Top 10 Historically Accurate Details in Hamilton
#10: Burr’s Consequences
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The duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton is as famous as the two politicians. While Burr didn’t lose his life, he did suffer a great deal in the aftermath. After the duel, his legacy was permanently marred. His political career never recovered; in fact, it progressively declined over the course of several events. Later on, he faced charges again, this time of treason for an unrelated political scheme. The musical doesn’t explore these consequences in great depth. However, it beautifully depicts Burr’s remorse in the song “The World Was Wide Enough,” where he reflects back on the fatal rivalry.
#9: The Burr-Hamilton Duel
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Alexander Hamilton’s demise was dramatic and tragic. Years of tension between him and his political foe and sometimes-friend, Aaron Burr ended in a duel on a field in New Jersey. The musical takes some creative liberties with the details. For instance, it depicts Hamilton’s support of Jefferson during the election of 1800 as the main tipping point that led to the showdown. In reality, there was more at play in the following years. Still, using a combination of powerful lyricism by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a revolving stage, the show builds up the spectrum of emotions between these rivals. Hamilton’s monologue in the middle of “The World Was Wide Enough” serves as an excellent culmination of his story as well as the themes of the show.
#8: The Federalist Papers
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If there’s one thing Hamilton was going to do, it was write. Known for his texts, he was constantly writing, both in real life and in the stage musical. So it’s no surprise that he used this power to effect change in the country he was helping to build. Hamilton was in favor of the Constitution proposed as a replacement to the Articles of Confederation, which he believed to be ineffective. He worked with James Madison and John Jay to create a document – the Federalist Papers – supporting the case. In typical Hamilton fashion, he took the task and ran with it. As the Broadway show aptly tells us, the result was 85 essays that defended the Constitution, of which he wrote the majority.
#7: Hamilton Publicizing His Own Affair
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After Alexander Hamilton embarked on a lengthy affair with a younger woman named Maria Reynolds, rumors started to spread. The focus of the gossip was an alleged financial scheme thought to be helmed by Hamilton as well as claims of infidelity. Cornered, the Founding Father decided to go public in a published pamphlet. The 95-page document refuted the speculation charges laid against him by admitting to his own affair and revealing how Reynolds’ husband blackmailed him. The aptly-named showtune “The Reynolds Pamphlet” perfectly captures the chaos of this publication and its effects. The song even goes so far as to quote the real “Reynolds Pamphlet” nearly verbatim.
#6: Sally Hemings
Although the “Hamilton” musical is often criticized for interpreting the past through rose-colored glasses, there are moments that shed light on the dark events of the time. It is impossible to ignore that slavery was very much ingrained in America’s foundation and while “Hamilton” arguably doesn’t explore it with enough depth, it also doesn’t completely brush past it. Many jabs are made at Thomas Jefferson, who was known to own at least 600 slaves – including Sally Hemings. There’s a passing reference to her during his introductory number, “What’d I Miss”. While we would’ve liked the musical to discuss his and the other characters’ involvement with slavery more comprehensively, we were still pleased to see the serious issue being addressed.
#5: Women Were Excluded in the Declaration of Independence
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Those of us watching “Hamilton” today immediately recognize that the statement “all men are created equal” excluded pretty much anyone who wasn’t a white cisgendered man. While it was largely accepted at the time, the so-called equality laid out in the Declaration of Independence created centuries of hurdles for many groups of individuals living in the new country. One of the most quotable lines from the Broadway show is one that specifically criticizes this exclusion. Angelica Schuyler is undoubtedly a strong, intelligent character, which perfectly positions her to deliver this iconic burn to the past.
#4: The Schuyler Sisters Love Triangle
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We can probably all agree that one of the biggest draws of “Hamilton” is the relationship between the title character and his wife, Eliza Schuyler. Eliza sticks with her husband through the ups and downs of his political career, as well as in their marriage. However, she isn’t the only Schuyler sister who loves Alexander Hamilton in the show. While the extent of their real-life bond is debated by historians, many agree that there was more than a friendly relationship between Hamilton and Angelica Schuyler. This is particularly evidenced by the frequent and intimate letters they wrote to each other. Ultimately, we’ll never know exactly what happened between the two, but there’s no denying the musical draws on elements of truth.
#3: Hamilton’s Affair with Maria Reynolds
The second act of the musical brings one heartbreak after the other. The first one arrives in the form of Maria Reynolds. Hamilton and Reynolds meet while Eliza is upstate with her family. Despite his loving relationship with his wife, he enters an affair with the younger woman. In real life, the affair lasted several months before her husband James Reynolds first contacted Hamilton. James ultimately decided to extort him for money, which set into motion the events that would ultimately lead to the previously discussed “Reynolds Pamphlet”. The affair came to light years later in 1797, years after Hamilton’s affair – and tenure as the Secretary of the Treasury – had ended.
#2: Hamilton’s Familial Situation
One of the very first things we learn about Alexander Hamilton in the musical is that he was born out of wedlock. But did you know that his parentage actually played a very important role in his early life? Rachel Fawcett Lavine had Alexander with Scottish trader James Hamilton, despite technically being married to a merchant. Abandoned by both his mother’s soon-to-be ex husband and his birth father, Alexander’s youth was rocky. As a result, he started working from a young age to help his mother. After she passed away in 1768, he was on his own. The tenacious spirit he earned from these years arguably helped put him in a position to attend school in New Jersey and New York. As they say, the rest is history! Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Hamilton as an Abolitionist Hamilton’s Abolitionist Views Influenced His Politics Washington’s Aide Hamilton Really Was Washington’s Right-Hand Man Friendship with Hercules Mulligan Hercules Mulligan & Alexander Hamilton Had a Tight Bond in Real Life New York as the U.S. Capital The Nation’s Capital Was Originally the “Greatest City in the World”
#1: Hamilton & Burr’s Complicated Relationship
If there’s one word that best describes Hamilton and Burr’s relationship, it’s arguably “complex”. On paper, it appeared as though these two were destined to be friends. They were both orphans with strong political ambitions. However, the reality was much different. Over the years, their personalities often clashed and they found themselves on opposite sides of political battles. Tensions really started to rise when Burr succeeded Hamilton’s father-in-law, Philip Schuyler, as senator of New York. A series of events led to things devolving further, culminating in the duel that would take Hamilton’s life. Lin-Manuel Miranda and Leslie Odom Jr. perfectly channeled the building tension between the historical figures on stage, as evidenced by numbers like “Your Obedient Servant” and “The World Was Wide Enough”.
