Alida Schuyler
| Alida Schuyler Livingston | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Alida Schuyler 1656 Beverwyck, Albany, Province of New York |
| Died | 1727 Province of New York |
| Spouse(s) |
Nicholas van Rensselaer (m. 1675; his death 1678) Robert Livingston the Elder (m. 1679–1727) |
| Children | 9, including Philip, Robert and Gilbert. |
| Parent(s) |
Philip Pieterse Schuyler Margaretha van Slichtenhorst |
| Relatives |
Pieter Schuyler (brother) Arent Schuyler (brother) Stephanus van Cortlandt (brother-in-law) |
Alida Schuyler or Alida Van Rensselaer or Alida Livingston (1656 – 1727), was a Dutch businessperson in Dutch America who exerted a considerable influence in the life of the colony.
She was born in Beverwyck (Albany), in the New Netherlands (New York) as the daughter of the wealthy fur trader Philip Pieterse Schuyler (1628-1683) and Margaretha van Slichtenhorst (1628-1711), originally immigrants from Germany. She was one of ten children born to her parents, including Pieter Schuyler (1657–1724), Arent Schuyler (1662–1730) and Gertruj Schuyler (b. 1654), who was married to Stephanus van Cortlandt (1643–1700).
Alida Schuyler was a major businesswoman particularly during her second marriage: she acted as the business partner and political and economical adviser to him, and together, they divided the responsibility of the business and exerted a considerable economic and political influence in the colony. In 1686, the couple managed to acquire city privileges for Albany. She also participated in a long term lawsuit about the inheritance of her first spouse against his relatives. From 1686, she resided at Livingston Manor. She retired from business for health reasons in 1716.
Alida Schuyler has been taken as an example of an independent American colonial businesswoman. She is also known as the matriarch of several American families.
In 1675, she married Nicholas van Rensselaer (1636–1678), the fourth son of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, a Dutch diamond and pearl merchant from Amsterdam who was one of the founders and directors of the Dutch West India Company, who was instrumental in the establishment of New Netherland and in 1630, became the first patroon of Rensselaerswyck. Her husband, Nicholas, a minister, died shortly after their marriage in 1678.
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