Hamilton: An American Musical Cheatsheet (Act I)
Disclaimer: The facts presented were drawn heavily from Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton, the very book on which the Musical is based. This cheatsheet is the joint effort of Manish Nair and myself — Manish had originally pitched the idea as a lunch-time primer for our colleagues who were interested to learn more about Hamilton.
About the Musical: Who and What is Hamilton?
Hamilton: An American Musical chronicles the major life events of the remarkable Alexander Hamilton, one of America’s key Founding Fathers. (He’s on the ten dollar note!) What makes it especially distinct from other musicals is that it is sung- and rapped-through, i.e. there is no standalone, spoken dialogue.
This places greater pressure on the song lyrics to deliver an accurate and cogent representation of Hamilton’s life. Spoiler alert: they do. But this also means that a little bit of historical knowledge comes in handy when trying to decipher Hamilton’s nuances and humour, which is why we are serving up the facts to you.
Backdrop
- The beginning of Hamilton is set on the precipice of the American Revolution, during which the Americas were distinguished as 13 British colonies.
- The British mostly let the Americas run on their own, but the late 1700s witnessed mounting colonial interference through means such as taxation.
- A critical turning point was the Boston Tea Party of 1773, a protest which saw Americans in Boston (the Sons of Liberty) dump thousands of pounds of tea sold by the British East India Company in a harbour as a display of colonial discontentment. Escalating estrangement sparked off the American Revolution, which lasted until 1783.
- The American patriots eventually succeeded in winning independence from the British, forming the United States of America.
- Hamilton goes further to chart America’s nation-building process after the war, including the crafting of the Constitution and the emergence of its federal banking system.
- Some creative liberties were taken in writing the lyrics, but these comprise mostly minor details — the overall narrative arc is still consistent with historical consensus.
Why Hamilton: An American Musical received such critical acclaim:
- Hamilton is one of the lesser known and less taught-about Founding Fathers of the United States (others being Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, John Jay) in spite of his immense contributions to the country, in part because he and John Jay were the only two who never became President.
- Hamilton was an immigrant who dedicated his life to building America, a particularly poignant fact to note with the resurgence of anti-immigrant sentiments in the the US today. These beliefs were apparent even way back when: Woodrow Wilson had once grudgingly praised Hamilton as ‘a very great man, but not a great American’.
- The musical also casts non-white actors as important historical figures and presents the stories through hip hop and rap, mediums which are more commonly associated with African-American subcultures.
Track 1: Alexander Hamilton
Summary
- The first track sets up who Alexander Hamilton is, as told by the other characters who feature in the story. It is a standalone, ‘summary’-type track that departs from the style of all the other songs in the musical.
- Hamilton was an immigrant scholar orphaned at a young age. Local community leaders impressed by his intellect had amassed a fund to send him to New York to pursue his studies.
- After emerging from the war as Washington’s right hand man, Hamilton became the first Secretary of the Treasury and, among other accomplishments, established the US national banking system.
Digging deeper
A bastard: Born out of wedlock to Rachel Faucette and James Hamilton, Hamilton’s parents never legally wed. While Hamilton’s true date of birth remains unknown, most historical evidence peg it to either 1755 or 1757.
An orphan: His mother had succumbed to a raging fever when he was 13. Young Hamilton had fallen ill as well (he was, quite literally, a sick bastard), but managed a recovery. His father had earlier abandoned Rachel and his two children — Hamilton’s older brother was named James, Jr. — without known reason. After his mother’s death, he and James, Jr. were taken in by their cousin Peter Lytton, who committed suicide soon after. In the aftermath of Lytton’s passing, Hamilton’s relations with his older brother lapsed and the two went their separate ways.
A son of a whore and a Scotsman: Hamilton’s mother was initially married to a Danish man named Johann Michael Lavien, forming an unhappy union which ultimately led to her running away from home. A vindictive Lavien broadcasted accusations of her infidelity, branding her a ‘prostitute’ in the eyes of many. (Fun fact: she never outrightly denied them.) He then successfully exercised a Danish law that allowed a husband to jail his wife if she was found guilty of adultery twice and no longer resided with him. When she was released from prison, Rachel fled the island, relinquishing the benefits of legal separation and confining Hamilton to illegitimacy. On the other hand, his father was — you guessed it — Scottish.
Dropped in the middle of a forgotten spot in the Caribbean: In his childhood years, Hamilton lived on St. Croix, an island in the Caribbean sea that was later devastated by a massive hurricane. The destruction compelled Hamilton to produce a long, moving account of it, laying bare a literary prowess that was startling for a boy his age. This essay was later famously reproduced in a local newspaper, generating such a sensation that a fund was initiated by local businessmen to send the promising youth to North America to be educated. Hamilton, though unsuspecting at the time, had written himself out of poverty.
In 1804, Hamilton was mortally wounded by Aaron Burr, the sitting Vice President, during a pistol duel which arose from protracted animosity between the two. He was aged either 47 or 49 when he passed, widowing his wife Eliza.
Track 2: Aaron Burr, Sir
Summary
- This track depicts Hamilton and Burr’s first encounter at a bar. Pay attention to the dynamics between them and how different their ideologies are. Hamilton and Burr’s relationship would come to epitomise the meaning of ‘frenemy’, especially after the war.
- Burr would later become the third Vice President of the US, serving under President Thomas Jefferson.
- The track goes on to introduce three other characters: John Laurens, Lafayette, and Hercules Mulligan. Hamilton developed close friendships with these three men during his early years in New York.
- The following two tracks, My Shot and The Story of Tonight, show how the night at the bar progresses.
Digging deeper
The pair’s interaction begins with Hamilton’s interest in Burr’s education. Burr had been admitted as a sophomore at the College of New Jersey (Princeton) at age 13. Hamilton, in contrast, had been denied admission to a fast track course at Princeton because a former student had worked himself to nervous exhaustion by attempting to complete his bachelor’s degree in two years — that very student was James Madison.
Hamilton initially likens himself to Burr as both of them are orphans, but soon realises that their ideologies and attitudes are starkly different. Burr is firm about staying under the radar and keeping his political beliefs to himself (‘Don’t let them know what you’re against or what you’re for’ / ‘Fools who run their mouths off wind up dead’), while Hamilton airs his views with pride (‘If you stand for nothing, Burr, what will you fall for?’).
At the same musky bar, Hamilton becomes acquainted with Laurens, Lafayette, and Mulligan, and they quickly become friends. Based on historical accounts, only Hamilton, Laurens, and Lafayette formed a colourful trio at George Washington’s camp during the Revolution, although Mulligan would later have a role in Washington’s covert operations.
Hamilton’s friendship with John Laurens is said to be the most intimate one of his life. The deep fondness that the two had for each other spurred speculations that they had homosexual relations, or at the very least romantic feelings (the line ‘Laurens, I like you a lot’ alludes to this). Laurens’ legacy lies in his unequivocal stance against slavery. Unlike all other southern political counterparts, he believed that liberty could only truly be attained when blacks received the same rights as their white masters.
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette was a stylish, high-spirited young French aristocrat with keen republican ideals, eager to serve the revolutionary cause. After the American Revolution, he sought to export the same liberal ideals to France.
Hercules Mulligan was an Irish tradesman and tailor. Mulligan was Hamilton’s first friend in a strange new city and took credit for introducing Hamilton to New York society. Like Hamilton, he viewed the impending revolutionary war as an opportunity for social advancement.
Track 3: My Shot
Summary
- Hamilton launches into My Shot to detail his aspirations in New York. Here, we discover a self-assuredness that borders on egotism, one that would later earn him multiple political foes.
- The young Hamilton is also presented as somewhat socially awkward for comic effect. In reality, the boy was naturally socially adept and hardly betrayed any characteristics of a provincial bumpkin.
Digging deeper
Miffed at his Princeton rejection, Hamilton entered King’s College (Columbia) instead. He applied himself so fervently to Columbia’s classical curriculum that his classmates would spot him rambling to himself shortly after dawn, reciting his lessons while pacing about. Historians agree that Hamilton likely lied about his age to reinforce his status as a prodigy. If he was born in 1755, he would have been applying for college at 18, an age deemed slightly old for a freshman in those days.
The track reveals the rising revolutionary sentiments, but also highlights the presence of British Loyalists in American society. Burr tells the group to ‘lower [their] voices’ and ‘keep out of trouble’, or risk getting shot. While he does not express an overtly anti-colonial stance like the other four, Burr later becomes active in the American revolutionary effort and serves as a Continental Army officer.
Track 4: The Story of Tonight
Summary
The Story of Tonight concludes the night at the bar and surfaces the zeal of Hamilton’s new band of compatriots, all of whom are eager to leave a legacy even at the cost of their own lives. Teaser: someone among them actually does lose his life as one of the last casualties of the Revolution, but we’ll get to that in a jiffy.
Track 5: The Schuyler Sisters
Summary
- This upbeat track introduces the three Schuyler sisters: Angelica, Eliza, and Peggy. The daughters of Philip Schuyler, a New York senator, were among the elites of society due to their father’s wealth and status.
- These sisters are important: Eliza would eventually wed Hamilton, while Angelica would remain a steadfast confidante of his.
- In The Schuyler Sisters, Angelica brings her sisters downtown in search of ‘a mind at work’ — someone informed about politics and the Revolution.
Digging deeper
Elizabeth (Eliza) Schuyler: A ‘stoic woman who never yielded to self-pity’, Eliza was committed to restoring Hamilton’s legacy even till the end of her life. She was known as a person of remarkable character, all at once loyal, generous, and compassionate. Despite her privileged upbringing, Eliza did not behave like a pampered heiress and was instead known to be self-effacing, preferring to focus the spotlight solely on her husband.
Angelica Schuyler: The eldest of the Schuyler sisters, Angelica was a fetching lady who embodied tremendous wit and charm, traits which made her the muse of some of the most famous politicians of her day, including Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and Robert Livingstone. Unlike most women of her time, Angelica engaged readily in current affairs and politics, although she craved a high society life that Eliza did not. Her desire for opulence likely incentivised her to marry John Church, a British merchant who had made a fortune during the war.
Margarita (Peggy) Schuyler: Peggy, the third sister, was beautiful but vain and haughty. Peggy was the recipient of several letters from Hamilton, who in them expressed his ardent love for Eliza. She was the earliest of the sisters to pass away, and Hamilton visited her bedside often as her health declined.
Track 6: Farmer Refuted
Summary
- In Farmer Refuted, Samuel Seabury, a Loyalist, rebukes the American patriots and argues against the Revolution, irking Hamilton.
- While the song depicts Seabury making a speech and Hamilton cutting in, the discourse actually took place in written form and was published sequentially in the New-York Gazetteer.
- Seabury had originally written a series of pamphlets under the pen name ‘A Westchester Farmer’, which informed Hamilton’s reply and the choice of the song title.
Digging deeper
After the Continental Congress (the governing body of the American colonies during the Revolution) adjourned, Seabury appealed to farmers and warned them against revolutionary actions, framing them as the major casualties of any trade boycott against the British.
Hamilton first contested Seabury’s position by publishing a 35-page essay titled ‘A Full Vindication of the Measures of the Congress’. After Seabury rebutted ‘A Full Vindication’, Hamilton struck back with ‘The Farmer Refuted’, an 80-page tour de force which asserted the need for unity to resist British oppression.
Track 7: You’ll Be Back
Summary
- In this track, Britain’s King George III addresses the colonists about the Revolution they are trying to start.
- This cheery-sounding song has elements of dark humour as King George III emphasises his preparedness to crush any refractory colony.
- The historical odds were stacked against the colonists: Britain then boasted the world’s foremost naval power, and no colony had ever succeeded in breaking away to set up a sovereign state.
Digging deeper
Despite the imposing British forces and open warfare, the Continental Congress adopted a resolution calling for independence for the American colonies, with only New York abstaining. The Congress endorsed the Declaration of Independence in its final form two days later.
When the New York Provincial Congress finally ratified the document, Washington gathered his troops and read the Declaration to them. The words allegedly sparked such patriotic exuberance that a mob of colonists rushed to tear down a gilded statue of King George III. They then melted it to produce over 42,000 musket bullets, a symbolic and practical gesture that boosted morale in the besieged city.
Track 8: Right Hand Man
Summary
- George Washington is introduced in the fashion of a pro wrestler, which is telling of his celebrity status at the time. Nobody stood closer to the centre of American politics than Washington — he was regarded as the most famous man in America for 25 years.
- In this track, Washington employs Hamilton as his aide, setting him up to be his right hand man.
- However, we see some reluctance on Hamilton’s part in taking up the post. Given his revolutionary fervour, Hamilton still ‘wants to fight, not write’.
- This track also foreshadows the roles of Laurens, Lafayette, and Mulligan as Hamilton links Washington up with them to aid the war effort.
Digging deeper
George Washington had risen to fame during the French and Indian War, an experience that would shape his position as a Founding Father. His career as a soldier began on the Virginia Frontier, and his very first battle — a surprise attack on a French party at Jumonville Glen — ignited the French and Indian War, which ultimately escalated to an intercontinental conflict known as the Seven Years’ War. Washington’s celebrity status was later cemented when he wrote a detailed account of his experiences in the Ohio Valley. The Journal of Major George Washington was published in various newspapers in British America, informing audiences about the growing threat of French incursions.
The line ‘Are these the men with whom I am to defend America?’ was actually bemoaned by Washington, a man famous for his composure, when the patriot forces he was leading during the Revolution lost their nerve during battle and fled in terror.
By the time there was an opening in Washington’s staff, Hamilton had earned a sterling reputation among three other superiors, all of whom were respected military figures in the revolutionary effort: Alexander McDougall, Nathanael Greene, and Lord Stirling. General Washington, impressed with Hamilton’s ‘brilliant courage and admirable skill’, penned a note to Hamilton to personally invite him to join his staff as an aide de camp. Although Hamilton took up the offer, the 22 year old was none too pleased about the promotion. His craving for battlefield glory led him to underestimate the importance of his position, which had won him the patronage of America’s leading figure.
Track 9: A Winter’s Ball
Summary
- This cheeky track depicts the young soldiers (Laurens, Burr, Hamilton) as audacious flirts, reminiscent of their notorious sexual exploits at the time.
- A Winter’s Ball likely alludes to Hamilton’s time at the winter quarters of Morristown, where Washington’s camp was based for a while — Hamilton had unknowingly found himself in close proximity to his future wife, Eliza.
- The Schuyler Sisters are framed as the ultimate conquests, given their high social status and Philip Schuyler’s wealth.
Digging deeper
Unlike what the track suggests, Laurens was not too interested in ladies. Biographer George Massey noted that Laurens ‘reserved his primary emotional commitments for other men’.
Burr and Hamilton, on the other hand, individually boasted a scandalous history. Burr kept letters from his various sexual conquests as trophies — letters so lurid that his first biographer Matthew L. Davis burned them to protect the reputation of the implicated women and condemned Burr for his unprincipled behaviour towards them. Hamilton was likewise notorious for his flirtatious nature; he was easily distracted by girls and ‘brimming with libido’. Abigail Adams, the wife of John Adams, said of Hamilton: ‘Oh, I have read his heart in his wicked eyes. The very devil is in them. They are lasciviousness itself.’ For this very reason, Martha Washington (George Washington’s wife) did indeed name her tomcat after him.
Track 10: Helpless
Summary
- At the same winter ball, Eliza and Hamilton meet upon Angelica’s introduction.
- Eliza is immediately taken in by Hamilton’s good looks, with a focus on his startlingly beautiful eyes.
Digging deeper
While the track depicts Eliza as helplessly in love, Hamilton was just as smitten. At 25, Hamilton’s place on Washington’s staff enabled him to interact with Eliza as a social equal, and he was instantly enamoured with her. Fellow Washington aide Tench Tilghman labelled Hamilton ‘a gone man’ when he started wooing Eliza. As the daughter of one of New York’s wealthiest and most powerful men, relations with Eliza also had attractive perks to be reaped. Eliza soon came to be known fondly by Hamilton as his ‘Betsey’.
Why the obsession with Hamilton’s eyes? Chernow describes Hamilton as ‘distinctively Scottish in appearance… [with] sparkling violet-blue eyes’. Fisher Adams, Hamilton’s comrade in the Federalist Party, reported of them as being ‘deep azure, eminently beautiful, without the slightest trace of hardness or severity, and beamed with higher expressions of intelligence and discernment than any others that I ever saw’. Clearly, these were a pair of eyes that you would not easily forget.
Track 11: Satisfied
Summary
- At Hamilton and Eliza’s wedding, Angelica mulls over her first encounter with Hamilton and reveals to the audience her unspoken feelings for him.
- Although saddened by her emotional sacrifice, Angelica displays sisterly solidarity and great affection for Eliza, a trait that will resurface in a later song.
Digging deeper
While openly fond of Hamilton, Angelica’s romantic feelings for him were never confirmed — she was a married woman by the time she and Hamilton met. That being said, their first encounter witnessed them drawn magnetically to each other, an attraction so intense that people naturally assumed that they were lovers. It is plausible that Hamilton would have chosen to woo Angelica instead, had she been eligible.
The somewhat scandalous nature of their relationship surely would have set some tongues wagging, but Hamilton and Eliza seemed united by their adoration of Angelica. Hamilton referred to both Eliza and Angelica as ‘[his] dear brunettes’, whereas the sisters’ shared love for Hamilton appears to have deepened their familial bond.
Track 12: The Story of Tonight — Reprise
Summary
- Hamilton’s friends celebrate his marriage to Eliza while teasingly lamenting his loss of freedom to a woman.
- Burr makes a surprise appearance at the wedding (much to the disapproval of the gang) and we see Hamilton envy his military command.
- When Burr makes mention of an illicit romance with the wife of a British officer, Hamilton encourages him to fight for what he wants, a notion that Burr avoids directly addressing.
Digging deeper
Adultery was indeed ‘unlawful’ at the time. Starting from the 1600s, husbands often filed civil lawsuits against their wives on grounds of infidelity. Burr’s lover was Theodosia Bartow Prevost, a woman who was then married to James Marcus Prevost, a British colonel sent to the West Indies.
Track 13: Wait For It
Summary
- This track introduces Burr’s catchphrase in the musical: wait for it. Unlike Hamilton, Burr is cautious and deliberative, preferring to play it safe.
- He begins by recounting his courtship of Theodosia — despite his ardent affection for her, he restrains himself and bides his time, as he does with many other facets of his life.
- Burr reassures himself that, while Hamilton’s route is not for him, good things also come to those who wait.
Digging deeper
After meeting Theodosia on a trip down the Hudson, Burr courted her by visiting her and her family frequently at the Hermitage. He, like Hamilton with Peggy, wrote to her sister to comment on Theodosia’s ‘honest and affectionate heart’. Everyone who knew the two were privy to their love for each other.
Theodosia was ten years older than Burr, and the two eventually married after Prevost’s death. She was never known to be a beauty, but was charming and well-versed in both French and English literature. Her letters to him displayed a remarkable ability to discuss philosophical issues. Like many men of his time, Burr exhibited an appreciation for intelligent and accomplished woman, which made his unscrupulous sexual exploits all the more incomprehensible to his admirers.
Yet, though he regarded Theodosia as an educated woman, Burr could sometimes took cruel swipes at his wife. He once responded to one of her letters with the opinion that it had been ‘truly one of the most stupid I had ever the honour to receive from you’.
Track 14: Stay Alive
Summary
- Love is great and all, but remember the Revolution? It’s still happening!
- In this track, Hamilton informs the audience of the wartime situation: the patriot forces are suffering heavy losses, but Congress has done little to support them.
- At the same time, Washington has his authority challenged by General Charles Lee, an experienced officer serving in the Continental Army.
- Hamilton bristles at Lee’s promotion while he is left relegated to the role of Washington’s aide. His appeal to Washington to give him a command is turned down flatly, raising tensions between them.
- Laurens, to defend Washington’s honour, challenges Lee to a duel.
Digging deeper
General Charles Lee was known to be impossibly temperamental, so much so that he was given the nickname of ‘Boiling Water’. At the Battle of Monmouth, Lee abandoned measures to stop British advancements and made a shameful retreat, sabotaging an opportunity for the American revolutionists to gain ground. This act of direct insubordination prompted Washington to arrest him, and Lee was later suspended from the army for a year.
The conceited and quarrelsome Lee resorted to heaping abuse on Washington and Hamilton via print. Hamilton, in a rare act of reticence, declined to rebut Lee. Instead, Laurens challenged Lee to a duel to avenge his slurs against Washington, with Hamilton serving as his second.
Track 15: Ten Duel Commandments
Summary
- Following the challenge Laurens poses to Lee, this track outlines the rules of duelling.
- Duels were a popular way for men to defend their honour and was often resorted to as an alternative form of arbitration.
- Through the act of counting, the song’s rhythm and lyrics parallel the institution of duelling, a practice which was confined to numerous detailed rules.
Digging deeper
The rules of duelling were established in 1777 by a group of Irishmen. The Code Duello contained 25 rules, some of which were incredibly specific. Although frowned upon as a barbaric way of settling disputes today, the ritual was perceived as organised and methodical then.
While a widely accepted practice, duels were officially illegal. This meant that someone with previous knowledge of a duel but failed to stop it could be prosecuted as well. For this very reason, doctors — who were at the scene to administer medical attention to injured parties — were made to stand at a distance that would allow them enough leeway to profess ignorance in court.
Duelling was especially prevalent in the Continental Army, and Laurens’ duel with Lee marked the first of many ‘affairs of honour’ in which Hamilton would participate. Perpetually insecure about his place in the world, Hamilton guarded his reputation jealously and this made him naturally inclined to duelling.
Track 16: Meet Me Inside
Summary
- Washington, upon discovery of the duel, upbraids Hamilton for his participation, citing the divisiveness of infighting during a war.
- In the midst of a heated conversation, Hamilton betrays his anger at Washington’s disregard for his ambitions.
Digging deeper
This track plays up Washington’s paternalism, a characteristic which apparently irked Hamilton. While cognisant of Hamilton’s desire of military reputation, Washington was aware that no one in his camp could match Hamilton’s fluency in French and writing skills. This prompted him to spurn Hamilton’s multiple applications for a field command, even when Generals Nathanael Greene and Lafayette lobbied for his promotion. Tired of being passed over, Hamilton eventually confronted Washington and left his staff. Washington later reached out to Hamilton with a conciliatory gesture, but this was turned down by the latter.
Hamilton’s private accounts reveal the tenuous personal relationship that he had with Washington. The general had attempted to forge a closer relationship with his aide, fondly referring to the younger man as ‘my boy’, but Hamilton had rebuffed his affections. In his own words: ‘I have felt no friendship for him and have professed none. The truth is our own dispositions are the opposites of each other and the pride of my temper would not suffer me to profess what I did not feel.’
Track 17: That Would Be Enough
Summary
- As Hamilton returns home, Eliza appears on stage visibly pregnant and tells Hamilton that she is carrying his son (to be named Philip).
- Even as Eliza acknowledges Hamilton’s ambitions, she assures him that she does not care for riches or glory, finding sufficient contentment in being his wife.
Digging deeper
In That Would Be Enough, Eliza’s attitude towards life is juxtaposed with Hamilton’s aspirations. While the young man will evidently ‘never be satisfied’, his wife finds joy and purpose in her love for him. We see her continue to embody this very ideal for the 50 years that she outlives him, even when Hamilton leaves Eliza and his family with a mountain of debt as the result of his untimely death. This personal philosophy lays the foundation for Eliza’s own legacy, wherein she serves as a generous and dedicated philanthropist for most of her adult life.
Track 18: Guns and Ships
Summary
- Guns and Ships places Lafayette, an immigrant general in Washington’s camp, in the spotlight.
- Lafayette liaises with France for the supply of vital equipment and convinces fellow French general Rochambeau to lend strength to the embattled patriots.
- The French aristocrat also implores Washington to grant Hamilton a command, a conciliatory gesture after the fallout.
Digging deeper
Guns and Ships is the fastest song in the fastest-paced musical theatre production of all time (the whole show churns out 20,000 words in 2.5 hours). According to Lin-Manuel Miranda, Lafayette spits out 19 words in the span of about three seconds with the couplet ‘And I’m never gonna stop until I make ’em / Drop and burn ’em up and scatter their remains, I’m — ’, making it the fastest set of lyrics in Broadway history.
Another fun fact: unlike Hamilton, Lafayette regarded Washington as a revered paternal figure in his life, so much so that the Frenchman named his only son George Washington Lafayette.
Track 19: History Has Its Eyes On You
Summary
- Washington delivers words of advice to Hamilton, cautioning him to tread carefully because ‘history has its eyes on [him]’.
- While this track sees Washington drawing from his own experiences, it also foreshadows Hamilton’s public life, which was scrutinised by his opponents and marred by scandals. Regardless of how much Hamilton yearned to leave a legacy, he truly did not have control over how people would eventually interpret his actions.
Track 20: Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)
Summary
- Hamilton returns to Washington’s camp to lead a command at Yorktown as part of a siege that would be the last major land battle of the American Revolution.
Digging deeper
The Battle of Yorktown was a decisive victory won by the combined American (led by Washington) and French (led by Rochambeau) forces against a British army commanded by General Charles Cornwallis. Cornwallis’ surrender prompted the British government to negotiate an end to the Revolution. The siege was also responsible for undermining popular support for the Colonists in Great Britain.
The retreating British army did indeed sing the old English ballad ‘The World Turned Upside Down’ while marching out of Yorktown, but this actually broke with tradition. A surrendering army would typically be granted ‘The Honours of War’, which meant marching out while singing a song native to their victorious adversaries, with flags and musket held in proper fashion. However, the British had previously denied these Honours to patriot forces when they took Charlestown, so Washington similarly refused these Honours at Yorktown.
Track 21: What Comes Next?
Summary
- King George III is back, and he’s displeased with how his efforts to crush the American colonies have failed.
- The British government and people no longer supported the Colonists as greater attention had to be diverted to the wars that Britain was fighting with its European rivals, France and Spain.
- King George III wonders aloud how America will govern its newly independent nation, betraying scepticism that the patriots would be able to organise themselves well enough on their own.
Digging deeper
As the greatest military power of the time, the loss of the 13 American colonies came as a shock to Britain. The American Revolution did more than just expose the vulnerabilities of the fiscal-military state, it also forced Britain to confront the reality that it had powerful opponents, yet no allies. Historians conclude that the war enabled Britain to deal with the French Revolution with greater unity and better organisation as a result of lessons learnt.
Track 22: Dear Theodosia
Summary
- Burr and Hamilton address their newborn children in this track; Theodosia for Burr and Philip for Hamilton.
- Both fathers express their desire to ensure the success of the nation for the sake of securing their children’s futures.
- The song plays out gently like a lullaby while surfacing the parallels of the two men’s lives — their orphanhood and, now, parenthood.
Digging deeper
Remember when we said that one of the revolutionary gang would not live to see the end of the war?
Right after Dear Theodosia — a scene not featured in the cast album — Hamilton receives a letter from Henry Laurens, the father of John Laurens, informing him of his son’s passing. In 1782, Laurens had attempted to ambush a British expedition foraging for rice near the Combahee River in South Carolina, but the enemy was tipped off and Laurens was instantly cut down by a bullet.
Hamilton, upon learning of Laurens’ death, is visibly crushed. Chernow notes the profound impact Laurens’ passing had on Hamilton’s life — he never again formed a friendship as personal as the one he shared with Laurens. As a prelude to the next track, Non-Stop, Hamilton informs the audience resolutely: “I have so much to do.”
Track 23: Non-Stop
Summary
- Non-Stop is the action-packed Act I finale song that tracks Hamilton’s life from the end of the Revolution to his appointment as Secretary of the Treasury under Washington.
- The key events, including the drafting of the Federalist Papers, are introduced in rapid progression to convey a sense of urgency and momentum in nation-building.
- Burr dictates a fair portion of the track, often in amazement (bordering on annoyance) at Hamilton’s determination.
Digging deeper
Hamilton was described to be a ‘supreme double threat’ among the Founding Fathers, all at once a thinker and doer, theoretician and executive. As mentioned in Non-Stop, he (alongside James Madison) was a prime mover of the Constitutional Convention, a chief author of The Federalist Papers, and a principal architect of the new American government. But his prominent role in statecraft also placed a target on his back — his enemies saw him as an overreaching, power-hungry politician.
That’s all for Act I! Not satisfied? Read our Act II cheatsheet to find out what comes next.
