New research paper claims abolitionist owned slaves
ALBANY, N. Y. — A new research paper takes a swipe at the popular image of Alexander Hamilton as the abolitionist founding father, citing evidence he was a slave trader and owner himself.
“Not only did Alexander Hamilton enslave people, but his involvement in the institution of slavery was essential to his identity, both personally and professionally,” Jessie Serfilippi, an interpreter at a New York state historic site, wrote in a paper published last month.
Hamilton is almost universally depicted as an abolitionist in popular modern works, from Ron Chernow’s 2004 biography, “Hamilton,” to LinManuel Miranda’s Tony Awardwinning show, “Hamilton: An American Musical.”
But after poring over ledgers and correspondence of Hamilton and his wife, Eliza Schuyler Hamilton, Serfilippi, who works at the Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site in Albany, concluded that image falls short.
“It is vital that the myth of Hamilton as ‘ the Abolitionist Founding Father’ end,” Serfilippi writes in the paper, entitled, “‘ As Odious and Immoral a Thing’: Alexander Hamilton’s Hidden History as an Enslaver.” Her research was published on the New York state park system website.
The paper adds to a concern voiced by many academics that the fictitious Hamilton of the musical, who attacks slavery in a rap battle with Thomas Jefferson, is just that: fictitious.
Chernow called the paper a “terrific research job that broadens our sense of Hamilton’s involvement in slavery in a number of ways.” But he questioned her claim that slavery was “essential to his identity,” and said Serfilippi omitted information that would contradict her conclusions.
For example, Chernow noted Hamilton’s work with the Manumission Society to abolish slavery in New York and defend free Blacks when slave masters from out of state tried to snatch them off New York streets.