Hamilton Play, Fact or Fiction?

Have you ever watched a movie and wondered if it was a true story? 

The Hamilton play is a historical Masterpiece, interpreting real events between 1776-1804. Although, in order to be entertaining theatrical incorporation had to be made. With that, let’s expose the facts and fiction incorporated in the Hamilton play. 

Fiction #1: In the play, it is stated that Angelica Schuyler gets married after Alexander Hamilton and Eliza Schuyler wed, but the truth is that Angelica Schuyler had already been married to John Church for roughly 3 years before Hamilton was even in her life.

Fiction #2: In the play,  Alexander Hamilton is accused of financial corruption, due to suspicious looking payments exported in patterns. The men who accuse him in the movie are Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Aaron Burr. However, in reality the men who confronted him were James Monroe, Frederick Muhlenberg, and a man who at this point in time is unnamed. 

Fiction 3: It is voiced many times in the play that Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson, did not agree on anything, although before the election of 1800 Hamilton, and Jefferson, agreed on many things including Supporting the new nation’s credit, the need for a capital on the Potomac, organizing British infractions, the importance of our National Defense, and that wealthy elites should guide our government.

Fiction #4: According to the play, John Adams fired Hamilton as the Secretary of Treasury during his reign as president. Although, that can’t be because Alexander Hamilton resigned from being the Secretary of Treasury in 1795, two years before John Adams became president. 

Even though it is fun to learn about the fiction pieces presented in Hamilton, for every fiction there comes fact.

Fact #1: In the movie, it shows Hamilton became George Washington’s Right hand man, which is absolutely true. Hamilton was invited to join George Washington’s staff, where he served as a right hand man with the rank of lieutenant colonel, which meant he was corresponding and helping with strategy.

Fact #2: During the play, it is said that Hamilton co-authored the Federalist Papers. This ordeal also happened in reality. Alexander Hamilton collaborated with James Madison, and John Jay, to write a series of 85 essays, known as the Federalist Papers. Although Hamilton did end up writing a majority of the essays, the three men worked together to create all 85 of them.

Fact #3: The play emphasizes that Hamilton was the first Secretary of Treasury once George Washington became the president, this is true. George Washington appointed Alexander Hamilton as the first Secretary of Treasury In 1789, a position in which Hamilton established the nation’s Financial system. Even though that system has evolved over time the foundation that Hamilton built has stayed the same all these years.

Fact #4: It is strongly pronounced that Alexander Hamilton supported Thomas Jefferson over Aaron Burr in the election of 1800. When the presidential election resulted in a tie between Thomas Jefferson, and Aaron Burr, Hamilton publicly stated that he supported Thomas Jefferson, putting a more dangerous view on Aaron Burr, which ultimately became a big part of the duel between Hamilton, and Burr, concluding in the death of Alexander Hamilton on July 12, 1804.

In conclusion, there’s much fiction but many facts revolving around the Hamilton movie. The writer of Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda, has stated many times that he took a theatrical outlook on the history of Alexander Hamilton. I hope you enjoyed learning about this historical musical as much as I did.

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