As a result of the tremendous success of the musical about the United States’ first Treasury Secretary, there have several articles referring to “the Hamilton effect.” This 2016 article in Playbill describes saving the $10 bill, popularizing Hamilton as a first name, and increasing an interest in late 18th century American history. See also here and here, for instance.
In the Albany, NY area, the Hamilton effect is strong. The historic Schuyler Mansion celebrates 100 years as state-run site. It’s a bigger deal than it might be because Alexander Hamilton married Elizabeth Schuyler “in the mansion’s parlor on Dec. 14, 1780. The couple lived in Albany for nearly two years after their marriage and they brought their children on summer vacations to the 32 Catherine St. house. Scholars believe Hamilton wrote three of the 85 articles known as the Federalist Papers in the house.”
My wife finished Ron Chernow’s acclaimed biography, all 832 pages of it, this summer. The daughter insists that we listen to the music every time we are in the car. This is actually less than last year when the playing was nonstop.
“Lin-Manuel Miranda’s smash Broadway musical altered the lives of countless unsuspecting fans with a powerful history lesson embedded in hypnotic, rhyming lyrics and a hip-hop beat.” It won 11 of 16 Tony awards for which it was nominated.
Long before the phenomenon, we were positively disposed toward Hamilton. A. Ham’s wife was a member of First Presbyterian Church, my current church, albeit in a different location.
Upon the death of Alexander Hamilton in 1804, highly-regarded First Presbyterian minister Eliphalet Nott delivered a “powerful sermon condemning the practice of dueling. It had a profound influence in curtailing the custom and has been recognized to this day as a work of great oratory.” I heard the sermon delivered at First Pres in 2004.
The three of us are hoping to finally see Hamilton in the next couple years.
The soundtrack
The soundtrack
The Hamilton Mixtape: Immigrants (We Get The Job Done)
Hamilton’s “rap” still rings true today
Thank you for all this information, Roger. Good to learn the history of our neighbours!!! I am going to come back and listen to the sermon on dueling, – a romantic but tragic practice, I think….
Hmmm although a unfamiliar person it seems like a wonderful piece of theatre which I would like to visit…
Please have a ♥-warming ABC-day / -week
♪ M e l ☺ d y ♪ (abc-w-team)
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Oh I would love to see this performance.American History is a favorite subject of mine.
Ann
exciting that you got to go
I think that never swam over the ocean ! I don’t know anything about it !
Everyone is telling me go see Hamilton. if they only knew I just saw Book of Mormom.
My ABC WEDNESDAY
So good to know this history. Very informative.
Happy ABCW!
I love HAMILTON and I’m living for when the touring production comes to Buffalo!
(Odd note: the show cleared up another case of words that I’d mispronounced my whole life because I’d only read them and never heard them said. I always thought “Schuyler” was pronounced “Skey-ool-er”, as if the first two syllables rhymed with “Key” and “pool”.)
Wow! I learned a lot! Thanks!
I’d love to see this musical in person. It’s a very creative, and fresh way, to present history to us.