Alexander Hamilton

HAMILTON AMERICA’S FIRST SELF-MADE MAN

Alexander Hamilton is having a moment. He has taken center stage in the American consciousness, thanks to two men: Ron Chernow, Pulitzer Prize–winning author and historian, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tony-winning playwright, composer, and performer. The two came together to create a Broadway musical about the “tendollar Founding Father” that brilliantly combines hip-hop with history.

At the heart of the show is the question of who tells a person’s story after death. Chernow and Miranda owe a debt of gratitude to both Alexander and Eliza Hamilton for ensuring that Hamilton’s story endures. Alexander’s prolific writings left behind a massive record of his adult life: his thoughts, beliefs, and actions. Eliza curated and preserved this material after his death, a massive undertaking that took decades.

Aaron Burr once said, “Things written remain,” but when letters are lost and writings are rare, finding the proper pieces to reconstruct a life is difficult, at best. Such was the challenge in recounting Hamilton’s Caribbean childhood. Historians must search for clues everywhere: Inventories, wills, court records, censuses, and even headstones all can provide valuable insight into a person’s life. 

Everything leaves a trace. The trick is knowing where to hunt for it.