By Zoe Ades ’18, Staff Writer 

“Hip hop songs started rising off the page” is certainly not a regular thought one has when reading about U.S. history – unless you are Lin-Manuel Miranda, the mastermind behind the phenomenal Broadway show Hamilton: An American Musical. Miranda beautifully crafted 23,000 words—which take audiences through the founding of America—and crammed it into just under three hours. This may seem like a lot of time for a musical, but it is relatively short when considering the diverse audience Miranda has been able to reach. Every cast member has a mixed racial background, as the musical was created on the basis of modernist and youthful elements, while still including older generations by using familiar history and elevated language. Miranda is able to balance his utilization of so many modern components while maintaining historical accuracy.

The music ranges from hip-hop and rap to R&B and soul. He even included two rap battles to depict a regular cabinet meeting under the administration of George Washington. The costumes are not nearly as confining as the typical dress of the time period. Women’s dresses did not consist of big skirts, tight corsets, and dark colors; rather, they are brightly colored, form fitting, and have deflated skirts. Cast members wear petticoats, brown boots, and fitted breeches. For both genders, hair is relaxed and natural, humanizing historical figures that seem so distant and impossible to relate to. In October, PBS released a documentary called Hamilton’s America, which enables viewers to see not only the origins of Alexander Hamilton’s story, but  Miranda’s creative process as well. The musical begins with Alexander Hamilton’s immigration to America from an island in the Caribbean. In the documentary, Miranda describes the musical as a very American story because Hamilton rises up from nothing, another connection to it being an “essential immigrant story.”

For skeptical history lovers, Hamilton’s America shows Miranda writing in Aaron Burr’s bedroom, visiting many battle sites, and hometowns of historical figures with fellow cast members. When asked about the historical side of the musical, Amanda Cohen ’18 responded, “After studying US history in middle school and taking AP US last year, I can relate to Hamilton not only on a historical level, as I’m familiar with the events, but also on a cultural level through the rap and pop music.” Former First Lady Laura Bush—one of the members of the eclectic group interviewed in the documentary—stated, “the wives of the founding fathers also really had a place in history. They worked as hard as the men did.” In the show, no woman is portrayed as a stereotypical housewife. Cohen’s favorite part of the musical is that “it takes a historical time period that was full of horrible racism and sexism and juxtaposes it with our modern, accepting lifestyle through casting minorities and women in strong roles that lead the play.”

The modernism does not stop there; Miranda has recently released a mixtape with artists— such as Chance The Rapper, Usher, Sia, John Legend, Alicia Keys, Kelly Clarkson, The Roots, Andra Day, and even Jimmy Fallon—singing covers of songs from the musical. A bonus for all Hamilton fans: there are three new songs written by Miranda. The combination of the ability  to connect with different aspect of the show—the songs, the mixtape, the background from the documentary—and the element of pure genius and innovation is why America is obsessed, and rightfully so, with Hamilton  Miranda managed to strike the perfect balance between modernization and historical accuracy. In just six years, he managed to create a phenomenon that has touched all audiences and extended beyond just the history of America.