I know, I know, if you are a fellow lover of all things Hamilton you’re probably pre-judging the direction of this text. It’s the best… Duh-right?
Well here’s the thing; while I love a good musical and Broadway is pretty spectacular in my mind — I’ve never really fallen groupie status in obsession with one. I’m a military spouse, and prior to obtaining that status I was quite patriotic at heart, which has multiplied tenfold today.
I love America, I love our history, and I also love hip hop music.
Marry all those loves together and it’s no wonder millions of people have a love affair with “Hamilton: An American Musical.” So why are people naming their babies Eliza and walking around with founding father paraphernalia? Here are five things we can learn from “Hamilton: An American Musical.”
1. History actually matters.
We’ll scratch the surface first by unmasking the brilliance that is Hamilton — the music. The vast majority of Hamilton lovers have never actually seen the performance live, so why the fuss? Lin-Manuel Miranda’s lyrical genius draws in his audience from the very first song.
The “ten-dollar founding father without a father,” becomes so much more than a piece of paper in our wallets. His story typifies ours and creates a pathway for EVERYONE to see themselves in the birth of America.
The lyrics reflect actual history — like that part where George Washington says, “See ya later” to politics and more than one Hamilton that dies as a result of a duel (spoiler alert … kind of).
2. There is a force behind the force.
When I said everyone can find a place in Hamilton’s history I meant it. In the musical we are constantly introduced to family members of each founding father. I don’t think there is much of an argument for the greatness of characters like George Washington, John Adams and the likes, but who was the force behind the force?
I love that the musical has taken silent participants and made them literally sing. We are introduced to Hamilton’s wife, and sisters in law — individuals who helped mold him into the powerhouse of a man he was. This aspect of the musical really caused me to reflect on a word I have a hard time defining: sacrifice.
The women of Hamilton knew sacrifice and even though their names have been for the most part absent in our history books, their sacrifice was legendary and noble. Ring any bells? There are at least five “Founding Mother” books in my Amazon cart right now.
