Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site will offer a panel discussion at the New York State Museum to commemorate the forming of the Continental Army and Philip Schuyler’s appointment as Major General of the Northern Department.
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.
Garrett Cloer, Program Manager for Interpretation and Visitor Experience at the Saratoga National Historical Park, will discuss Congress’s forming of the army after the Battle of Lexington and Concord.
Jessie Serfilippi, Lead Interpreter at Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site, will then provide insight into Philip Schuyler’s background and personal connections, as well as his first actions as Major General in 1775, which included the invasion of Quebec.
Both panelists will consider why Philip Schuyler was chosen for the appointment.
This event is free and open to the public and will take place on Sunday, June 22, 2025, from 1 pm until 2 pm at the Museum’s Huxley Theater. The panel will followed by a Q&A. Afterward attendees are invited to attend free Open House Tours at Schuyler Mansion on Catherine Street in Albany, to be offered from 2 pm until 4:30 pm that Sunday.
Schuyler Mansion is located at 32 Catherine Street in Albany’s historic South End. For more information visit their website.
Read more about Philip Schuyler.
Illustration: Portrait of Philip Schuyler by Jacob H Lazarus (1822-91) from a miniature painted by John Trumbull on display at the Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site.
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