CelebrateHAMILTON

American History Events in NYC & NJ - July 11-14, 2014

Honoring Founding Father Alexander Hamilton

This year is the third annual CelebrateHAMILTON program to honor the life and legacy of Alexander Hamilton.


Join the Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society (The AHA Society) for a series of events throughout Manhattan and Northern New Jersey from July 11th (the anniversary of the Hamilton-Burr duel) through July 14th (the anniversary of Hamilton's funeral). All events listed on this flyer are open to the public. Also, all events are free, unless otherwise noted.


Celebrating NJ350

2014 marks the 350th anniversary of the founding of state of New Jersey. New Jersey was the first state that Alexander Hamilton lived in as an immigrant, and it is also where he spent a great deal in the state during the Revolutionary War. He was also involved in the founding of the city of Paterson to grow manufactures in the U.S. The AHA Society is joining in on the NJ350 festivities by spending two full days of events in New Jersey focusing on Alexander Hamilton's time in the state. See the full schedule of events below.


Want to learn more about CelebrateHAMILTON? See pictures, C-SPAN coverage, and more from our past programs.


Watch the official CelebrateHAMILTON video here.

CelebrateHAMILTON Schedule

Note: All events listed are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.


CLICK HERE TO PRINT A ONE-PAGE SUMMARY OF ALL EVENT DETAILS


Friday, July 11th - Northern New Jersey

9:00-10:30 am: Visit to Academy at Elizabethtown, Elizabeth

12:00-2:00 pm: Visit to Liberty Hall, Union*

3:00-4:30 pm: Visit to Boxwood Hall, Elizabeth

6:00 pm: Duel Remembrance, Hamilton Park, Weehawken


Saturday, July 12th - Northern Manhattan

7:30-9:30 am: Hamilton Fun Run

9:00-3:00 pm: Visit to Hamilton's Home, the Grange

3:00 pm: Guided History Walk of Northern Manhattan

4:00-6:30 pm: Tour and Talk at Morris-Jumel Mansion


Sunday, July 13th - Northern New Jersey

12:00-1:00 pm: Visit to Great Falls, Paterson

2:00-3:00 pm: Visit to Schuyler-Hamilton House, Morristown*

3:30-5:00 pm: Talk - "America's Indispensable Founder," Morristown NHP


Monday, July 14th - Downtown Manhattan

12:00 pm: Historic Funeral Procession Walk from the Church Home to Trinity Church

1:00-1:30 pm: Hamilton Graveside Remembrance, Trinity Church

1:45-2:30 pm: Keynote Speech by Dr. Joanne Freeman, Trinity Church

3:30 pm: "New Discoveries" Talk by Michael E. Newton at Museum of American Finance


*A fee or donation may be requested for a tour of these homes.

Friday, July 11th - New Jersey

"Young Immigrant Hamilton Tour"


When Alexander Hamilton first emigrated from the Caribbean to attend school on the "mainland," he lived in what was then called Elizabethtown, New Jersey (today comprised of Elizabeth and Union). To explore Hamilton's time as a newly-arrived immigrant, the AHA Society is highlighting locations associated with his first year in the 13 colonies. Join on Friday the 11th for the "Young Immigrant Hamilton Tour" with the stops listed below.

Visit to the First Presbyterian Church and Academy of Elizabethtown

Friday, July 11th, 9-10:30am

42 Broad St

Elizabeth, NJ

Since Hamilton had received little formal schooling while in the Caribbean, he attended two semesters of preparatory school when he arrived in New Jersey at the Elizabethtown Academy to qualify for college.


The first of three stops on the "Young Immigrant Hamilton" tour, the visit starts at the First Presbyterian Church. This location could be considered the epicenter of NJ350 - New Jersey was officially formed 350 years ago when this church was founded in 1664.


Rev. Dr. Robert Higgs of the First Presbyterian Church will give a talk titled "The Founding of New Jersey, America, and Alexander Hamilton." Here we will learn about the important role that Elizabethtown played both in the founding of the state and in supporting the American cause during the Revolutionary War.


Also within the church grounds are the graves of prominent supporters of the American Revolution and the site of the Academy of Elizabethtown. Both Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr were alumni of this academy, and here we will discover a bit about Hamilton's early education.


See the NJ350 posting for this event.

Liberty Hall Tour

Friday, July 11th, 12-2pm

1003 Morris Ave

Union, NJ

Explore another highlight on the "Young Immigrant Hamilton" tour! While attending the Academy of Elizabethtown, Alexander Hamilton stayed with William Livingston - future governor of New Jersey - and his family.


The Livingston house, which was called Liberty Hall, was completed in 1774 and features an Alexander Hamilton room in the house, honoring the relationship between Hamilton and the Livingston family. Come enjoy both a tour of Liberty Hall and a talk and Q&A session on Hamilton's time as a newly-arrived immigrant to the colonies.


*The talk portion of the visit is free, and there is a tour fee for the home.

Boxwood Hall Tour

Friday, July 11th, 3-4:30pm

1073 E Jersey St

Elizabeth, NJ

Don't miss the final stop of the "Young Immigrant Hamilton" tour. Join for a tour of Boxwood Hall, the residence of Elias Boudinot from 1772-1795.


Elias Boudinot, who would later become President of the Confederation Congress, was one of Alexander Hamilton's first acquaintances upon emigrating from the Caribbean. Hamilton spent a good amount of time at Boxwood Hall during the two semesters he studied at Academy of Elizabethtown, and became close with the Boudinot family.


Note: As there is limited parking available at Boxwood Hall, it is recommended to park in the parking garage at the First Presbyterian Church (42 Broad Street) and walk the block and a half to the house. For those with handicap needs, a small parking lot is available at the house.

Duel Remembrance at Weehawken

Friday, July 11th, 6pm

Hamilton Park, Weehawken, NJ, United States

Weehawken, NJ

This year is the 210th anniversary of the duel that took place between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton on the banks of Weehawken. The AHA Society will be holding a memorial event overlooking the original dueling site.


Meeting place: Alexander Hamilton memorial (at the bust of Alexander Hamilton) along Hamilton Ave, overlooking the Hudson.

Saturday, July 12th - Upper Manhattan

Hamilton Fun Run

Saturday, July 12th, 7:30-9:30am

74 Trinity Pl

New York, NY

Beginning Location: Trinity Wall Street

End Location: Hamilton Grange


Hosted by InShape Fitness, the 11th annual Hamilton Fun Run is open to all who would like to join for all or part of an 11 mile run in honor of Alexander Hamilton. The run route begins at Hamilton's grave at Trinity Church in lower Manhattan, continues past the World Trade Center and up the West Side Highway, and ends at Hamilton's "country estate" The Grange (St. Nicholas Ave and W. 141st St).


Members of the AHA Society will be at the Grange to greet all the runners to Hamilton's home.


Get all the details from the InShape website.

Activities at Hamilton's Home, the Grange

Saturday, July 12th, 9am-3pm

414 W 141st St

New York, NY

Alexander Hamilton's home, today known as the Hamilton Grange National Memorial, will host special programming throughout the day. In addition to tours, film showings, and exhibits, there will be two special presentations:


10:30 AM: Presentation on "Rutgers v. Waddington Saves NYC" by Pooja Nair, Esq.

Pooja Nair is a lawyer at the law firm of Foley and Lardner and has previously presented on Hamilton's law career at Federal Hall. She is also the California Chapter President of the AHA Society.


1:00 PM: Rangers from the National Park Service will hold their annual reading of the letters exchanged between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton leading up to their July 11th duel. See the official Hamilton Grange event flyer.


Note: Limited seating is available, so reservations are highly recommended for the presentations. Call 646-548-2310 Wed-Sun from 10-4 to reserve a seat.

Upper Manhattan History Walking Tour

Saturday, July 12th, 3pm

414 W 141st St

New York, NY

Beginning Location: Hamilton Grange National Memorial

End Location: Morris-Jumel Mansion


Join for a leisurely guided one-mile walking tour between these two historic homes. Stops will include the two previous locations of the Hamilton Grange (with a beautiful Hamilton statue marking the second location) along the way.

Morris-Jumel Mansion

Saturday, July 12th, 4-6:30pm

65 Jumel Terrace

New York, NY

At 4 pm: there will be a special guided tour of the Morris-Jumel Mansion. The home had many roles, including serving as George Washington's headquarters during the Revolutionary War, the site of the first Presidential cabinet dinner, and a residence of Aaron Burr later in his life.


At 5 pm: AHA Society President Rand Scholet, who has been featured on C-SPAN3 American History TV channel, will give his presentation on "Washington's Indispensable Partner." Discover which of his fellow countrymen, including Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson, contributed the most to George Washington's national public service. After the hour talk, there will be a half hour Q&A session.

Sunday, July 13th - New Jersey

Visit to Paterson, NJ

Sunday, July 13th, 12-1pm

McBride Ave

Paterson, NJ

Visit the Great Falls National Historical Park for a talk on the significance of the Alexander Hamilton statue overlooking the beautiful Passaic falls. The presentation will tie in Alexander Hamilton's original vision for the Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures, Paterson in its heyday, and the recent restoration of the Hamilton statue.


Meeting location: At the Alexander Hamilton statue in Overlook Park.

"Love Letters and Courtship" at the Schuyler-Hamilton House

Sunday, July 13th, 2-3pm

5 Olyphant Pl

Morristown, NJ

Join the AHA Society and the Morristown Daughters of the American Revolution in celebrating NJ350 with a special event focusing on Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler's courtship that took place in the "Schuyler-Hamilton House" during the winter encampment of 1779-1780. Excerpts from love letters written by Alexander Hamilton to his dear "Betsey" will be read aloud as part of this special program.

Talk in Morristown: "America's Indispensable Founder"

Sunday, July 13th, 3:30-5pm

30 Washington Pl

Morristown, NJ

AHA Society President Rand Scholet presents "Alexander Hamilton, Part II: America's Indispensable Founder" at the Morristown National Historical Park in Morristown, New Jersey. This talk is a follow-on to his presentation on "Alexander Hamilton, Part I: Washington's Indispensable Partner," also given last year at Morristown NHP during CelebrateHAMILTON 2013.


The talk will be given in the auditorium of the Washington Headquarters Museum.


In support of CelebrateHAMILTON 2014, Morristown National Historical Park is waiving the fee on this day to tour the Ford Mansion, which served as Washington's headquarters in the winter of 1779-1780 (and at which Alexander Hamilton resided as part of Washington's 'military family').

Monday, July 14th - Lower Manhattan

Historic Funeral Procession Route from the Church Home to Trinity Church

Monday, July 14th, 12pm

25 Park Pl

New York, NY

210 years ago, on July 14th, Alexander Hamilton's casket was carried from the John and Angelica Church home to his final resting place in the churchyard of Trinity Church. The funeral procession was one of the largest ever in New York City history.


Come for a special guided walk along the original route of the funeral procession. The walk will start out at the site of where the Church home (where Hamilton's body was prepared) once stood. It will end at Trinity Church just before the graveside remembrance event begins.


Note: For a visual guide to the historic procession route, view this interactive map offered by the New-York Historical Society - hover your mouse over the numbered button 9 to see the path highlighted.


Meeting location: 25 Park Place, one block west of City Hall

Hamilton Graveside Remembrance

Monday, July 14th, 1-1:45pm

74 Trinity Pl

New York, NY

July 14th, 210 years ago, was the day of Alexander Hamilton's funeral, in which a funeral procession led from his brother-in-law John B. Church's home to Trinity Church, where he was buried. His funeral was one of the most attended funerals in New York City history.


Come join together in remembering Alexander Hamilton on the anniversary of his funeral in the Trinity Churchyard. This special program will include participation by the US Coast Guard, Sector New York, which was founded by Alexander Hamilton, and remarks by Peter Dodge, the President of the New York State Society of the Cincinnati. Mr. Dodge will speak on the history of the Society of the Cincinnati (of which Alexander Hamilton was a member and second President-General), plus the role the Society played in coordinating and leading the 1804 funeral procession for Alexander Hamilton.

"Alexander Hamilton: Man of Honor" by Dr. Joanne Freeman, Trinity Church

Monday, July 14th, 1:45-2:30pm

74 Trinity Pl

New York, NY

Following the graveside remembrance at the Hamilton grave in the Trinity Churchyard, there will be a special keynote talk inside the church to be given by Dr. Joanne Freeman, noted Hamilton scholar and history professor from Yale University. In addition to decades of study on Alexander Hamilton, Dr. Freeman is a leading expert on duels and dueling culture.


With a talk entitled "Alexander Hamilton: Man of Honor," Dr. Freeman will weave a narrative of the role of honor in 18th century America, the importance that Alexander Hamilton placed on honor throughout his life, and how that led him to participate in the "affair of honor," or duel, that ended his life.


This program will be filmed by C-SPAN3 American History TV for future airing.


Following the talk, there will a meet and greet with Dr. Freeman at the Museum of American Finance (48 Wall Street), which will be specially opened on this day for the anniversary of Alexander Hamilton's funeral. The meet and greet will be held at the Alexander Hamilton room in the museum, with historic artifacts associated with Alexander Hamilton.

Talk: "New Discoveries in the Life of Alexander Hamilton"

Monday, July 14th, 3:30-5pm

48 Wall St

New York, NY

Alexander Hamilton scholar Michael E. Newton presents "New Discoveries in the Life of Alexander Hamilton - Part I," a special talk on several discoveries that he has made during his extensive research on Alexander Hamilton's youth, young adulthood, and military career (through 1781) in preparation for his upcoming book.


Mr. Newton will also discuss some old myths about Hamilton that are often repeated but, based on new evidence and analysis, have been determined to be untrue.


The talk will last approximately one hour, followed by a half-hour Q&A session.


Note: Prior to the talk, the Alexander Hamilton room in the museum, which features original documents related to Alexander Hamilton, will be open to attendees.

Hosted by the Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society

The Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society, also known as The AHA Society, strives to enrich the public's knowledge and understanding of Alexander Hamilton and the Founding period of the United States.


Visit our official website at The-AHA-Society.com to learn more about events, presentations, and other initiatives.


Explore Alexander Hamilton's life and times further on AllThingsHamilton.com

Additional AHA Society Events

This September marks the 225th anniversary of Alexander Hamilton becoming the first US Secretary of the Treasury. The AHA Society is partnering with the Museum of American Finance for events in September to celebrate the occasion. Get future updates from our official events page.