The Federalists of the 1780s had a glimpse of what America was to become — a scrambling business society dominated by the pecuniary interests of ordinary people — and they did not like what they saw. This premonition of America’s future lay behind their sense of crisis and their horrified hyperbolic rhetoric. The wholesale pursuits of private interest and private luxury were, they thought, undermining America’s capacity for republican government. They designed the Constitution in order to save American republicanism from the deadly effects of the private pursuits of happiness.
Schuyler, Philip
Stillwater, NY — Covering more than 3,500 acres, the park includes the 1777 battlefield, the Saratoga Monument, and the Schuyler House; includes a visitor center.
Albany, NY — The Georgian house was built on a bluff overlooking the Hudson River in 1761 and was occupied by General Schuyler and his family until his death in 1804; available for tours.
New York, NY — The Anglican parish of Trinity Church was founded in 1698 in lower Manhattan; the first church building was constructed facing Wall Street the same year. The magnificent neo-gothic structure that one sees today is the congregation’s third church; the graveyard is the burial ground for several patriots, including Alexander Hamilton.
The Idea of America: Reflections on the Birth of the United States (2011)