Maria Reynolds

Maria Reynolds (née Lewis) (March 30, 1768 – March 25, 1828) was the wife of James Reynolds, and was Alexander Hamilton's mistress between 1791 and 1792. She became the source of much scrutiny after the release of the Reynolds Pamphlet and central in America's first political sex scandal.

Maria Lewis was born in New York City on March 30, 1768, the daughter of Susanna Van Der Burgh and her second husband, Richard Lewis. She had one half-brother, Col. Lewis DuBois, and five full siblings, at least two of whom, older sisters named Susanna and Sarah, lived to adulthood.

The Lewises do not appear to have been well-off: Richard Lewis was a merchant and/or laborer, and couldn't sign his name. Susanna Van Der Burgh Lewis, however, could write at least her name, and Maria Lewis grew up literate though largely uneducated.

On July 28, 1783, when she was fifteen, Maria Lewis married James Reynolds. Reynolds had served in the Revolutionary War in the commissary department, and was older than Maria by at least several years. After the war he tried frequently to claim damages and get reimbursed for them by the government.

Maria had one child with Reynolds, a daughter named Susan, born August 18, 1785.

At some point before 1791, James Reynolds moved with Maria and their daughter from New York to Philadelphia. It was there in the summer of 1791 that a twenty-three year old Maria visited thirty-four year old Hamilton at his Philadelphia residence and asked for help claiming her abusive husband had abandoned her. Due to Hamilton's political office, he could very easily help her relocate back to New York City. Hamilton organized a meeting for later that evening to give Maria the money. Once Hamilton arrived at the boarding house where Maria was lodging, she brought him upstairs and led him into her bedroom where he recounts that "Some conversation ensued from which it was quickly apparent that other than pecuniary consolation would be acceptable”.

During the summer and fall of 1791, Maria and Hamilton continued the affair, while Hamilton's wife Eliza and their children were in Albany visiting her parents. A short time into the affair Maria informed Hamilton that her husband had sought a reconciliation with her, to which she agreed without ending the affair with Hamilton. She then obtained an interview for James Reynolds who applied to Hamilton for a position in the Treasury Office, which Hamilton refused. After Hamilton had shown unequivocal signs that he wanted to end the affair on 15 December 1791 Maria sent him a letter warning of Reynolds' anger over the supposed discovery of the affair:

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