The musical portrays Hamilton as an immigrant to America who 'made it.' Would other Americans in the 18th century have considered Hamilton to be an immigrant when he moved from one colony to another?

*Edited for clarity

Oh man! I have two Hamilton questions that I’ve been wondering about for a while

1.) In “Wait For It” Aaron Burr says “my mother was a genius.” Some looking on Wikipedia says that her diary was/is an important primary source on the time period, but it doesn’t mention anything about her thoughts/accomplishments. Was Aaron Burr’s mother particularly notable? What did she do?

2.) Would John Laurens’s abolitionist views have prevented him from a post-revolution political career? He was already from a prosperous South Carolina family, and knew Washington, Hamilton et al. Also, the accounts of his death on Wikipedia make it out that he was oddly determined to have one last attack on the British, even though the war was won. Would this have made a significant difference in his fortunes if he had survived it? What was the need to have more battle experience?

Any answers/ insight would be appreciated!

How much truth was there to the relationship between Angelica Schuyler and Alexander Hamilton? A few of the resources I found seemed to conflict a bit. I know that she was already married before they met, and she did have brothers so it wasn’t that she couldn’t marry him for needing to take that lead role in the family, but I do wonder how much of a connection they had beyond in laws.

More conflicts I’ve seen - one historian doubts the Reynolds affair even happens, and it seems like no one is absolutely sure who “broke” the news but that it definitely wasn’t anyone in the musical. Did it actually happen? Who broke the news?

I suppose my question would best be suited for u/uncovered-history or u/Gregory_K_Zhukov

I’ve read that there is controversy around wether or not Hamilton actually threw his shot away and that there are conflicting accounts on if he shot or not. I’m curious as to how many people would have been present? In instances like this would it be common for Hamilton/Burr’s negotiator to lie in an attempt to save the losing members moral superiority? Or would lying in this type of scenario be akin to commuting perjury in a court of public opinion?

What are some of the most clear historical inaccuracies in the musical?

Edit: why to what

The most surprising thing to me in the play was Thomas Jefferson's flamboyant appearance in personality, which was really entertaining. Can you tell us if that was an accurate depiction of him or if it was some creative embellishment?

Early in his career Hamilton rallies a number of students to the cause (himself among them) and leads said group for several of the early events. Was Revolutionary Fever particularly common amongst university students at the time?

As a second question, another early musical number has Hamilton squaring off against Samuel Seabury, an American Episcopal bishop. How split were religious authorities on the revolution, and were particularly patriot or loyalist leaning religious leaders able to sway the population?

In the musical, both Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton personally knew each other from the early days of the revolution. How well did they really know one another up until their dispute leading to the infamous duel?

And a follow-up question: how well did Hamilton personally know other revolutionary figures such as Lafayette? Did Hamilton ever personally spend time with them, or was his relationship to them more based on written correspondence?

In the musical King George plays the part of comic relief, acting like a jilted and possessive lover while the colonies fight for independence. How much do we know about King George's thoughts on the revolution? Did he write about it or make speeches about the conflict? As a related question, would the American revolution have been on top of mind for the British commoner or was it more an out of sight, out of mind, low level insurgency on the other side of the world? Basically would the average Brit have know who John Adams, Washington, or even Hamilton were or would they have just generally been aware of a war in the Americas?

Hi! Why did Hamilton and Burr fight a duel in New Jersey, of all places? It was still illegal there, wasn't it?

I am curious about Eliza "erasing [herself] from the narrative" - is there assumed to be missing correspondence between Eliza and Alexander from around the time of the Reynolds pamphlet? Are there compelling theories as to why that might be the case?

1. What can be said of his position n the abolition of slavery and how it was portrayed in the production?

2. What do you think in general of "dramatic license" in historical art like this? Does it serve only to abdicate the artist of responsibility for misconceptions and beset historians and educators with the burden of competing with a much more popular and less complicated version? (I struggled to unteach what students took from the Michael Collins movie.)

During the song about the election of 1800, Burr is depicted as openly campaigning and says 'ladies tell your husbands: vote for Burr!'

How important were women to the early election campaigns of the US?

In the musical, it’s implied that Hamilton played the most significant role in the federalist papers simply because he wrote more.

We were taught in college, however, that Madison wrote almost all of the most important papers, and that Hamilton even argued against the bill of rights in Federalist 84.

Why does the musical seemingly push Hamilton’s importance here more than seems historically necessary?

This is more broadly about the American Revolution, but I hope still within the purview.

There is a narrative that the taxes that were the rallying cry of the Revolution were levied because the colonists essentially started the French and Indian War without the consent of the Crown. Consequently, the Revolution was less about undue taxation, at least at the executive level, and more about locals consolidating power.

How accurate would you consider this narrative to be?

During the Hamilton vs. Jefferson rap battle, Hamilton brings up slavery about three times to Jefferson's face, almost in an ad hominem way. Was Hamilton known for mocking Jefferson on slavery to his face?

In the play, Hamilton asks Burr to help defend his “client”, the US Constitution, which ends up being the Federalists Papers. Did Hamilton actually ask Burr and if so, why did Burr refuse? Thanks for doing this!!

Was there anything suggesting Hamilton's relationship with his wife was deteriorating for him to pursue that affair with Maria Reynolds

During the musical NYC is referred to as “the greatest city in the world”. Was New York regarded in such high standing at that time? Schooling (for me at least) seemed to focus on Boston and Philadelphia during that time period. Was New York even considered the best/most influential city in the region?

While I'm here, I'll ask u/aquatermain something since I know some foreign relations history, but just a minimal amount to know this is a thing happening. Idk if you know Eliga Gould's Among the Powers of the Earth (10/10 book for the Revolution and foreign affairs), but its all about the new US trying to gain international recognition to receive legitimacy as a nation.

The need for the nation to prove itself is reminiscent of Hamilton's portrayal of Hamilton. How active is Hamilton in the process of proving the legitimacy of the United States?

What would have been on Hamilton's "itemized list of thirty years of disagreements"? Apparently this line is a reference to Parks and Rec, but was there actually such a list?

A reoccurring theme in Hamilton is the concept of “who tells your story?” and touches on concepts studied in historiography and practiced by academic historians (evaluating biases and limitations of authors of historic sources, their intended audiences, and acknowledging missing data from the historic record). I am curious what thoughts the panel has on this theme as it is presented in Hamilton. I have wondered if the play could be used as a tool to introduce the concept of historiography and connect the concepts with a non-academic audience, but since Hamilton is a form of art (to tell a story if it’s own!) and not an academic historical study, I would want to better understand and acknowledge the limitations of such a potential tool.

John Adams doesn’t get much credit in the musical for doing much of anything. My understanding is that Hamilton worked hard to undermine Adams’ presidency from the beginning. Do you think Adams is fairly treated by the musical? Perhaps his role was minimized to avoid overcrowding the plot by introducing another rival for Hamilton.

Hello! Thank you for answering our questions. Did Hamilton's position on slavery cause friction or comment during his lifetime? Was that part of the reason for his notoriety?

How did Hercules Mulligan, given his history of activism and rabblerousing, evade suspicion?

Three questions:

1. The play jokingly depicts George III's thoughts on Washington retiring and Adams becoming president. What was contemporary reaction in Britain really like, especially as Adams was somewhat unpopular in his term as US ambassador?

2. A big impetus for the show seems to have been Miranda's identifying with Hamilton as a Caribbean immigrant to NYC, similar to his own family. In spite of being American citizens Puerto Ricans are often thought of immigrants within the US, but would this have been true in colonial times? Would a British subject like Hamilton have been considered foreign in any meaningful way, especially when the government consisted of people from 13 different colonies?

3. In "Right Hand Man", Hamilton says "as a kid in the Caribbean, I dreamed of a war"... is there any evidence that Hamilton held revolutionary views prior to arriving in the 13 Colonies? Did many colonists in a place like Nevis have sympathies with the American rebels and if so why didn't any send delegates to the Continental Congress?

Oh neat, Towson, my alma mater.

The Marquis de Lafayette is presented as a key figure in the Revolutionary War and got a hero's welcome upon his return to the U.S. decades after the war. Talk about how he got on the radar of Gen. Washington et al, what he did and how he made himself invaluable.

How did France avoid direct conflict with Britain as a result of their intervention in the Revolutionary War?

We know how Burr's story went after the duel. But what if Hamilton had survived? What if he hadn't been hurt? What if the duel never happened? What would have become of Burr, Hamilton, Jefferson had Hamilton lived? What would have become of America?

Hello,

Since one of the experts deals in issues of disability, I'm wondering if you could answer a question of mine.

What would typically become of a slave child born with a disability? What would be done with a slave child with down syndrome for example? Was there any sort of system in place, or agreed policies for dealing with physically or intellectually impaired slaves?

Thanks!

How was Alexander Hamilton as a solider and military officer? The musical (understandably) doesn't focus much on that part of his life. He obviously was trusted by George Washington. What were Hamilton's major contributions to the war effort? How was he viewed by the men in the Continental Army?

A small quibble, but in the musical they make it look like Hamilton spilled the beans about the Reynolds Affair without breaking it to his wife separately beforehand. Is there any evidence to suggest he actually did that or is that an abbreviation the show made for time?

I have seen in several places that Elizabeth Hamilton was key in developing many of Alexander's financial theories/plans. In her own words, their discussions became integral to their marriage. Alex seemed to be terrible at his own house's finance as he spent heavily on the trappings of high society [dress like fake royalty - Jefferson in the musical] and Elizabeth being in control of their home's money. To what extent did Elizabeth develop or invent any of Hamilton's financial ideas?

King George in "I know Him" sings

"Oceans rise

Empires fall

Next to Washington, they all look small

All alone

Watch them run

They will tear each other into pieces

Jesus Christ, this will be fun!"

What was the opinions of European royalty (or any other beliefs that we know) of the American experiment? Did they all think it would fail?

These are outside the scope of the musical but two questions I had after reading more about the men involved in the musical:

1. When Lafayette returned to France for aid, he also pushed for an invasion of the UK. Would this have been a legitimate threat to England?

2. Can you explain more about Burr's later charge of treason? The source I read only mentioned it in passing and didn't explain it very well.

In the bridge to "Non-Stop," Hamilton approaches Burr about helping him write what would become known as The Federalist Papers. A few questions based on this exchange:

1. Is there any evidence this moment actually took place?
2. Do we have a record of other figures Hamilton sought out as collaborators beyond James Madison and John Jay (and potentially Burr)?
3. How did the trio of Madison, Hamilton and Jay come to be?

Did they really have such sick beats in the Revolutionary War?

Was Aaron Burr as reticent to express an opinion as he was portrayed? And if he was, how was this received by his contemporaries?

Angelica references that she is going to London with her husband and she later returns for a summer visit with Eliza. Was travel for “vacations” a thing that happened during that time? How long would it take for someone like Angelica to travel from London back to New York?

I am not the first to criticize Hamilton for erasing historical BIPOC from the Revolution's narrative, notably Dr Adrienne Keene has criticized the total erasure of Native people. How involved was Alexander Hamilton himself with Native diplomats/leaders and policies? And who are some of the key BIPOC political figures who were left out of Hamilton?

Allegedly, in real life, Burr was told that Hamilton might've actually thrown away his shot. Burr allegedly said "contemptible if true," because intentionally throwing a duel was dishonorable.

What would have been the implication/repercussions if Hamilton had clearly thrown the duel, historically speaking? Would his enemies painted him as a coward?

Was Burr upset about killing Hamilton? Did he ever show remorse or agonize over that event?

Just looking for some more insight into Burr and the duel itself. The musical makes it seem like Burr had regret, and the consequences for Hamilton throwing away his shot are not explores culturally in the play.

Thanks for doing this!

This question might be a bit off-topic since it doesn't concern Hamilton himself, but when the musical depicts Hamilton participating in the first murder trial in the country after the war, I couldn't help wondering how the judge presiding over that trial ended up there.

How did the judiciaries of the various colonies navigate the revolutionary war period and later transition to statehood? I imagine there were practical issues of logistics and safety as there must be whenever one is caught in the middle of an armed conflict, but I'm especially interested whether the process of independence, revolution, and later statehood presented legal ambiguities or other complications in judicial philosophy for judges, lawyers, and legislators.

I've been wanting to make a post about this question but haven't because I feel like I should be able to find the answer to it. I have 2 questions.

1. How prevalent was the concept of dueling in pre Revolutionary, Revolutionary, and post Revolutionary times? What was the expected outcome of a duel, by which I mean how often did people expect to someone to die? Since guns at the time were so innaccurate, what happened if both parties missed?

2. There's some weird stuff about Aaron Burr's life after the events of Hamilton listed on wikipedia, particularly around his leasing of 40k acres in the Louisiana Purchase and his supposed plan to incite war between the Spanish and Mexico. This lead to Jefferson putting a warrant out on him for treason. What exactly, to the best of our historical knowledge, was Burr attempting to do in the Louisiana Purchase after his tenure as Vice President?

John Laurens in Stay Alive:

I stay at work with Hamilton
We write essays against slavery
And every day's a test of our camaraderie
And bravery

I've read that Hamilton's relationship to slavery was less clear-cut than in the musical. Did he really write essays against slavery?

Did John Laurens views on slavery cause friction with George Washington or other prominent revolutionary figures? How in the world did he get the continental congress to agree to arm slaves? Did his views on slavery contribute to him being almost forgotten after the war? Any Laurens info is welcome really. I found out about him through this musical and I think that's a shame.

what actually happened in the deal with jefferson with the banks and placement of the capital?

One of Lafayette's first lines in the musical is "I dream of life without a monarchy", which seems an odd position for a Marquis.

Was Laffayete actually anti-monarchy and what side was he on (if either) in the French Revolution?

In the play, they say Martha Washington named her feral tomcat after Hamilton, is this true?

Not exactly a historical question -- do you historians like the musical? What do you think of the Hamilton phenomenon?

e: /u/uncovered-history has commented in this chain

The musical highlights serious "beef" between Hamilton and J. Adams. What was the nature and degree of their resistance toward each other? Did they ever support each other?

Ooh, maybe I can get an old question of mine answered!

How did John Church become an MP after supplying the American Rebellion?

One thing that caught my attention in the musical was Angelica moving to England with some unnamed wealthy husband. According to Wikipedia, that man is John Barker Church.

I was surprised to read that, while John Church apparently got rich selling supplies to the American Revolutionaries and the French, he went on to be elected to the British Parliament.

Did he not run afoul of any treason accusations? Was support for, or at least profiteering off of, the American Revolution not a massive problem for a life in British politics?

Hamilton’s wife Elizabeth was portrayed as wanting to hold him back. I can understand not wanting her husband fighting, but the musical had her opposing him being involved in politics after the revolution. Was she actually opposed to his political participation? How did she view her husbands profession? What would she have wanted instead? Thanks!

In Hamilton, James Madison was portrayed as pretty sickly. A quick Google search reveals that he was plagued with "biliousness," which included attacks of "bilious fever."

Do we know what he most likely actually suffered from? How common would it have been? Did any of the other Founding Fathers have this or a similar ailment?

I haven't started the book yet (it's on my to read bedside pile) but Tilar Mazzeo claims in her biography of Eliza Hamilton that the Remolds Affair was a fabrication between Eliza and her husband to cover up some financial misdoing. Is there any real proof of this or is this just the author's conjecture?

The book is "Eliza Hamilton: The Extraordinary Life and Times of the Wife of Alexander Hamilton".

I have many but here are my top three:

1. How did Thomas Jefferson and James Madison react to the death of Philip Hamilton, if they reacted at all?
2. In what ways did Angelica Shuyler influence the thoughts and ideas of the Founding Fathers? The play makes it clear she was speaking to both Jefferson and Hamilton about gender equality but was there anything else?
3. Wy does LMM make such good music?

I’m an English teacher at a performing arts school, and I used Hamilton as a unit on historical fiction. One recurring questions among my students was the line, “Let’s steal their cannons and shoot.” along with, “I know you stole British cannons when we were still downtown.” from Washington. Any information on this would be greatly appreciated, as I could not find any articles or first hand accounts on that event specifically. And thank you for this! What an incredible read so far!

During the 2nd rap battle, Washington has to decide whether to aid France and says his decision is not subject to congressional approval. Why is that? Wouldn't Congress have the power of funding this help? Or was this inaccurate in the show?

In Satisfied, Angelica says "I'm a girl in a world in which / My only job is to marry rich / My father has no sons so I'm the one / Who has to social climb for one". Ignoring the fact that her father did have sons, assuming there had just been three sisters, what exactly would her social status be and what we should have had to do with respect to marriage?

I’ve heard vague claims that Burr attempted to establish his own state somewhere in the new Louisiana Territory; is there any truth to that?

Watching the play, Washington seems very reliant on Hamilton and almost fatherly.

Is this accurate?

Equally, it presents Hamilton as being key to several of Washington's successes. Was Hamilton more of a speech writer or was Hamilton part of his brain trust?

Related, Washington seems peculiar in history as having few political opinions or ideologies of his own, and seems more apolitical than contemporaries and focused on pragmatism.

"Get your education, don't forget from whence you came"

Did Hamilton ever return to, or have any involvement with, St Kitts and Nevis?

I have heard Hamilton is considered historical fiction. What are key pieces/events in the musical that either aren’t true or there’s no evidence to support it?

In "The Schuyler Sisters", the sisters sing ""We hold these truths to be self-evident /
That all men are created equal"/ And when I meet Thomas Jefferson, / I'm 'a compel him to include women in the sequel!"

Were there any women, aside from Abigail Adams, who were vocal about the inclusion of women in participating in the new government? Were any women vocal about suffrage, property rights, or government participation?

So in the musical Hamilton mentions his belief in the revolution but more prominently talks about how the revolution is a way for him to advance on the social ladder.

I kept wondering over the past couple of days if that representation is seen as accurate for Hamilton himself and how much selfish reasons played into the decision of other founding fathers and important revolutionists to join the revolution?

Would it be fair to describe the Revolutionary War, or at least the phases prior to French intervention, as an insurgency? During the song 'Stay Alive' Hamilton and Washington discuss strategy like this:

'Don't engage; strike by night, Remain relentless 'til their troops take flight, Make it impossible to justify the cost of the fight'

How accurate is this representation? The large battles were relatively small compared to other engagements at the time and Washington often escaped with his forces mostly intact (at least as far as I know). Were American rebels mostly trying to bleed the British until it wasn't worth it to continue fighting rather than actively seeking decisive engagements?

How much of a relationship did Hamilton and Burr actually have before and immediately after the war? There’s the line “My first friend my enemy” is there any truth to this or was it just framed this way for dramatic purposes?

A couple of times in the musical Hamilton's presidential prospects are mentioned (most memorably Cabinet Battle #1 and the Reynold's Pamphlet.) I know Lin took some creative license with a lot of the material, but I was wondering if it was just presumed that those heavily involved in the birth of America would one day become or at least attempt to become president.

Also, in that time period would Hamilton's infidelity have impacted his political career so significantly?

Thanks!

Small nitpick question. In the Reynolds pamphlet, they sing, "You're never gonna be president now." However, I already thought it wouldn't be possible for Hamilton to be president since he wasn't born in America. Wasn't that clause already in the constitution? Or was he still somehow a naturalized citizen as a revolutionary soldier?

I was reading about the rest of Aaron Burr's life after watching the musical. Can you tell me more about his plot to become King of Mexico? Specifically:

• Why did he think he should be King of Mexico?

• What was his plan to become King of Mexico?

• What did he plan to do as King of Mexico?

The play portrays Hamilton being quite the popular person, with his support of Jefferson instead of Burr being the main factor for Jefferson’s ascent to presidency, but why would he be so popular after literally self exposing his own affair? Wouldn’t his reputation be ruined?

The play doesn't bring up the Alien and Sedition Acts. As perhaps the most prominent Federalist but also a person who made his name with his writing and speaking, was Hamilton conflicted by that censorship? Or was he more interested in damaging the Jeffersonians?

In the show, Hamilton is eager to get military command over being a "a right-hand man" because he fears it would not help him after the war. Was it true? How did other general's aides de camp fared after the war and why having military command seemed better to make a name of yourself? And let's be even broader: what was the job of an aide de camp in the war?

And another (very different question), do we know why Hamilton never sought presidency (even though he tried as hard as he could to get the votes he wanted)? It's a bit odd to me as apparently the Federalists were not incredibly united (I'm mostly referencing the whole Adams-Hamilton drama and might be wrong on that).

Thanks for doing this AMA and keep it up!

What, if any, was the reaction in Britain to Hamilton’s actions and orations? They presumably had a view on Washington and John Adams but to what extent was Hamilton a factor in their deliberations on the colonies?

Why Thaddeus Kosciuszko is not mentioned in Hamilton musical? I know this is a question mainly to Lin Manuel Miranda, but AFAIK Kosciuszko was interested (mutually?) in Eliza Schuyler, had a rank in the army and we an immigrant, so he would suit perfectly in Miranda's vision. Why he is missing from the musical then?

What do you think about the portrayal of George Washington

The characterization of Thomas Jefferson seemed really off to me. I understand the desire to portray him as a sort of political rockstar, but Diggs' portrayal makes him seem sort of...ditsy. Like a guy who wouldn't really pay attention to the little details; it's definitely implied that Madison is the brains of the Democratic-Republican operation.

Is that at all accurate? I always imagined Jefferson as super bookish and kind of detail-oriented, someone who wouldn't miss anything. Was he really as uninterested in in the fine points of policy as this portrayal makes him seem?

Hamilton refers to an altercation with the bursar of King's College over an accelerated course - would this have been out of a desire to minimise educational costs, or was Hamilton eager to graduate for other reasons? How economically feasible would it have been for Hamilton (or anyone else) to attend a college/university? (Alternatively, if it was actually fairly feasible, when did American universities become so eye-wateringly expensive?)

Did the founding fathers ever discuss preferential voting? was it known at the time? it seems like first past the post is a really dumb way to entrench a 2 party system

Was Washington’s presence at the Battle of Fort Necessity (and hence the start of the French and Indian War/Seven Years War) known about among American citizens? Did it have any effect on how people perceived him?

As a British person who never studied the US war of independence (I guess bitterness still exists to some degree), why did the Mrquise de Lafayette help the American revolution? He was a noble and returned home to help the French Revolution against the nobility, so I struggle to understand his motivation and how he fits into this group of friends with Hamilton. We’re they actually close or is that for the play?

Would it be worth linking to this older AMA from four years ago in the OP? I'm sure many of the questions/answers may be the same.

https://old.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4nay2m/ama_hamilton_and_his_time_the_stories_behind_the/

Bernadette Banner recently put out an analysis of the costumes of Hamilton as a musical, and how costumes were adapted for the show whilst still remaining relatively true to eighteenth century fashion. In turn, how accurate were the 'official' fashions of the eighteenth century in relation to every day life? For example, were the English soldiers literally the red coats, or would dress uniform be quickly shed in a battle situation in favour of something else?

How much sway did the King of England hold at that time compared to say the parliament of the UK? The King in the play seemed pretty pointless and was injected randomly for comedic relief.

So in the play Hamilton was the one who convinced Washington of his stance related to France and maintaining neutrality in their conflict with Great Britain. How much of that was Hamilton convincing or was it more Washington having his mind already made up?

Also do we know how much correspondence Lafayette and Hamilton had after the war?

In the musical, Lafayette sings, “I go to France for more funds. I come back with more guns and ships...” In Chernow’s biography, he states that Lafayette came to America with a ship and spent a good deal of his own money outfitting American troops. How did people move funds across the ocean? Were they just sailing around with big chests of gold? Was the international paper/credit system developed enough to send an IOU? If chests of gold, how did they protect their fortunes from being stolen by bad actors?

Ok this is going to be a weird one and I'm not sure if you guys can answer. I finally grabbed a copy of my old APUSH textbook to confirm that I wasnt crazy in remembering this, but I cant seem to find any corroborating info.

The quote here that I have is this: "Dropped from the cabinet in Jefferson's second term, Burr joined with a group of Federalist extremists to plot the secession of New England and New York. Alexander Hamilton, though no friend of Jefferson, exposed and foiled the conspiracy."

I can find lots of stuff about Burr's escapade in Mexico, but I can't seem to find anything about the New York conspiracy. I remember my teacher telling it like Burr tried to get New York to vote to set up a monarchy, but was told to fuck off.

Any information you guys have would be helpful :)

Source: The American Pageant by Thomas A Bailey.

Did Hamilton have genuine ambitions to become president? If so, how reasonable was those dream before the Hamilton–Reynolds affair?

Angelica travels freely between America and Britain during the play. How was nationality handled during this period. Would the couple be treated as British in Britain but American when returning?

During the play, everyone pretty much seems to rag on John Adams, particularly when he becomes president. I know that Jefferson and Adams didnt get along (although im also aware their friendship was sonewhat mended later in life).

But I was surprised to see that Hamilton, being of the same Federalist party, was also not a fan of the man (or atleast that's how it seems in the play). There is the bit about King George laughing and mocking Adams upon hearing that he is elected president but I'm assuming that was more for humor than any actual historical context. In general I'm kind of surprised to see him not as involved with the play at all, and to some extent I suppose the same is true for Benjamin Franklin as well now that I think of it.

Thanks for this great AMA flairs! You guys are awesome.

As a Canadian, it's always been a little strange to see the sheer myth making and hero worship that often swirls around the US Founding Fathers. Did this kind of renown exist pretty much right away after the war? Were all the FF'ers hailed as these great larger then life political icons, or was it mostly a handful of the more well known ones?

A quick question about Washington: in the play, there's a reference to an early battle that Washington led that didn't go well for him. I think there's a reference to mistakes or men being killed, etc.

I'd like to read more about that battle, but it's hard to pin down which one it was. What early military defeat did Washington suffer, and what happened?

1. This was one of the few times that I have George Washington as a strong man, what made him so popular. He is always seems so stoic and gray wigged.

2. Was Jefferson a bit of coward? Do you think he was exclusive with Sally. He promised his wife he would not remarry seems his relationship with Sally accomplished that for him. Was she his wife's sister/half sister?

Did Hamilton really talk for six hours at the Constitutional Convention and did he benefit from making such a lengthy speech?

Can you speak to the beliefs of the founding mothers regarding women’s rights? In the show Angelica Schuyler says, “listen to my declaration, when I meet Thomas Jefferson I’m gonna compel him to include women in the sequel”

Has anyone made a survey of the relative wealth of founding fathers, famous citizens and aristocrats (e.g. Talleyrand, Mayer Rothschild and his sons, richest American merchants and planters at the time), sovereigns around the world, the famous trading companies, etc.?

Basically, with Hamilton’s story being so linked with the story of early American finance, where was the money and is there anything that really helps us understand the scope and scale of guidepost individuals, entities, and our nascent country at the time in economic terms? Also, not really interested in the potential of growth—more talking about the present economic power in the moment. Like an invasion or an attack is coming in a year, and you muster your resources.

Hi thanks for doing this! I’ve read the Ron Chernow biography and was captivated with the life of Alexander Hamilton. Growing up, the only time we really learned anything about Hamilton was when he was, “that guy who dueled the Vice President” and as the face of the $10 bill.

But anyone who reads about him and/or has seen the musical knows just how interesting and influential the life Hamilton really is and how relevant his story is to our modern America.

In the opening song, there’s a lyric, “his enemies destroyed his rep / America forgot him.”

I know of Jefferson’s “Anas” and Adams’s writings after Hamilton’s death, but what really was the public perception of Hamilton up until the musical? Did people look down upon his policies in light of the popularity of Jefferson it was he revered when America started to industrialize? And how exactly, despite all of his achievements, did America forget him?

Thanks in advance!

I was reading an article in Smithsonian Magazine entitled Hamilton Takes Command, which describes the many ways Hamilton was in charge of fighting and strategy during the Revolutionary War. It even includes Washington commending his leadership.

In the musical, Hamilton is very frustrated about not being in charge, until at last he is promoted before the Battle of Yorktown.

What historical details is LMM drawing from here? What leadership was Washington now allowing? What was so relevant about Hamilton's promotion before Yorktown?

For the liberties the musical took with the timeline and such, there are a lot of nods to bits of actual history to prove Lin did his research. I'm thinking of the references to Alexander's letter left for Eliza, Burr's later reflections on the duel and Hamilton's special relationship with Laurens. To you, what was the most impressive example of the musical showing its work?

There have been links to other discussions on the duel, but I did have one Q to ask.

There is talk of how they take positions for who will get a better view due the the morning light. And that initially, Burr's second told of how Burr waited until the smoke cleared so he had a clear shot.

So, just turning this over in my imagination, 20 yards apart doesn't seem that far apart, not enough for the clarity and how an 18th century pistol fires to make that much difference. Nor how the smoke from a pistol would cause hesitation to return fire.

So, I guess my Q is if vision was notably worse back then, or if the lighting was a convenient excuse. Same with a pistol's discharge (though I understand Burr's second later made it a shorter time until Burr fired).

That was fascinating! Thank you very much!

Hamilton was inspired by ashort-lived democracy, the Corsican Republic. What was this country and did it also inspire a little Corsican corporal?

I’m late to this, but in the second act, Hamilton must endorse Burr or Jefferson as the next President. Did Hamilton’s opinion really sway that many people’s votes? If so, what would’ve happened if he had endorsed Burr instead? Would there still have been a duel?

What do you think it means for our culture and country that such a play as Hamilton exists, with such a cast, and is near universally lauded?

Gonna watch it again tonight! Love it!

There has been a lot of criticism of the founding fathers recently on the issue of slavery and how little they did to address it duration no this period. Is it possible that Hamilton was playing a long game with his debt plan, with the enactment of his plans directly causing a transfer of wealth from the south to the north, weakening the south and strengthening the north to the point that the north could win an armed conflict over slavery?

Was there anything that could have been done? It seems to me that any attempt to abolish slavery in the late 1700’s would’ve led to the country fracturing into at least two nations, and since the south at the time had an economic advantage, I don’t see an outcome here that results in an end to slavery. Could things have possibly been different? Was there ever a chance?

Looks like my post/reply didn't go through yesterday, whoops! When Hamilton was a young apprentice working at a shipping office in Antigua (might have that island wrong), is it conceivable that he was involved in the slave trade? Did his experience at the shipping company guide his abolitionist sentiment later in life?

Why did hamilton cheat?