the narrative of Hamilton as a poor child held back by illegitimacy

We’ve outgrown a number of the myths that Chernow invents or embellishes from Flexner and Miranda ran with, but AH as a humble child in the West Indies, struggling with poverty and the stigma of illegitimacy seems to persist, no matter the lack of initial evidence for that narrative and the excellent scholarship over the past 10 years or so that flips it on its head. 

AH’s maternal grandfather was very wealthy; Rachel Faucette’s inherited wealth was what supposedly attracted John Lavien. 

James Hamilton (b 1725 or so) was notably not wealthy. Though a “gentleman” from a respected Scottish family, as a younger son he went to make his way as a merchant at the Caribbean, and pretty much failed at every business venture, as far as we know. In 1765, he was hired to settle a matter in St. Croix, and at some point Rachel and their two kids, James and Alexander, either joined him or made their way there independently. It’s not at all clear that James “abandoned” the family or what happened - it seems just as likely that Rachel, perhaps realizing that their sons’ best options were getting involved in trade, decided to stay where she had an extended wealthy family who could also support her as a merchant/shopkeeper. AH started working really young (he’s 9 if you believe the 1757 birthdate), which was a pretty fantastic way to gain knowledge and experience, especially if his parents realized - and they likely did - that he was intellectually gifted. 

Upon the death of his mother, who owned 5 enslaved persons, had silverware and leather chairs and a decent collection of books - definitely middle-class-ish - AH initially goes to live with his uncle and cousin, who were the two wealthiest people on St. Croix. As mentioned above, he was also already working as a clerk, ascending to what can best be described as the business manager by the time he leaves for NY, earning a pretty tidy sum as a single-man - he was likely upper-middle class. [A brief note: at no point does Edward Stevens or Thomas Yard, his brother-in-law, state that AH or his brother ever lived with the Stevens family. That conjecture comes more than a century later sourced to a census of the Stevens family that they had two male servants around the ages AH and his brother would have been. But I think if AH lived with the Stevens family, that would have come up well before the 1920s.] His first cousin provides him with what Newton calculates as 196 pounds sterling at that time, when the average British and American worker made somewhere between 10-15 pounds sterling PER YEAR. AH arrives in the colonies and lives with either the comfortably middle-class (Mulligan) or the wealthy elite (Elias Boudinot and William Livingston) before beginning his studies at King’s/Columbia College. There’s also no note about any difficulty in him getting into Elizabethtown Academy or King’s - no one was holding it over his head that he was a bastard. 

So the facts of AH’s life 1768-1779 don’t really seem to be what’s shaping the narrative. Instead, it seems to me that two things are interfering with the interpretation:

1. AH’s 1769 letter to Edward Stevens in which he gripes “I contemn the grov’ling and condition of a Clerk or the like” which makes him seem somehow downtrodden in poverty. But there’s no evidence that that was the case, or that AH wasn’t just annoyed by being a clerk and thought a different job - or a war - would better employ his talents/allow for greater study for him to become a leisurely gentleman. 

AH may have started working for Beekman and Cruger as early as 1766, at the age of 9-12 years old, perhaps having previously worked in his mother’s store. JCH writes:

The little leisure which he could command from his mercantile duties was devoted to study; his knowledge of mathematics was enlarged; he became fond of chemistry; and although his proficiency in it was small, he often urged it as a pursuit well adapted to excite curiosity and create new combination of thought.

Among the books to which he had access, he preferred those which treat of some branch of ethic. His favorite authors were Pope and Plutarch....

He often also, at this time, exercised himself in composition on moral topics, to which he afterwards occasionally resorted as a relaxation from the arduous labours of his professional life; and thus, by his varied studies, his mind became rich in materials awaiting his call. The Life of Alexander Hamilton

Although AH wrote to Edward Stevens in 1769 that "I contemn the grov’ling and condition of a Clerk or the like,” and Nathaniel Pendleton would later write that Hamilton “conceived so strong an aversion to [clerkship] as to be induced to abandon altogether the pursuits of commerce”, according to JCH, his father also felt his time as a clerk was very important:                      

This occupation was the source of great and lasting benefit to him; he felt himself amply rewarded for his labours by the method and facility which it imparted to him; and amid his various engagements in after years adverted to it as the most useful part of his education. The Life of Alexander Hamilton, my emphasis. 

Other biographers have speculated that AH’s time as a clerk was probably critical for his understanding of commerce and finance and to the development of both his leadership and writing skills.

JCH also writes:

With a strong propensity to literature, he early became a lover of books, and the time which other youth employ in classical learning, was by him devoted to miscellaneous reading, happily directed by the advice of Doctor Knox, a respectable Presbyterian divine, who, delighted with the unfolding of his mind, took a deep interest in his welfare. The Life of Alexander Hamilton

This role for Knox is doubtful; Rev. Hugh Knox first visited St. Croix Sept/Oct 1771, and did not come to reside there until May 1772, only a few months before AH would leave for NY.

2. AH, in 1779-1780, certainly is sensitive to his lack of advancement in the army while others with less ability/experience advance thanks to nepotism. He doesn’t have the family connections, true, but he’s far from the only person frustrated by the way appointments are handed out - James Monroe also left the army because he couldn’t get a command. 

And at no point does AH’s illegitimacy ever seem to hold him back - in fact, up until he made a number of political enemies, no one seemed to care. Illegitimacy was not at all uncommon, particularly in the West Indies; Newton offers up another example of a couple pretending to be married. There’s no record whatsoever that AH was ever taunted about being a bastard as a child, adolescent, or young man (the first recorded innuendos about it actually date from the late 1780s - he’s 30 or older). Likewise with the loss of his mother - a lot of children were orphans. These were just not life details that put him outside any veneer of respectability. 

He’s able to rise to the level of aide-de-camp for Washington and married into a wealthy Dutch-American patrician family with, based on the lack of comments on his birth, not even a shrug. JCH does note that marrying into the Schuyler family was one of the most important events of his father’s life, but one never gets the impression from AH’s own writing that he thought they were inherently superior to him - no, this was the class of people whom he had always belonged with and rubbed shoulders with. 

And perhaps other than the times he was in school, I’m 90% comfortable stating he almost always had servants - while living with his parents, his mother alone, his cousin, as a clerk, in the colonial American households, and then perhaps with a brief break while studying, he also had at least one servant in the colonial Army and for the rest of his life. 

Hamilton’s St Croix education 

More about Hamilton’s Faucett relations with links to Newton’s discussions

A summary of the amounts Anne Mitchell (and Peter Lavien) provided to AH. 

#Hamilton was not like us and I wish that narrative would die #For many reasons #he's not relatable

[junebway]

Alex's first snow

(*person in the frame is Rachel Faucette Buck, Hamilton's mother)

#my art #musical hamilton #hamilton fanart #hamilton musical #alexander hamilton #hamilton modern au

[ciceroprofacto]

Okay- as to the possibility of John Laurens meeting Peter Lavien, this is super messy and it’s impossible to prove without a primary source explicitly stating that they interacted, but I can put the timeline together for you that explains how they would’ve been in the same area at the same time.

The summary is this:

- Sometime between 1764 and 1766, Peter Lavien settled in Beaufort, SC, and became a partner with Captain Samuel Grove, running his shop in downtown Beaufort along with an apprentice/clerk named John Kean. They became one of the most successful import/export houses in the area during an indigo boom.

- When the Revolution started stirring up trade restrictions, Lavien took to smuggling and, in 1776, he had a ship detained in Savannah with its cargo. He appealed to the South Carolina Council of Safety which was chaired by Henry Laurens at the time. His son in law, John Charles Lucena, had connections to a merchant in Savannah that was able to vouch for his ship and get it released.

- In 1777, Peter Lavien moved his family to Savannah for business and to avoid patches of violence that broke out around the lowcountry. He left his properties in Beaufort to be managed by John Kean in his absence.

- Fast forward to 1779, Laurens joined up with the southern army at Tillifiny Hill in May and volunteered to escort General Moultrie’s rear guard across the Coosawatchie River. He engaged the enemy in an ill-advised assault and was routed back across the river. If you’re interested in the archeological effort to pinpoint the exact location of the engagement.

- The nearest major town was Beaufort, about 15 miles away where John Kean was incidentally still located, serving as deputy paymaster of the South Carolina Militia.

- Peter Lavien’s name would’ve been well-known in the area and his move to Savannah would’ve been common local knowledge. Laurens would have likely interacted with John Kean at some point while commanding a militia battalion, and it’s possible that Kean would have known that Lavien was Hamilton’s older brother if Lavien ever spoke about it to him. So, there’s a possibility that Laurens learned Kean’s former-employer’s relationship to Alexander Hamilton and knew that he’d moved to Savannah. 

- Whether Laurens made the effort or had the time to seek Peter Lavien out while he was in the vicinity of Savannah that autumn is entirely speculation. But, we do know that Lavien left a small sum of money to his brothers in his will before he died just a year later. 

Extended timeline details and sources under the cut.

These points are all from: 1. Chernow’s Alexander Hamilton 2. Greg Massey’s John Laurens and the American Revolution 3. Rowland, Moore, and Rogers’ History of Beaufort County V.1

“In 1745, the ill-fated wedding [between Rachel Faucette and Johann Lavien took place at the Grange. The newlyweds set up house on their own modest plantation, which was named, with macabre irony, Contentment. The following year, the teenage bride gave birth to a son, Peter, destined to be her one legitimate child.” (1. pg 11)

In 1750, Johann Michael Lavien, Peter’s father, had Rachel imprisoned for adultery and no longer residing with him. She was sent to Christiansvaern, the local fort and imprisoned for 3-5 months. She left Christensted when she got out, leaving Johann and Peter behind and going to St. Kitts where she started living with James Hamilton. (1. pg 11-12)

On February 26, 1759, Johann Lavien sent Rachel an official divorce summons for absenting herself which she attended and they were officially divorced on June 25th. Johann was allowed to remarry and Rachel strictly prohibited, denying her any of the property he’d mostly gained in marrying her, and preventing her “whore-children” from getting any in the event of his death. Peter would’ve been 13, James 6, and Alexander either 2 or 4. (1. pg 20)

Early 1760s, Johann and Peter moved to Frederiksted on the far side of St Croix. (1. pg 21)

April 1765, James Hamilton, Rachel and their kids moved to Christiansted where James was working as a clerk for Archibald Ingram of St Kitts, the son of a Glasgow “tobacco lord”- a family connection, tasked to collect a debt from a man named Alexander Moir. The case lasted until January 1766, then James pulled anchor and disappeared around Alex’s 11th birthday. (1. pg 21)

Between 1764 and 1766, Peter settled in Beaufort, SC, and became the shop manager of a store owned by Captain Samuel Grove in Beaufort bay on Tradd Street selling rum, sugar, chocolate, coffee, tea, and wine, all imported on his schooner Hannah and Betsy. John Kean was his apprentice. (3. pg 244)

“November 1769...Peter returned to St Croix to take possession of his small inheritance- an injustice that rankled Alexander for many years. Peter had fared sufficiently well in Beaufort, South Carolina- named a church warden- the chief financial and administrative officer- in St Helena’s Parish the previous year, yet he couldn’t spare a penny for the two destitute half brothers orphaned by his mothers death.” (1. pg 25)

Early 1770s, Peter Lavien and Samuel Grove were considered the largest indigo shippers in the Beaufort District. The Revolution disrupted the firm’s trade and Samuel Grove died at sea in 1775. (3. pg 244)

On 30 January 1776, one of Peter Lavien’s partner ships the William was detained in Savannah for smuggling. Lavien appealed to the South Carolina Council of Safety (chaired by Henry Laurens) to release the brigantine with 122 casks of indigo and 100 barrels of rice on board. The Council of Safety refused and ordered the cargo detained in Beaufort. On February 1, 1776, Quinton Pooler, a Savannah merchant who Peter’s son-in-law, John Charles Lucena had connections to, claimed the cargo belonged to him, and the captain of the William produced authorization for departure from the Georgia Council of Safety. The vessel sailed and a frustrated Henry Laurens, obviously not convinced, warned the Georgia council that they should “obey the laws of Congress”. (3. pg 206-207)

“Family business connections, and political hostility, forced Lavien to move to Savannah in 1777.  There he lived with his daughter Joanna, and his son-in-law, John Charles Lucena, until his death in 1781.” (3. pg 244)

“Lavien left his Beaufort property in the hands of his former partner’s stepson, John Kean, who was a consistent patriot and a member of Beaufort’s local committee.  Lavien’s will divided his large estate between the Lucenas of Savannah and John Kean of Beaufort. The Lucenas remained loyal to the crown, and most of their Georgia property was confiscated; Kean served as deputy paymaster of the South Carolina militia, along with John Mark Verdier. Both served under Daniel DeSaussure, who was paymaster general of the South Carolina Militia. (3. pg 244)

May 1, 1779- Laurens arrived in General Moultrie’s camp at Tullifiny Hill.  On May 3rd, he volunteered to take 250 militia troops to escort Moultrie’s rear guard back to the army at Tullifiny Hill and instead tried to lead an assault across the Coosawhatchie River, failing and risking about a third of Moultrie’s force. (2. pg 135)

#Peter Lavien #Laurens in the lowcountry #< that'll be a new tag #timeline #Historical Hamilton #I don't have the energy to format this better #just putting the thought out there

[jamescheetham]

Musical fans are really out there girlbossifying Rachel Faucette and refusing to acknowledge the pain and tragedy of her life or even the fact that she was a real human being so they can Have Fun being horny for whatever woc actress they fancast as her hahaha yass queen step on me you were so Hot and Slutty and Badass and weren't constantly used and abused and abandoned by the men in your life struggled to survive and then died of a horrible illness leaving your sons essentially orphaned and destitute you were a milf like Salma Hayek in a bikini

[pub-lius]

Hey, there! So who knew me watching a silly little 2 hour long musical would lead to me having a silly goofy little blog about it and being really invested in and researching the crap out of the Founding Fathers of a country which I'm not even a citizen of? Anyway, I just wanted to ask if you have any info on Ham's mom and dad, since I can't find much about them on Google and can't buy any books. If you've already been asked this before then sorry, I'll just go look for it

1) I KNOW RIGHT i have a little bit more of an excuse since im an American but this really is a rabbit hole

2) y’all have got to stop apologizing to me for shit i LOVE ALL OF YOU AND YOU HAVE NOTHING TO APOLOGIZE FOR, especially not asking something ive already answered, chances are i haven’t, and there are even better chances that i’ll answer it again or just give you the link to where ive already answered it

and yes i do have information on them! i have information on a lot of people, which is why my dear and beloved son richie once asked me for a bunch of information that i made posts on and eventually assembled into a google doc! which is here! this has information on rachel faucette and james hamilton, as well as james hamilton jr., hamilton’s children, and his wife as well as a bunch of others! i figured id just give you the link in case you need anything else and also bc this has all the information i personally have about them, and i wouldn’t want to leave anything out

hope this helps! and thank you for the ask, they are ALWAYS APPRECIATED AND DONT FORGET THAT

#alexander hamilton #rachel faucette #rachel hamilton #james hamilton #james hamilton sr #history #amrev #american history #asks #do it for richie 💪

[yr-obedt-cicero]

Was it true that Hamilton's mother was a whore?

If yes, how did he feel about it? Did his political enemies use it against him?

If not, who started the rumor?

Thank you and have a nice day!

The only informational and reliable source material I can find in regards to Rachel are; Ron Chernow's biography, and Micheal E. Newton's blog. If by whore, you mean she didn't let herself get restrained by bitch ass men; then yeah. The truthful rumors originated from Rachel's first husband, Johann Lavien. 

Lavien peddled household goods and was a slave holder. He owned at least sixteen slaves, including five to seven children. He was possibly a Jewish man, but if he was; he hid it greatly. The Carribean region was treated as a sideline international trade center, especially for the British and Americans. Lavien attempted to utilize the system to make himself wealthy, and spent all his fortune on a plantation and pompous attire.

According to Hamilton; despite Rachel's disinterest in Lavien, her mother, Mary Uppington Faucette, encouraged Lavien to marry her. Because she was captivated by his expensive clothes and rich appeal, and had to push Rachel into reluctantly agreeing to what became a hated marriage. And in 1745, they married — Rachel was sixteen at the time. The couple moved to a plantation called Contentment. The coming year, in 1746; they had their son, Peter Lavien. Although it appears the marriage quickly became an unhappy one. Hamilton claims that Lavien only married Rachel for the wealth that she inherited from her late father;

“A Dane a fortune-hunter of the name of Lavine came to Nevis bedizzened with gold, and paid his addresses to my mother then a handsome young woman having a snug fortune.”

(source — Alexander Hamilton to William Jackson, [August 26, 1800])

Likely due to the disheartening conditions of their marriage, Rachael soughted out a romantic relationship with a man named Johan Jacob Cronenberg. According to Newton's records findings;

“Johan Michael Lawin [...] had been obliged to experience that his wedded wife, Rachel, who for a long time had absented herself from him, was residing with a bachelor Johan Cronenberg.”

“Johan Michael Lawin, whose wedded wife the aforesaid Cronenberg accuses of having resided with him for a long time in fornication.”

(source — Discovering Hamilton)

Apparently Lavien heard somehow of Rachel's residing with Cronenberg, and “found” her in Cronenberg's “lodging, well hidden behind locked doors, wherefrom her husband fetched her and drove her home.” Due to this being an act of infidelity since Rachel and Lavien were not divorced; Cronenberg was “not only…seriously warned to keep away from this woman of loose morals but also punished with some days’ incarceration.” Despite this, Rachel soon returned to live with Cronenberg. And Cronenberg “again had sexual relations with this woman and without feeling shame publicly kept her with him in his house and lived there with her.”

October 8, 1749, John Lavien; “requested the court’s assistance to repair with him to Cronenberg’s plantation house to seize and arrest Cronenberg and Rachel for further legal prosecution.” Which did eventually lead to the arrest of Rachel and Cronenberg;

“‘This the agent of the court complied with, and at night at about 12 o’clock had come to said plantation and […] the 2 accused persons were found in the bedroom taking their usual night’s rest.’

‘The agents of the court […] seized them both in their bedroom, undressed and with more debauched circumstances that sufficiently demonstrated their shameless intercourse and scandalous life’ and ‘declared them both to be under arrest and had them brought…to Fort Christiansvaern’ to be imprisoned.”

(source — Discovering Hamilton)

By the 10th, or 20th, the court case of Cronenberg and Rachel was brought before the municipal court. And both Rachael and Cronenberg were charged and found guilty, they were sentenced to be imprisoned at Fort Christiansvaern.

US National Park Service marker for the Christiansted National Historic Site

“Rachel spent several months in a dark, cramped cell that measured ten by thirteen feet, and she must have gone through infernal torments of fear and loneliness. Through a small, deeply inset window, she could stare across sharpened spikes that encircled the outer wall and gaze at the blue-green water that sparkled in the fierce tropical sunlight. She could also eavesdrop on the busy wharf, stacked with hogsheads of sugar [...] All the while, she had to choke down a nauseating diet of salted herring, codfish, and boiled yellow cornmeal mush.”

(source — Alexander Hamilton, by Ron Chernow)

Nearly eight months after having his wife and her paramour imprisoned; Lavien requested to the municipal court to free Rachel, and expressed his belief that she had been sufficiently punished. On the 4th of May, 1750, the court agreed and decided that Rachel, “in consideration of her long incarceration,” was to be released so that she “might again betake herself to her husband and with him lead a better life.”

But instead of submitting to the disgusting patriarchal system, and her cruel husband; Rachel left in 1750, after five years of unhappy marriage. She moved to St. Kitts early of that year, where she met James Hamilton (There are a few theories they had met previously, but there are no official records to support such). They had both been struggling with the taints involving their names, and had likely been drawn together. Hamilton claims his parents married, but in any legal sense they had not;

“My mother afterwards went to St. Kitts, became acquainted with my father and a marriage between them ensued, followed by many years cohabitation and several children.” 

(source — Alexander Hamilton to William Jackson, [August 26, 1800])

In 1753, they had James Hamilton Jr., and on January 11, 1757 (Or 1755), they had Alexander Hamilton. Some sources claim (Including Hamilton himself) they had more children, but if they did; they are unknown, and there are no surviving records to prove such. Rachel inherited a property in the capital Charlestown, also three enslaved servants from her mother — who were; Rebecca, Flora, and Esther, one of them had a son named Ajax, and he was assigned to care for James Jr and Hamilton.

Fast forward to 1759 - nine years after Rachel fled - Lavien has found himself in a lot of debt. He had to sell most of his plantation, and rent out his few slaves to make enough. A dutiful woman was living with, and cleaning for Lavien. It is likely that he wished to marry her, which lead to him wishing to obtain a divorce summons on February 26, 1759.

Lavien claimed Rachel had;

“absented herself from [Lavien] for nine years and gone elsewhere, where she has begotten several illegitimate children, so that such action is believed to be more sufficient for him to obtain a divorce from her.”

(source — Alexander Hamilton, by Ron Chernow)

Lavien also said he “had taken care of Rachel's legitimate child [Peter Lavien] from what little he has been able to earn,” while she had, “completely forgotten her duty and let husband and child alone and instead given herself up to whoring with everyone, which things the plantiff are so well known that her own family and friends must hate her for it.”

Even after this merciless allegation, Lavien demanded that Rachel be denied all legal rights to his property. He warned that if he died before her, Rachel, “as a widow would possibly seek to take possession of the estate and there- fore not only acquire what she ought not to have but also take this away from his child and give it to her whore-children.”

Mistakenly, Rachel didn't even try to refute the allegations, or show up to court; which meant on the 25th of June, Lavien recieved a divorce that permitted him to remarry — but on the other hand, Rachel couldn't. To make matters worse, in April 1765; James Sr. got a business assignment located in Christiansted. And brought his family with him to St. Croix, although Lavien was far from there he was still on the island. Even more unfortunately, Rachel was no longer allowed the liberty of calling herself “Mrs. Hamilton”, due to how close the Fort - that she was once imprisoned at - was in the area, Rachel would have had to renter her infamous identity as a notorious woman of misdeeds. As records from this time only title her as correct, or mispronunciated, forms of “Faucette” and “Lavien”.

James would then also adruptly leave and abandon his family, after a victory with the Moir case. His motives or intentions are unknown. Hamilton generously claims his father could no longer support his family, and others claim Rachel's smeared name was likely rubbing off on his own.

-

Anyway, that's the tale of Rachel's many marriages and love lives; I think it unfair judgement to call her such derogatory names when considering everything she was dealing with, and additionally from such a young age. It is clear she committed infidelity while married, and they are not only rumors — but I don't think it's a fair assessment to fault her for such, when she was trapped in an unhappy marriage.

As for people using it against Hamilton; they did. As mentioned previously, Lavien called James Jr and Hamilton “whore-children”, and according to Chernow; journalist nemeses called Hamilton “the son of a camp girl”.

Hope this helped!

#amrev #american history #rachel faucette buck #rachel faucette hamilton #rachel faucette #johann lavien #johan jacob cronenberg #alexander hamilton #historical alexander hamilton #james hamilton #history #hamilton family #queries #sincerely anonymous #Cicero's history lessons

[publius-library]

HI

CAN YOU TELL ME EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT THE REYNOLDS AFFAIR AND PAMPHLET

I sure can.

First, I want to talk about Maria, because I think a great injustice is done to her in general.

Maria Lewis, which is what I will be calling her, was born in New York City on March 30, 1768. She was one of eleven children, six half siblings and five full. Maria grew up literate, but largely uneducated. She was married to James Reynolds when she was 15, on July 28, 1783. He had served in the revolution in the commissary department (which, if you know anything about the commissary, it was virtually useless), and was several years older than Maria. He was constantly asking the government for money. They had one child, Susan, born on August 18, 1785.

Before 1791, James Reynolds moved with his wife and child from NY to Philadelphia. In summer of 91, Maria visited Alexander Hamilton at his residence in Philadelphia asking for help because her abusive husband had abandoned her. Hamilton had the means to assist her in moving back to NYC, and arranged a later meeting to give her the money. He arrived at her boarding house, she brought him to her bedroom, and, according to him, “Some conversation ensued from which it was quickly apparent that other than pecuniary consolation would be acceptable.” She was 23 years old. He was 34.

The affair continued throughout the summer and fall of 1791 while Hamilton’s family was in Albany, NY. After a short while, Maria informed Hamilton that her husband sought reconciliation, and she agreed without ending the affair. She obtained an interview for Reynolds, in which he applied for a position in the Treasury, which Hamilton refused.

Hamilton exhibited that he wanted to end the affair on December 15, 1791, when Maria sent him a letter from Reynolds.

“I have not the time to tell you the cause of my present troubles; only that Mr. Reynolds has wrote you this morning and I know not whether you have got the letter or not and he had swore that if you do not answer, or if he does not see or hear from you today, he will write to Mrs. Hamilton. He has just gone out and I am alone. I think you had better come here one moment that you may know the cause, then you will the better kmow how to act. Oh, my God, I feel more for you than myself and wish I had never been born to give you so much unhappiness. Do not respond to him; not even a line. Come here soon. Do not send or leave any thing in his power.”

The affair ended for a time in December, but began again after Reynolds needed more money, and manipulated Maria into restarting the affair. Reynolds would write to Hamilton as a “friend”, and Hamilton would send $30. The last loan was in June 1792.

Reynolds was imprisoned for forgery in November of that year, and wrote to Hamilton for assistance, who denied all requests for money from both Reynolds and Maria.

James Monroe, Frederick Muhlenberg and Abraham Venable, rivals of Hamilton, visited Reynolds in jail after being made aware that he had contact with Hamilton by Reynolds’ partner in crime. Reynolds didn’t mention anything specific, but hinted at Hamilton’s public misconduct. The congressmen then interviewed Maria who maintained Reynolds’ accusation of speculation on Hamilton’s part.

James Callendar, a newspaper writer, also heard of this accusation, and published it in The History of the United States for 1796. Hamilton rebuked it with the Reynolds Pamphlet that cleared his name, but also placed the majority of the blame for the affair on Maria. It is likely that the events stated in the Pamphlet are accurate, however Hamilton phrased the narrative to make Maria appear as a villainous seductress, in order to keep public scrutiny away from himself. He would have known to do this, because it was the same thing his mother’s first husband did to his mother before his birth. These situations are very similar, however the consequences Rachel Faucette faced were much harsher, which is likely why Hamilton felt justified in mirroring Johann Lavien’s actions.

It is clear Maria is a victim in this circumstance, as she was very young, and was being emotionally, financially, and possibly physically abused by Reynolds. It is also likely that Reynolds threatened abuse to her daughter if she did not comply with his demands. She was publicly scorned after the Reynolds Pamphlet. Hamilton is not the victim.

In 1793, Maria Reynolds petitioned for a divorce with the assistance of Aaron Burr, who offered her and her daughter a place to live in order to fully escape Reynolds. Before the divorce was finalized, she went to live with Reynolds’ partner-in-crime, Jacob Clingman, whom she married in 1795. She settled in Alexandria, Virginia, then Britain after facing public scrutiny over the Pamphlet.

Maria became the housekeeper of Dr. Matthew. Peter Grotjan reported that he had met Maria, and she claimed to have written a pamphlet of her own with her side of the story. It was never published, and there is no other evidence of it’s existence. In 1800, Susan was sent to a Boston boarding school after Burr petitioned William Eustis to help her.

Maria married Dr. Matthew in 1806. Susan Reynolds came to live with her mother in 1808, and spent several years in Philadelphia. Susan was unhappily married several times. She had two daughters.

Maria Lewis died as Maria Matthew on March 25, 1828.

Hope this helps!

#alexander hamilton #maria reynolds #the reynolds pamphlet #the reynolds affair #james reynolds #aaron burr #history #american history #amrev #amrev history

[binch-i-might-be]

"Alex," she choked, her throat suddenly too tight. "Oh, mon petit chou-"

Rachel rushed over to the other side of the small room and scooped her child up into her arms. The poor thing had cowered in the corner, smushed into the narrow space between the wall and one of the beds, as small as possible and dead silent until he'd seen her and known there was no danger.

the baby :( I hurt him :(

#baby alex :( baby boy :( #alexander hamilton #miss rachel faucette (my beloved) #rachel fic!!! yay :) #unfortunately it is an Evil Fic #thin ice 'verse #fanfic

[ohshit-its1776]

Hey! Is it okay if you can draw Alex with his mom, Rachel Faucette (I personally imagine her looking like Salma Hayek for her body and face claim, but you can do whatever!)

Salma Hayek is hispanic, and they are very much not.

#alexander hamilton #rachel faucette buck #request