A member of one of New York's great landed families, was an American
general in the American Revolution. During the French and Indian War
(1754-63) he fought in the militia and attained the rank of major. He
represented Albany in the New York legislature (1768-75) and was a member
of the Continental Congress (1775-7 and 1778-81).
Named one of the four major generals in the Continental Army in June 1775,
he was placed in command of the northern army in New York. General Horatio
Gates claimed precedence over Schuyler as commander of the northern army
early in 1777, and the resulting contoversy was taken up in Congress.
Schuyler, meanwhile, had taken effective steps to halt the Bristish
invasion from Canada led by General John Burgoyne. When one of Schuyler's
subordinates abandoned Fort Ticonderoga in July 1777 without firing a
shot, Schuyler was accused of negligence and replaced by Gates in August.
Schuyler demanded a court-martial and was acquitted (1778) of all charges,
but he resigned from the army in April 1779.
An important political figure after the war, Schuyler helped secure New
York's ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1788. He served in the
U.S. Senate (1789-91 and 1797-8) and was a political ally of his
son-in-law, Alexander Hamilton.