Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton: An American Musical

The American Revolution left a groundbreaking influence on modern culture. Artists attempt to capture principles of the war with plays, stories, and movies. However, one of the most notable and recent adaptations, is the play Hamilton: An American Musical. Lin-Manuel Miranda, the writer and actor of Hamilton himself, utilizes play structure and creative techniques to reflect on the characteristic state of resilience, which was fundamental in terms of American success. Throughout the play, the importance of resilience is shown through innovation, reclamation, and morality. Innovation allowed the American colonists to spark creativity in terms of invention. Reclamation was vital for the colonists’ driving passion for success, as most of their

valuable and possessed land had been seized by the British during their reign on the thirteen colonies. Lastly, it was important for the colonists to maintain morality to discern the ethical difference between right and wrong. All three of these essential breakthroughs had developed a foundation for America and without Miranda’s writing, there wouldn’t be the long stride of success in reintroducing the American Revolution to the world.
Innovation
The crushing defeats brought on by the British army fueled America’s desire for creation in terms of coming back and recovering. James Jay, who was a practitioner during the time, supplied Washington and his militia with an invention known as invisible ink. Washington referred to this tool as a “sympathetic stain” (personal communication, 19, November 1778) in which it allowed American colonists to effectively communicate with others from abroad while eliminating any risk of being caught. In Hamilton, Lin Manuel Miranda’s creative play development links back to the historical renovations of the Revolutionary War. He chooses to work hard in connecting with the modern audience by infusing historical ideas of the past, with influential concepts of the present which had never been done before in a Broadway musical. In the song, “You’ll Be Back”, the titled phrase, “you’ll be back,” is repeated among each verse. Miranda chooses to do so as a way of emitting a repetitive mockery by the British on the American colonists’ attitude of never backing down. His use of anaphoric structure also mirrors the current rap/hip-hop culture of present day music. This whole phrase of “being back” sets up an elemental piece of determination that is much displayed throughout the play.
In the opening song, “Alexander Hamilton”, Miranda chooses to integrate a set of lyrics that reflects on Hamilton’s willpower; “Got a lot farther by workin’ a lot harder , // By bein’ a lot smarter, // By bein’ a self-starter” (6-8).

“Goin’ a lot farther” refers to the many boundaries and expectations crossed by Hamilton. “Bein’ a lot smarter” refers to the state of intelligence that he reached through motivation. “Bein’ a self-starter” refers to his constant drive for new creation which can also be perceived as America’s desire for independence. Miranda’s choice of colloquial and informal language, rather than using the formality that seemed apparent during the war, reflects on Hamilton’s attitude of going against traditions. During September of 1772, Hamilton published his famous hurricane letter to the Royal Danish American Gazette. In the letter, Hamilton induces a sense of urgency through an array of rhetorical strategies; one of them being colloquialism. “Good God!” (5), “oh! vile worm” (16), and “Hark” (34) are all examples of informality that wouldn’t be found in public letters. Hamilton chose to do so as a way of sending his purpose of dire support for affected St. Croix residents. The letter had successfully drawn attention towards Hamilton’s high level of work and had even enabled him to set sail for America. Being born as an illegitimate bastard had placed Hamilton in a state of despair. However, through hard work and the innovative use of rhetorical language, he

was able to bring himself back out of the emotional void that encompassed him from the beginning.
In the song, “My Shot”, Lafayette’s set of lyrics express the American colonists’ longing for independence in terms of political establishment; “I dream of life without a monarchy” (47). Miranda’s rhetorical usage of symbolism amplifies the colonists’ need for a brand new political establishment. George Washington, born in February of 1732 and later becomes the first American president, experienced a constant barrage of major setbacks. Starvation, illness, and loss of hope were major drawbacks for the American colonists. However, George Washington was always resilient in his pursuit for success, and promoted the idea that the colonists had to be willing to give up everything for “a life without a monarchy”. Washington eventually became the first and only president in 1789 to be unanimously elected by the Electoral College, fulfilling the innovative idea of “Governments instituted among Men” (Jefferson 8), as stated by the Declaration of Independence. Washington embodied what a leader of a nation should be and has allowed America to bring back a form of constitutional government, that had seemed to slowly vanish during the time, in which all citizens equally upheld “unalienable rights” (Jefferson 7).
Reclamation
During the time of the war, innovation was an essential tool that allowed the colonists to rightfully regain their original possessions. American colonists wanted to gain back what they had and this fueled their resilient motive. British forces seized most of the territorial areas in America during their reign over the thirteen colonies. One of the major cities included Yorktown, Virginia, in which the colonists re-claimed during the Revolution that finally led them to topple Great Britain. In the song, “Yorktown (World Turned Upside Down)”, Miranda sets up a lyrical moment that emulates a moment in the Revolutionary War. Lafayette’s lines, “Til we meet again, lets go” (17) and “- in Chesapeake Bay!” (52) occur at different intervals in the song, forming a periodic sequence much similar to the course of the Battle of Yorktown. In the war, the French allied troops don’t show up till the final moments of the battle, leading to the British surrender. Lafayette’s returning moment in the song also reflects on the French firing back at Great Britain prior to their defeat in the French and Indian War. This marked a moment in history as the American colonists, alongside the help of the French military, seized back and reclaimed not only Yorktown, but American land as a whole.
After the iconic 1804 duel between Burr and Hamilton, resulting in Hamilton’s death, his legacy was thought to eventually dissipate into the many historical events subsequent to the Revolution.

The loss of a life may be brutally common at this time period, but the loss of a man’s legacy that truly seemed to be one of the most important contributions to America’s foundation, was irreplaceable. In the song, “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story”, Aaron Burr is displayed to realize his impact on Hamilton’s legacy; “But when you’re gone, who remembers your name? - Who keeps your flame?” (23-24). Losing lives was a common part during the Revolutionary War. As stated by Washington himself, the American colonists were willing to trade life for liberty atop all of the disadvantages they withheld. However, “who remembers your name” and “who keeps your flame” indicates that Aaron Burr has not only caused a life to be a lost, but a symbolic legacy as well. Miranda’s use of ethos shows how important Hamilton was towards America’s foundation. He notes down Hamilton’s credibility as a way of showing importance and respect towards the figure. Before Hamilton was released, Hamilton was in fact disappearing amongst many generations. However, through Miranda’s usage of rhetorical appeal in credible standards, Hamilton’s legacy had been revitalized and returned from its aging

state.
Morality
The ability to reclaim what the colonists had originally possessed fueled the morale standards used to distinguish what was ethically right and tyrannically unjust. Publishers fully emulate on natural god-given rights by generating important documents such as the Declaration of Independence (1819), The Lee Resolution (1776), and the Northwest Ordinance (1787). However, the prime document that existentially generated most of these documents, was the Virginia Declaration of Rights. Written in May of 1776 by George Mason, this document called out the theoretical idea of liberty and equal rights amongst men. Inspired by many of the past beliefs of the Magna Carta (1215) and The French Enlightenment (18th century), the Declaration of Rights had brought back the philosophical theories of political standards, such as humans upholding “a firm adherence to justice, moderation, temperance, frugality, and virtue and by frequent recurrence to fundamental principles" (15). In the song, “My Shot”, a sense of mockery for the tyrannical British monarch can be seen; “-Britain keeps shitting on us endlessly, - Essentially, they tax us relentlessly” (Miranda 23-24). “Taxing us relentlessly” refers to one of the main grievances issued by the colonists, which was taxation without representation. Miranda’s rhetorical strategy of satire portrays the British government as one that doesn’t follow ethical standards. Morality was an essential presence contributing towards their resilience, and without it, the colonists wouldn’t have had an adequate knowledge between justice and tyranny.
Slavery was also an infamous act during the time of the American Revolution. It was so prominent during the time that Hamilton saw slavery as a waste of human potential in which the restriction of many people’s abilities resulted in a decrease in humanitarian succession. “Institutionalizing slavery only multiplied our troubles” (24) is a set of lyrics from the song; “Cabinet Battle #3” that emphasizes Hamilton’s perception on slavery. In the play, the cast shows a vast diversity in race that wouldn’t seem to fit the historical timeline of the Revolutionary War. Miranda chose to do this as a way of connecting the audience with Hamilton’s perspective of diversity. Hamilton’s understanding of human potential brung back and recovered an important artifact in history; the power of unification.
Hamilton fully embodied the resilient characteristic that was much possessed by American colonists. Without this driving mechanism that they had utilized, many factors wouldn’t have been able to be produced. Innovation, reclamation, and morality all played a massive role in America’s recovery during the war. These essential elements are fully expressed through Miranda’s writing. Creative techniques, such as rhetorical strategies and play development, are key parts in which they fully immerse the audience into the history of the Revolutionary War. The relentless attitude of never backing down and always discovering ways to recover was essential towards American success, and Hamilton fully incorporates that historical aspect.