Even if you aren't typically a theatre person, there's no doubt that you've heard of Hamilton: the Musical. It's taken the world by storm since it's premiere in February of 2015, and ever since then it's been non-stop. (I apologize in advance for the amount of Hamilton references that will be scattered throughout this article. Let's see if you can catch them all!)
Not only is Hamilton arguably one of the biggest musicals ever, it’s become a cultural phenomenon. Kids everywhere are singing the genius lyrics and rapping about one of our founding fathers. I mean, it sounds insane, doesn't it? A rap musical about the life of Alexander Hamilton, the first Treasury Secretary of our nation, right-hand man to George Washington himself? That's almost as comical of a sentence as pigs flying.
One of the biggest impacts of this musical is obviously the history lesson it brings. To be completely honest, I knew barely anything about Alexander Hamilton before I listened to the show. All I knew was that he was our ten-dollar founding father and that he’d done some things during the Revolutionary War. I wouldn't have really been able to tell you what happened during said war either. Like a lot of people, I knew it happened, but not how or anything like that.
Now, because of this musical, I could tell you in detail what happened during Alexander Hamilton’s life as well as the events of the Revolutionary War. I know how things happened as well as why they happened, and I also have a few random facts thrown in there as well. (Did you know that Angelica Schuyler Church and Thomas Jefferson kept up correspondence for years? Or that Thomas Jefferson is the reason we have macaroni and cheese in America?) Not only do I know these things, but I have a super duper handy way of remembering them. A lot of lyrics feature dates and places that make memorizing history a lot easier, especially for teenagers.
Hamilton has also given us a modern look at our founding fathers. Too often, we place these men (and women!) on pedestals and treat them as if they were gods. There's a disconnect between their generation and ours, which is definitely understandable, but it doesn't help when you're trying to relate to these historical figures. By getting to delve deep into their minds and see them in a way we can understand, it takes them off the page of a history book and into our lives. I can recognize James Madison or John Jay or Aaron Burr in the people around me, and it helps to truly understand where we come from.
Hamilton teaches a few key lessons for any of its listeners. One of these comes from Alexander Hamilton himself. Hamilton came from very humble beginnings. All of the odds were against him, and somehow he made something of himself. He took the cards he was given and built himself a new deck and rose into as much prosperity as he could find. Now, he wasn't as great of a person as the musical makes him out to be, but he still shows that anyone from anywhere can make something of themselves.
Another lesson comes from the generation disconnect that I mentioned earlier. As stated earlier, a lot of the time we act as if the founding fathers were amazing people who could do no wrong. That's not true. The musical presents many of these people in a light that makes them more likeable, but it's important to remember many of them did horrible things. However, it's possible to do both. It's possible to have done amazing things and to have also done horrible things.
Take Thomas Jefferson, for example. Jefferson is one of the most recognized men from this time period, and most associate him with great things, such as the Declaration of Independence. It's true, he was an eloquent writer who had a way with words. However, he was a huge supporter of slavery. So was George Washington. It's possible for these great men to have done horrible things. Both statements are true.
Maybe I’m a bit biased, considering I love Hamilton with all my heart. I think that Hamilton is one of the greatest pieces of art that's come out of modern times. I’m so glad we have it in our lives, so thank you Lin-Manuel Miranda. Thank you for not throwing away your shot.
