Hamilton: How the Musical Remixes American History

Historic New England presents Hamilton: How the Musical Remixes American History

America has Hamilton-mania! Everyone is talking about Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony-award-winning musical. Its crafty lyrics, hip-hop tunes, and big, bold story have even rejuvenated interest in the real lives and true histories that Hamilton puts center stage.

In this talk, University of Maryland historian Dr. Richard Bell explores this musical phenomenon to reveal what its success tells us about the marriage of history and show business. Learn what this amazing musical gets right and gets wrong about Alexander Hamilton, the American Revolution, and the birth of the United States, and why it matters.

We will examine some of the choices Hamilton’s creators made to simplify, dramatize, and humanize the complicated events and stories on which the show is based, including slavery and the use of actors of color to portray the Founding Fathers and key participants in the American Revolution.