Philip Schuyler was born in Albany to a prominent Dutch family. He was educated by private tutors. In 1755, He joined the British Forces during the French and Indian War. He then served in the New York Assembly.
During the Revolutionary War he was elected to the Continental Congress in and was later appointed as a major general of the Continental Army where, in command of the Northern Department, he planned the 1775 Invasion of Canada, which proved unsuccessful. He then planned the Saratoga Campaign which was successful in defeating the British Army at the pivotal Battle of Saratoga.
Schuyler then became a member of the New York State Senate before becoming the first senator from New York in the newly formed United States.
Recently, Schuyler has gained further recognition as the father-in-law of Alexander Hamilton. His daughter Eliza Schuyler married Alexander Hamilton on December 14, 1780. Eliza plays a prominent role in the popular musical Hamilton.