136 Fun Facts About Hamilton

Who wrote the book, music, and lyrics for the musical Hamilton?

Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote the book, music, and lyrics, and played the title role himself in the original Off-Broadway and Broadway runs in 2015.

Which Act 1 anthem has Hamilton vowing not to waste his one opportunity?

"My Shot" is Hamilton's signature anthem in Act 1, where he declares his determination to seize every opportunity. The phrase became one of the musical's most iconic lines.

In Hamilton, who plays the dual role of Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson?

Daveed Diggs played both Lafayette and Jefferson on Broadway, winning the 2016 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for the double role.

How many Tony Awards did Hamilton win at the 2016 ceremony?

Hamilton won 11 Tony Awards in June 2016; because two leading-actor and three featured-actor nominees competed against each other, 13 was the most it could have won.

Which streaming platform released the filmed version of Hamilton in 2020?

Disney+ streamed the filmed Broadway production in 2020, scrapping the cinema release Disney had originally planned for 2021 and releasing it to subscribers instead.

Who originated the role of the narrator, Hamilton's rival and eventual killer, on Broadway?

Leslie Odom Jr. originated Aaron Burr on Broadway and won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for the role.

Which song opens the show, tracing the orphan's path from the Caribbean to New York?

'Alexander Hamilton' opens the show; an early version was the first piece of the project Miranda ever performed in public, in 2009.

Which Schuyler sister does Hamilton marry in the musical?

Hamilton marries Eliza, the middle Schuyler sister, in Act 1; Angelica's 'Satisfied' then rewinds the wedding toast to reveal her own suppressed feelings.

Which book did Miranda read on a 2008 holiday, inspiring him to write Hamilton?

Ron Chernow's 2004 biography, Alexander Hamilton, did it; Chernow went on to serve as the production's historical consultant.

Mobb Deep's 2018 Hamildrop 'Boom Goes the Cannon...' samples which song from the show?

'Right Hand Man' supplies the 'boom goes the cannon' line that titles the Mobb Deep Hamildrop, released in 2018 after Prodigy's death the previous year.

What is the final song in Act 1 of Hamilton?

Non-Stop ends the act with Eliza begging him to slow down while he works through a law practice, the Constitutional Convention and a Treasury post.

In the musical, which character sings "Wait for It"?

The narrator's philosophy of patience is set against Hamilton's rush, and against his own affair with Theodosia, a British officer's wife.

Who was King George III in Hamilton's original Broadway cast?

Jonathan Groff took over King George from Brian d'Arcy James near the end of the Off-Broadway run and carried the role to Broadway, earning a 2016 Tony nomination.

What genre of music primarily influences Hamilton's score?

Hip-hop and R&B drive the score, which stages the cabinet debates as rap battles; critics also caught nods to Gilbert and Sullivan, Sondheim and 1776.

Which character sings "You'll Be Back" in Hamilton?

King George III sings "You'll Be Back," a satirical British pop love song addressed to the American colonies. It's styled as a breakup song about the colonies leaving the British Empire.

Where did Hamilton first debut before transferring to Broadway?

Hamilton opened Off-Broadway at the Public Theater on February 17, 2015, after previews from January 20, before transferring to Broadway that summer.

Which Hamilton song is about the secret affair between Alexander Hamilton and Maria Reynolds?

"Say No to This" dramatizes the beginning of Hamilton's affair with Maria Reynolds in 1791, which would later become America's first major political sex scandal.

Which original Broadway cast member of Hamilton played both Hercules Mulligan and James Madison?

Okieriete "Oak" Onaodowan doubled as the boisterous spy Hercules Mulligan in Act 1 and the reserved James Madison in Act 2.

What award did Hamilton win at the 2016 Grammy Awards?

The cast recording won Best Musical Theater Album at the February 2016 Grammys, with the principal vocalists and producers including Miranda and Questlove named on the award.

In the musical, what is the name of Hamilton and Eliza's son who dies in a duel?

Philip Hamilton, the couple's eldest son, dies at 19 after an 1801 duel dramatized in 'Blow Us All Away', a loss that devastates both parents in 'It's Quiet Uptown'.

Where did Miranda first perform Hamilton material in public, in May 2009?

At a White House poetry evening in May 2009, Miranda was invited to sing from his current show but instead tried an early version of the opening number.

Which song has the narrator envying the secret dinner-table deal he was shut out of?

'The Room Where It Happens' is Burr's number, sung after Hamilton, Jefferson and Madison strike a private dinner deal trading the capital's location for Hamilton's debt plan.

Beyond its Tonys, which major 2016 award did the show receive?

Hamilton won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, joining a short list of musicals such as Rent and Next to Normal to take the prize.

What was Lin-Manuel Miranda's previous Broadway musical before Hamilton?

In the Heights, Miranda's first Broadway musical, debuted in 2008 and won four Tony Awards including Best Musical. It's set in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan.

On which Caribbean island was Alexander Hamilton born?

Alexander Hamilton was born on Nevis in the British West Indies on January 11, 1755 or 1757; the exact year is disputed.

What position did Alexander Hamilton hold in George Washington's first cabinet?

Hamilton was the first Secretary of the Treasury, serving from 1789 to 1795 and building the new nation's credit and revenue system from scratch.

Which character raps 'Guns and Ships' in Act 1 of Hamilton?

Lafayette raps 'Guns and Ships', widely clocked as the show's fastest number, as he returns with French ships and troops to rejoin Washington.

Which collection of essays did Alexander Hamilton co-author to promote ratifying the Constitution?

Hamilton organized The Federalist Papers and wrote most of them, recruiting John Jay and James Madison after Gouverneur Morris declined to join.

During the Revolutionary War, what role did Alexander Hamilton serve under George Washington?

Hamilton served as Washington's aide-de-camp from 1777 to 1781, handling his correspondence, before finally receiving a field command for the 1781 campaign.

Which institution, chartered in February 1791, was the centrepiece of Hamilton's fiscal program?

The First Bank of the United States received a twenty-year charter in February 1791, over Jefferson's objection that the Constitution granted no such power.

Where did Aaron Burr's dawn duel mortally wound Alexander Hamilton on July 11, 1804?

Weehawken, New Jersey, was the spot because duelling was outlawed in New York, so parties routinely crossed the river to a ledge on the Jersey side.

Which political party, reckoned America's first, did Alexander Hamilton found?

Hamilton's Federalists stood for a strong central government, a national bank and closeness to Britain, against Jefferson's Democratic-Republicans.

What was the scandal over Hamilton's affair, which he confessed publicly in print, called?

In 1797, Hamilton published what became known as "The Reynolds Pamphlet," a 95-page document in which he confessed to his affair with Maria Reynolds to clear himself of charges of financial corruption.

Hamilton's portrait on US paper currency is taken from an 1805 painting by which artist?

John Trumbull painted the 1805 portrait from which the currency engraving was taken; the original hangs in the portrait collection at New York City Hall.

At which decisive 1781 siege did Alexander Hamilton lead three battalions against British redoubts, effectively ending the Revolutionary War?

Yorktown's British redoubts fell to Hamilton's night assault in October 1781, with French troops storming the neighboring one; Cornwallis surrendered days later, effectively ending the war.

Which New York school did Alexander Hamilton enter in the fall of 1773?

King's College, now Columbia University, admitted Hamilton in late 1773; while still a student there he wrote anonymous pro-Revolution pamphlets.

What was Alexander Hamilton's official role at the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia?

Delegate from New York, one of three; once John Lansing and Robert Yates walked out in July, the state lost its vote, though Hamilton kept speaking in the debates.

How many of the 85 essays urging ratification of the Constitution did Hamilton write?

Hamilton wrote 51 of the 85 essays; Madison wrote 29 and John Jay, sidelined by illness, only five.

What one-word term did Hamilton's First Report on the Public Credit use for taking over state debts?

Assumption was Hamilton's term for the federal government taking over state war debts; states like Virginia that had already paid theirs balked at subsidising those that had not.

Which New York newspaper did Alexander Hamilton found in 1801 to promote Federalist views?

Hamilton founded the New York Evening Post in 1801 to promote Federalist views; it later became the New York Post, one of the oldest continuously published newspapers in the United States.

Which 1791 tax championed by Hamilton led to an armed uprising in western Pennsylvania?

The whiskey tax of 1791, which Hamilton judged the least objectionable levy available, provoked the Whiskey Rebellion among western Pennsylvania distillers by 1794.

In the deadlocked 1800 election, Hamilton urged Federalists to back whom over his future killer?

Jefferson was denied a majority for the first 35 ballots before the deadlock broke.

What organization did Eliza Hamilton co-found in 1806, two years after Alexander's death?

The Orphan Asylum Society, which Eliza co-founded with Isabella Graham and Joanna Bethune in 1806, became New York City's first private orphanage.

How many Tony nominations did the show receive at the 70th Tony Awards, a record?

Double-ups in the two actor categories meant it could never have won more than 13 of them.

How much did Disney reportedly pay to acquire the streaming rights for the filmed Hamilton?

Disney reportedly paid $75 million in February 2020, a deal that originally pointed to a cinema release in October 2021 before the pandemic moved it forward by more than a year.

Which compromise, dramatized in Hamilton, traded the national capital's location for Hamilton's financial plan?

The Compromise of 1790 (also called the Dinner Table Bargain) was brokered over dinner between Hamilton, Jefferson, and Madison. Hamilton got support for his federal debt assumption plan, while the capital would move from New York to a new site on the Potomac River (Washington, D.C.).

Which actress originated the role of Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton's original Broadway cast, winning the Tony for Best Featured Actress?

Renee Elise Goldsberry took the Tony and a Grammy for the role and played her final performance on September 3, 2016.

On what date did Hamilton officially open on Broadway?

Hamilton opened on Broadway on August 6, 2015, after previews from July 13, following a sold-out Off-Broadway run earlier that year.

How many Drama Desk Awards did Hamilton win during its off-Broadway run?

Hamilton took eight Drama Desk Awards in 2015 for its Off-Broadway run, including Outstanding Musical and Outstanding Director of a Musical for Thomas Kail.

In which Chicago venue did Hamilton's Chicago production open in 2016?

The CIBC Theatre, then named the PrivateBank Theatre, hosted the Chicago production from previews in September 2016 to its January 2020 closing.

How many Olivier Awards did the West End production of Hamilton win in 2018?

Hamilton won seven Olivier Awards in April 2018 from 13 nominations, including Best New Musical and Best Actor in a Musical for Giles Terera.

Which city hosted the first non-English production of Hamilton, opening in October 2022?

Hamburg's Operettenhaus staged the German-language version from October 2022, the first time the show had been translated and performed in another language.

Lin-Manuel Miranda returned to the title role in Hamilton for a three-week engagement in January 2019, launching the third US tour where?

Puerto Rico hosted the run that opened the show's third US tour on January 11, 2019, with Miranda back as Hamilton.

Which loyalist bishop argues against the revolution in Act I of Hamilton?

Samuel Seabury, the Loyalist clergyman behind the 'Westchester Farmer' pamphlets, is mocked by Hamilton in 'Farmer Refuted'.

Which island does the young Hamilton leave for New York in the musical's opening number?

St. Croix, in the Danish West Indies, is where the teenage Hamilton clerked for a trading firm until his hurricane letter won him passage to New York.

Where was Hamilton workshopped in July 2013 while still titled The Hamilton Mixtape?

Vassar College's Powerhouse Theater hosted the July 2013 workshop of The Hamilton Mixtape, presented with New York Stage and Film, about eighteen months before the Off-Broadway premiere.

Which cast member took over hosting Ham4Ham after Miranda left the show in July 2016?

Rory O'Malley, then playing King George III, took over the Ham4Ham lottery shows outside the theater when Miranda gave his final performance in July 2016.

How many front-row seats were initially offered in each Hamilton ticket lottery?

The lottery offered 21 front-row seats at every performance, and the crowds it drew outside the theater spawned the Ham4Ham sidewalk shows.

How much did Hamilton gross in its record-setting eight-performance week in November 2016?

Hamilton grossed $3.3 million over Thanksgiving week 2016, the first Broadway show to pass $3 million in eight performances.

Which actor addressed Vice President-elect Mike Pence from the stage in November 2016?

Brandon Victor Dixon, then playing Aaron Burr, read the curtain-call statement, drafted by Miranda with the show's producer and director, asking Pence to uphold American values.

Whose portrait did Treasury Secretary Jack Lew decide to replace instead of Hamilton's?

Andrew Jackson's portrait on the $20 was the one Lew chose in April 2016 to give way to Harriet Tubman, after public outcry at the plan to bump Hamilton.

Which actor led the Australian company of Hamilton as Alexander Hamilton?

Jason Arrow played Hamilton when the Australian production opened at the Sydney Lyric Theatre in March 2021, with Lyndon Watts as Burr.

Which producer wanted to rush Hamilton to Broadway in 2014-15, as he had with Rent?

Jeffrey Seller, who had moved Rent from downtown to Broadway within months in 1996, was persuaded by Miranda and Thomas Kail to give Hamilton an Off-Broadway run first.

Which 1786 gathering did Hamilton attend, producing his call for a constitutional convention?

The Annapolis Convention of September 1786 drew only twelve delegates from five states; Hamilton drafted its report calling for the Philadelphia Convention that drafted the Constitution.

Which president appointed Hamilton a major general during the Quasi-War with France?

John Adams, pressed by Washington, commissioned Hamilton a major general and inspector general in 1798; the provisional army never saw combat in the naval conflict of 1798-1800.

Which 1794 agreement with Britain did Hamilton back to restore friendly trade?

The Jay Treaty, negotiated by John Jay in 1794 with Hamilton's backing, averted war with Britain; Jefferson's Democratic-Republicans bitterly opposed it.

In which town was Alexander Hamilton born?

Charlestown was Hamilton's birthplace; he was born there out of wedlock to Rachel Faucette and James Hamilton and orphaned as a child.

Over how many days in June 2016 was the Hamilton stage film shot?

The film was shot over three days in June 2016, combining two live performances with a day of audience-free close-ups; Thomas Kail directed.

On what date did the filmed Hamilton premiere on Disney+?

July 3, 2020 was the pandemic pivot: the stage recording was pulled forward from a planned October 15, 2021 theatrical release and sent straight to Disney+.

Which Billboard chart did the Hamilton cast album top, a first for any cast recording?

The cast album topped Billboard's Rap Albums chart in November 2015, the first cast recording to do so, and went on to multi-platinum certification.

Which future Oscar winner was an ensemble member on the original Hamilton cast recording?

Ariana DeBose was in the original ensemble as 'the Bullet' and later won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for 2021's West Side Story.

Which singer recorded 'It's Quiet Uptown' for The Hamilton Mixtape?

Kelly Clarkson's 'It's Quiet Uptown' was released in November 2016 alongside The Roots' 'My Shot' as the first taste of the mixtape.

On what date was The Hamilton Mixtape released?

The Hamilton Mixtape arrived on December 2, 2016 and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.

Across which river was the mortally wounded Hamilton carried for treatment?

The Hudson: Hamilton was rowed back to Manhattan, where he died the next afternoon at a friend's house in what is now Greenwich Village.

Where did Hamilton's shot land in the 1804 duel?

Hamilton's ball struck a tree branch overhead, behind Burr, supporting claims he threw away his shot; Burr's ball hit Hamilton in the abdomen and he died the next day.

Who fatally shot Philip Hamilton in a duel near the same spot three years earlier?

George I. Eacker, a lawyer who had attacked Hamilton in a Fourth of July speech, shot Philip in their November 1801 duel; Philip died the next day at 19.

In which year did Eliza Hamilton die?

Eliza Hamilton died in Washington, D.C. on November 9, 1854, aged 97, having spent decades after Alexander's death gathering and preserving his papers.

Which powerful Dutch landowning family was Eliza Hamilton's mother from?

Eliza's mother, Catherine, was a Van Rensselaer, the patroon family that held the vast Rensselaerswyck manor in colonial New York; Eliza was one of 15 children, eight of whom reached adulthood.

Angelica Schuyler's husband John Barker Church became a member of which body?

John Barker Church sat in the British Parliament as MP for Wendover from 1790 to 1796, while the couple lived in London before returning to New York in 1797.

In which city was Angelica Schuyler born in 1756?

Albany, the Schuyler family seat, was Angelica's birthplace in February 1756; the village and town of Angelica in western New York were later named for her.

What crime was Aaron Burr tried for in 1807 after his western expedition?

Aaron Burr was tried for treason in Richmond in 1807 over an alleged plot in the West; Chief Justice John Marshall presided and the jury acquitted him.

From which college did Hamilton's future killer graduate in 1772?

The College of New Jersey, now Princeton University, graduated Burr in 1772 at 16; his father and grandfather had both served as its president.

In what year was Aaron Burr elected to the US Senate, defeating Philip Schuyler?

In 1791 New York's legislature picked Aaron Burr over the incumbent Philip Schuyler for the Senate, a defeat that deepened Hamilton's hostility to Burr.

After whom was Philip Hamilton, Alexander's eldest child, named?

Philip was named for his maternal grandfather, Philip Schuyler, Eliza's father and a major general in the Continental Army.

In which Irish town was Hercules Mulligan born?

Coleraine, in County Londonderry, was Mulligan's birthplace in 1740; his family emigrated to New York in 1746, when he was six.

What trade did Hercules Mulligan practise while spying on British officers?

Mulligan was a tailor whose New York shop dressed British officers, letting him pick up intelligence; a Sons of Liberty member, he had taken Hamilton in as a lodger.

How large a brigade of enslaved men did John Laurens win approval to recruit in 1779?

Congress endorsed Laurens's plan for 3,000 Black soldiers from South Carolina and Georgia in March 1779, but South Carolina's legislature overwhelmingly rejected it.

In which August 1782 engagement was John Laurens killed?

Laurens was killed in the Battle of the Combahee River on August 27, 1782, a minor South Carolina skirmish fought with peace talks already under way.

Whom did Peggy Schuyler marry in 1783?

Peggy, born Margarita Schuyler, married Stephen Van Rensselaer III, the young patroon of Rensselaerswyck, in 1783.

Under what birth name was Maria Reynolds born in 1768?

Mary Lewis was her birth name in 1768; she married James Reynolds at 15 and later divorced him with Aaron Burr as her lawyer.

Roughly how much hush money did Hamilton pay James Reynolds?

Hamilton paid James Reynolds over $1,300 in instalments during 1791-92, more than a third of his $3,500 Treasury salary.

Which future president leaked news of Hamilton's affair to his political rivals?

Hamilton and Monroe nearly fought a duel over it in 1797.

Which musical's prologue did Miranda cite for putting the whole cast in the opening number?

Sweeney Todd's prologue, in which the whole company introduces the title character, was Miranda's model; the song had originally been written as a monologue for Burr.

Which Treasury Secretary did Obama reportedly say 'had to see' Miranda's 2009 performance?

Timothy Geithner, Treasury Secretary in May 2009, was the Hamilton successor Obama reportedly name-checked after hearing Miranda's opening number.

How long did Miranda say it took him to write 'My Shot'?

Miranda said 'My Shot' took him a year, since Hamilton's introduction had to be as dense and clever as the best rap verses he loved.

Which unexpected instrument did Alex Lacamoire add to 'The Room Where It Happens'?

A banjo, Lacamoire's idea, sits under 'The Room Where It Happens', giving Burr's big number an unexpected old-time twang that Miranda singled out for praise.

Which historical deal does 'The Room Where It Happens' describe from Burr's point of view?

It traded the capital's location on the Potomac for assumption of state debts.

Which song does 'Satisfied' rewind and retell from Angelica's perspective?

A real letter from Angelica saying she could not be 'so easily satisfied' inspired the lyrics.

Where did the refrain of 'Wait for It' come to Miranda?

He recorded it on his phone, briefly attended the party, then finished the song on the way home.

In which town is the army wintering at the ball where Eliza first meets Hamilton?

Historically, Eliza was visiting her aunt Gertrude Cochran there in February 1780.

Which song has Eliza destroy Hamilton's letters after the Reynolds Pamphlet?

It draws on Chernow's assumption that the real Eliza destroyed some of her correspondence.

Which phrase do passers-by use for the Hamiltons' grief in 'It's Quiet Uptown'?

Lacamoire called it the show's best use of strings, with just two players.

Which will.i.am song inspired the sung-over-spoken structure of 'One Last Time'?

Washington sings the Farewell Address as Hamilton reads it.

Which Bible verse about a vine and fig tree is quoted in 'One Last Time'?

Washington himself often quoted the line in letters.

Which British fortifications do Hamilton's battalions storm in the song 'Yorktown'?

He orders his men to remove the bullets from their guns before the assault.

Where was Miranda when he wrote 'Dear Theodosia'?

He and his wife adopted a small dog named Tobillo that week.

Which film's rap battles influenced Hamilton's Cabinet Battles?

The battles use anachronistic microphones.

Which Grandmaster Flash song does 'Cabinet Battle #1' contain elements of?

A cut 'Cabinet Battle #3' demo appears on The Hamilton Mixtape.

Which Tony did Lin-Manuel Miranda win for the first time with Hamilton?

He had already won Best Original Score for In the Heights.

Which Off-Broadway role did Phillipa Soo originate before Hamilton?

She was nominated for a Tony for playing Eliza.

Leslie Odom Jr. earned Oscar nominations for playing which singer in One Night in Miami?

He was nominated for both acting and Best Original Song.

Christopher Jackson provides the singing voice of which character in Moana?

He made his Broadway debut in the original cast of The Lion King.

Which CBS drama starred Christopher Jackson as Chunk Palmer from 2016 to 2022?

He originated George Washington in Hamilton and Benny in In the Heights.

Anthony Ramos voices which character in The Bad Guys films?

He originated the dual role of John Laurens and Philip Hamilton.

Which two roles did Jasmine Cephas Jones originate in Hamilton?

She is the daughter of actor Ron Cephas Jones and was born in London.

Which improv hip-hop group did Thomas Kail co-create with Miranda and Anthony Veneziale?

Kail won the 2016 Tony for Best Direction of a Musical.

Which TV series about a choreographer and his muse did Thomas Kail direct in 2019?

It earned him two Primetime Emmy nominations.

Where did Alex Lacamoire graduate in 1995 with the top GPA in his class?

Lacamoire has hearing loss and uses hearing aids.

Which 2017 musical earned Andy Blankenbuehler his third Tony for choreography?

His other wins were for In the Heights and Hamilton.

Which blockbuster ticketed exhibition did set designer David Korins go on to direct?

Korins earned a Tony nomination for Hamilton's set.

For which film did Hamilton costume designer Paul Tazewell win an Academy Award?

He was the first African American man nominated for costume design, for West Side Story.

Which architect designed the Grange, Hamilton's only owned home, completed in 1802?

The house has been moved twice, most recently to St. Nicholas Park in 2008.

In which Manhattan neighbourhood does the Grange stand?

It was the only home Hamilton ever owned.

Hamilton College began as a 1793 academy admitting boys of which Native nation?

Rev. Samuel Kirkland founded the Hamilton-Oneida Academy with Hamilton on its first board.

Which Kentucky senator built his 'American System' on the Report on Manufactures?

Lincoln called himself a 'Henry Clay tariff Whig'.

Roughly how long was Hamilton's First Report on the Public Credit?

It called for redemption at face value and assumption of state debts.

Which modern service did Hamilton's 1790 Revenue-Marine eventually become?

It merged with the Life-Saving Service in 1915.

In what year was the Bank of New York founded by a group including Hamilton?

It was the first company listed on the New York Stock Exchange and survives as BNY.

Opposition to which war briefly revived the Federalist Party before its collapse?

It fielded its last presidential candidate in 1816.

What happened to Aaron Burr's daughter Theodosia in 1813?

She was first lady of South Carolina at 29 and her fate remains a mystery.

Which general replaced Philip Schuyler as commander during the 1777 Saratoga campaign?

Schuyler had prepared the defence before being pushed aside.

Which actor played the title role in Hamilton on Broadway from July 2016 to January 2018?

He had also succeeded Miranda as Usnavi in In the Heights.

Which architect designed the Victoria Palace Theatre, Hamilton's West End home?

It was the last London theatre he designed before retiring, in 1911.

Ron Chernow won a Pulitzer Prize for his biography of which figure?

George Washington was the subject of Washington: A Life, which won the 2011 Pulitzer for Biography.

Which inaugural award for early American history did Chernow's 2004 biography win?

Chernow served as historical consultant on the musical.

Columbia University began as King's College on the grounds of which Manhattan parish?

Hamilton is buried in Trinity's churchyard opposite Wall Street.