“Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton’s trip to Philadelphia in 1787” by Adam Levinson

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There is no shortage of biographies about Alexander Hamilton. His extensive papers have been scrutinized by generations of historians. Yet, no biographer has claimed that Elizabeth Hamilton ever visited Philadelphia during the Constitutional Convention. Newly revealed evidence suggests that Eliza in fact travelled to Philadelphia in June of 1787. This discovery is significant for several reasons, including the fact that Alexander presented the “Hamilton Plan” during an all-day speech at the Constitutional Convention on June 18. What role might the wives have played in Philadelphia? It is only fitting that Eliza’s story should be fully uncovered.

Mr. Levinson’s talk will also discuss “Little Orphan Fanny Antill.” Historians have long recognized the extraordinary generosity of Eliza and Alexander Hamilton. In 1787 the Hamiltons famously brought two-year-old Fanny Antill into the Hamilton household and raised her as their own daughter. Newly emerging evidence suggests, however, that there is more to the story than previously understood.

Adam Levinson is a full-time practicing lawyer who blogs about American legal history in his free time on the free history website Statutesandstories.com. Chief Justice Holmes referred to the law as a “magic mirror,” reflecting our present and past. Adam’s website was originally built around his collection of antiquarian legal texts, including the Stamp Act, the Tea Act, and the Acts of the First Congress. Adam uses these and other primary sources to teach American history. Today, the website casts a wide net to blog about laws and other “stories” that arise from and reflect American history. The website is now used by teachers and history “students” of all ages around the country.

Adam graduated with a BA in history from the University of Michigan and earned a JD from the University of Miami, where he was an articles and comments editor for the University of Miami Law Review. He is licensed to practice law in Florida and California.

He frequently speaks about his ongoing archival research. Among other groups, he has provided keynote and other presentations for the DAR, SAR, the National Conference on History Education (NCHE), the Florida Conference on History Education (FCHE) and the New York State Archives. In 2024 Adam was awarded a Scholarly Fellowship by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

Over the past several years he has working to install a historic marker in Philadelphia to honor Miss Dalley’s boarding house, the location where Gouverneur Morris and Alexander Hamilton boarded during the Constitutional Convention. His pending book, America’s Founding Hosts: the First Family of Hospitality, is forthcoming from SUNY Press in 2026.