While intellectually I saw this as a vehicle for showing the way class and gender determined pathways in early America, emotionally I felt Angelica’s conflict. We hear Angelica’s conflicting feelings -between what she wants and what society expects–and really feel her plight. In one song we learn more about the social standing of women in 18th century America in a way that is ridiculously catchy and human. Ha! That doesn’t mean I want him any less. So I’m the oldest and the wittiest and the gossip in This is perhaps best illustrated through “ Satisfied“, sung by Angelica Schuyler at her sister’s wedding to Alexander Hamilton. In my case it was clear almost immediately that the lyrics and narrative of Hamilton would feed my history-loving, poetry-inspired soul and really hit home in making some abstract subjects real.
In history it is the ability to relate to the past in a way that feeds your identity. As with most artistic interpretations there is an element of anachronism, as this American Historical Association piece mentions, but the musical’s ability to engage the public on the importance of history in all its forms is worth its weight in gold.įor me it all comes down to resonance and relevance. While Hamilton isn’t exactly an active agent in social justice, it does, in just over two hours, show how the narrative of a Founding Father is also the African-American story, the immigrant story, the story of women, and a story of the impoverished. And we do an injustice when we tell stories about our space, our history, our identity that are incomplete.” A few weeks ago, at the PastForward conference Bryan Stevenson of the Equal Justice Initiative spoke eloquently about the need to open up the narrative of our history to achieve social justice, he states “I believe that the opposite of poverty is not wealth….I believe that the opposite of poverty is justice. Hamilton the musical plays with that idea while engaging with the very real themes of legacy and memory.īut it’s about more than that.
It’s not always 100% accurate and is rooted in how various publics perceive their own past. Hamilton is an almost perfect example of public history.* But while I yet to have the privilege of seeing it in person there is one very large reason why I think the musical is fantastic: A work of genius, Hamilton soars for a variety of reasons including the hip hop allusions, the allegory to modern life, and the purposeful diverse casting, all of which have already been covered extensively elsewhere. In starting an essay on Hamilton it might be best to state my bias upfront.
#Who lives who dies who tells your story series#
Eliza I put myself back in the narrative Eliza I stop wasting time on tears I live another fifty years It's not enough Eliza I interview every soldier who fought by your side We tell your story I try to make sense of your thousands of pages of writings You really do write like you're running out of- Time I rely on- Angelica While she's alive We tell your story She is buried in Trinity Church Near you When I needed her most, she was right on- Time Every day is new I ask myself, "What would you do if you had more-" Time The Lord, in his kindness He gives me what you always wanted He gives me more- Time I live to meet so many subsequent presidents She tells your story I speak out against slavery You could've done so much more if you only had- Time And I ask myself, "Have I done enough?" Will they tell your story? Oh.Second in a series of three posts about the musical Hamilton. Every other founding father story gets told Every other founding father gets to grow old And when you're gone, who remembers your name? Who keeps your flame? Who tells your story? Who tells your story?
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