Eliza Hamilton, at the age of 91, and Dolly Madison were present when the cornerstone of the monument was laid in 1848 (Harvey 47). At the request of the society in 1847, Eliza Hamilton, Dolly Madison, and Louisa Adams organized groups of women to aid in the collection of funds (Harvey 39). Eventually, the pedestal was abandoned, leaving only the recognizable form of the obelisk.ĭespite the Washington National Monument Society’s limited membership, women played a crucial role in establishing the Washington Monument. The Society’s initial design, created by Robert Mills, closely represented the final form of the monument-a stone obelisk with a large column-supported pedestal that would feature statues of Washington (Savage 56). Donors were restricted to donating only a dollar (Lockwood 8). The Washington National Monument Society drew up its constitution in 1833 and limited its membership to “adult male contributors” (Washington National Monument Society), assumed to be white men. Left without the possibility for a tomb, Congress handed control of planning and constructing a monument to the Washington National Monument Society. Regardless of the partisan feud, the founding father’s will stipulated he be buried at Mount Vernon, preventing Congress from memorializing Washington with a tomb (Savage 39). Federalists wanted a lavish mausoleum that Republicans wanted no part of. However, L’Enfant’s plans were set aside when Washington died, and Congress wanted to entomb him in the nation’s capital. He envisioned an equestrian statue that would encapsulate Washington’s victories as a military leader (Savage 36). Pierre L’Enfant, Washington D.C.’s city planner, was the first to propose a monument for George Washington. By constructing Hamilton’s legacy through narrative, Hamilton becomes for Alexander Hamilton what the Washington Monument is for George Washington, an enduring legacy.īuilt from marble and standing at 555 feet, the Washington Monument’s familiar obelisk wasn’t originally its intended form. Hamilton uses the Washington Monument to position monuments as stories, thereby showing how we can construct powerful legacies through a variety of narrative forms. Because of Eliza’s work, George Washington explains, “She tells my story” (Miranda 281). for the Washington Monument” (Miranda 281). One notable example of this is raising “funds in D.C. The primary focus is Eliza’s extension of Hamilton’s legacy through her advocacy. Miranda uses the song “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story?” to explore how Hamilton’s legacy is constructed after his death. When Hamilton is killed by Aaron Burr in a duel at the age of 47, control of his legacy shifts to those around him. 1848 (RG 42, Records of the Office of Public Buildings and Public Parks of the National Capital, National Archives)Ĭultural Reference: The Washington Monument (Act 2: 281)Īlexander Hamilton, as he appears in Lin Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton, is obsessed with his legacy. (Burr), Peggy.Funding Petition for the Washington National Monument in the City of Washington, ca. "The Schuyler Sisters" is a song from the Broadway musical Hamilton performed by Renée Elise Goldsberry (Angelica), Phillipa Soo (Eliza), Leslie Odom Jr. Hamilton the Musical - The Schuyler Sisters Lyrics
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