Fact vs Fiction: Hamilton
Written by Suhani Prakash and edited by Aanya Sethi
Hamilton, a renowned Broadway musical, became viral soon after its release on Disney+ during the COVID-19 lockdown. The show is about American founding father Alexander Hamilton: his life, his achievements, his challenges.
Though the play is informative and a great way to learn about the American Revolution, there are some parts of the spectacle that are not entirely factual. Let’s look at the most significant of these facts and fictions in Hamilton — An American Musical.
Hamilton’s affair: Fact
The Reynolds Pamphlet? It’s real.
As showcased in the script, Mariah Reynolds approached Hamilton’s house claiming that her husband, James Reynolds, had left her. Soon enough, Hamilton entered an affair with Mariah, with James’ consent.
Five to six years after the affair ended, Hamilton found himself vulnerable to accusations of corruption. To prove his innocence, he published a 95 page pamphlet initially called the “Observations on Certain Documents,” which outlined his affair with Mariah and how her husband demanded regular payments from Hamilton. In return, James would keep the affair a secret.
Hamilton was fired by John Adams: Fiction
In the song “The Adams Administration,” Leslie Odom Jr. sings that “Adams fires Hamilton, privately calls him ‘creole bastard’ in his taunts.” This is impossible. Well, the firing part. Adams probably did call Hamilton a bastard.
Hamilton resigned from his position as Secretary of the Treasury on December 1, 1794. Adams, however, was elected as president only in 1796, two years after Hamilton’s resignation.
Hamilton gave up his shot: Fact
“The World Was Wide Enough” recounts the Burr-Hamilton duel and Burr’s experience of living with the burden of Hamilton’s death. The actors portray how Hamilton never actually shot Burr. That’s true.
Before going into the duel, Hamilton decided he would not shoot Burr. So, when the time came, he purposely shot at a tree above Burr’s head. Unfortunately, Burr perceived otherwise and shot Hamilton in his lower abdomen, taking his life.
Hamilton met Laurens, Lafayette, and Mulligan at the same time: Fiction
The numbers “Aaron Burr, Sir” and “My Shot” introduce us to the tight knit friendship of Alexander Hamilton, John Laurens, Marquis de Lafayette, and Hercules Mulligan. However, as much as I hate to admit it, the four did not meet at the same pub at the same time. They met at different times. In fact, there’s barely any evidence that Mulligan ever even met Laurens or Lafayette.
Regardless, Hamilton is a wonder to behold. Full of mesmerizing and diverse songs, captivating stage action, and immensely talented performers, it is the ideal way to learn about the American fight for freedom.
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Bibliography
- Harper, Blake. “‘Hamilton’ And History: The Real Facts About Lafayette, Schuyler, and Laurens.” Fatherly, 2 July 2020, www.fatherly.com/play/hamilton-and-history-the-real-facts-about-lafayette-schuyler-and-laurens/.
- Watchmojo.com. “Top 10 Things Hamilton Got Factually Right and Wrong.” Youtube.com, 14 July 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJHdO1jIdgY.