For the past 2 weeks, "Hamilton" has been the topic of conversation in many households as it was just released exclusively on Disney+ on July 3. Though it did not just come out to the public in this month, because of Disney it has been able to get more viewing from people who maybe couldn't have seen it on Broadway or on a tour. While the musical itself is nothing less of extraordinary, there are a few things that were changed to better fit the plot of "Hamilton". Here are 10 inaccuracies from the musical.
1. Angelica's not the family heir.
In the hit song "Satisfied" Angelica states "my father has no sons so I'm the one who has to social climb for one so I'm the oldest...". While yes Angelica Schuyler was in fact the oldest of her siblings, she did have 3 brothers. Their names were Philip, John, and Rensselaer.
2. Alexander met Angelica under different circumstances.
In the musical, the meeting between the 2 happens in "Helpless" and later discussed how Angelica fell for Alexander in her song "Satisfied". Historically, when they met Angelica was already married to John Barker Church and at the time pregnant with her second child. Though they did admire each other greatly and even sometimes flirt.
3. Laurens did fight at Yorktown.
In the song "Yorktown" Hamilton explains "Laurens was in South Carolina redefining bravery", which isn't fully true. John Laurens was in fact at the Battle of Yorktown under General Washington's command and didn't go back until after the battle. This was done in the musical really to get John Laurens to his home of South Carolina so it would end up being accurate to cause of his death.
4. Hamilton wasn't the abolitionist he's made out to be.
Throughout the musical, ending slavery is seen as a very important idea all of the men share. With lines such as "we'll never be free until we end slavery" and "but we'll never truly free until those in bondage have the same rights as you and me". While yes, this was a major issue within America and its founding, Hamilton wasn't fully against the idea of abolition. There is also speculation that Alexander Hamilton did own a few slaves.
5. The Reynolds Pamphlet was originally received by a different audience.
While Alexander Hamilton did have an affair with Maria Reynolds and later share with the public, there is a slight difference in the play. In the musical Aaron Burr, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison were the 3 men who Hamilton revealed his affair to because of extortion. When in reality, it was James Monroe, Frederick Muhlenberg, and Abraham Venable. It made sense in the play to have the other political figures because Monroe, Muhlenberg, and Venable were never mentioned.
6. Philip's death didn't coincide with the election of 1800.
In "Hamilton", Alexander's first born Philip dies is a song titled "Stay Alive (reprise)", which is 2 songs before "The Election of 1800". This would mean that Philip died before the election or the year of 1800, which was not the case. In reality, Philip Hamilton died in November of 1801.
7. Thomas Jefferson's resignation came at a different moment.
During the song "Washington On Your Side", Jefferson states that he "has to resign" in order to, in a sense, defeat Hamilton politically and run for president. When really, Thomas Jefferson stepped down in 1793 and didn't run for president until 1796, which is when he became the Vice President.
8. Hamilton's parents were exaggerated.
Throughout many songs in "Hamilton" Alexander Hamilton is described as a "bastard, orphan, son of a whore" in regards to his upbringing. While yes, he was in fact an orphan, his father did not leave until after he was born and his parents were actually married. There is also no solid evidence of his mother being a "whore" other than his father saying she was and then later leaving her.
9. John Adams couldn't have fired Hamilton.
In the song "Adams Administration" Burr states to the audience that "Adams fires Hamilton". While yes, they did in fact hate each other, Alexander Hamilton quit his job before John Adams was even elected as the president.
10. Hamilton barely threw away his shot.
During the whole musical, a theme for Hamilton is the idea of "throwing away his shot" whether it be a literal shot or his "shot" at a job with George Washington. At the end of the show in a song titled "The World Was Wide Enough" Burr explains that Hamilton "aims his pistol at the sky" mirroring his advice to his son earlier in the play. Alexander Hamilton did throw his shot away, but not at the sky, he did aim to shoot Burr but intentionally aimed a little wide of Aaron Burr.
While there are more inaccuracies throughout the play, these are 10 that are the most prominent to the show and just something to think about when watching. Even though there are historically incorrect things in the show, it doesn't take away from the amazing show it is and always will be. It just shows that history is not made to fit a musical or in any way perfect and was only changed for theatrical purposes.
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