Every action has an equal opposite reaction,
Ever since I’ve started waiting here, my life’s lost all its passion.
I can’t get Hamilton out of my head, no matter what actions.
I take.
I keep trying, but I just can’t gain any traction.
*big sigh*
I get no satisfaction having no interactions.
>> ALEX: Hey guys, I’m here, let’s get technical.
I love Hamilton, you love Hamilton, so let’s chat about it.
Wait a sec, this doesn't seem right.
Snaps fingers shirt appears.
Ahh that's more like it
I’m past patiently waitin’.
I’m passionately smashin’ every expectation.
Every action’s an act of creation!
This is an awesome shirt, you can get it, link in the description.
Last time, we talked about some of the top 10 things Hamilton got wrong.
It was an awesome and truly mind blowing discussion between literally hundreds of thousands of
people, and, of course, in that discussion, you guys told me about so many more artistic
liberties Lin took when making Hamilton, so today, let’s take a look at ‘em.
This is 10 More Things Hamilton Got Wrong.
First, spoilers, of course, but, as some people point out, you can’t really spoil history,
so.
*MUSIC*
That’s not true.
The story of George Washington’s wife meeting this shabby, stray cat, then naming after
Hamilton was likely just made up by British newspapers looking to make crazy, sorta mocking
claims about the those American rebels.
>> DONALD TRUMP: You are fake news!
>> ALEX: Lin’s aware of this inaccuracy, as he commented on it on twitter.
*MUSIC*
Alexander, like most people at the time, was not an abolitionist, but he also wasn’t
entirely for slavery, either.
Michelle DuRoss, who has a PhD from the University of Albany on this kinda stuff, writes, “Hamilton
was not an advocate of slavery, but when the issue of slavery came into conflict with his
personal ambitions, his belief in property rights, or his belief of what would promote
America's interests, Hamilton chose those goals over opposing slavery.
In the instances where Hamilton supported granting freedom to blacks, his primary motive
was based more on practical concerns rather than an ideological view of slavery as immoral.”
Source.
Hamilton’s opposition or support of slavery was completely amoral, he simply supported
whatever supported his other views the best.
*MUSIC*
*singing* Laurens wasn’t in South Carolina, redefining bravery.
Yea, no, he wasn’t, but it was important he was there for the plot of the musical.
Let me explain.
Ok, so here’s a corkboard, which we’re gonna use as a timeline for Laurens’ life.
In March of 1779, after fighting vigorously, Congress approved his concept, not his plan,
of allowing Laurens to recruit 3,000 black soldiers for a regiment he would be the lieutenant
colonel of.
So Laurens then backflipped down South Carolina where he won a seat in the senate.
He proposed his plan in 1779, and everyone hated it.
So he proposed it again in 1780 and everyone hated it.
So he proposed it again in 1782 and everyone hated it.
I don’t know, maybe it had the word moist too much.
Or, more likely, people supposed slavery and Laurens didn’t, sooo.
That’s what Lauren’s did in South Carolina, but what did he do at the Battle of Yorktown?
1781 Laurens did some fighting!
With his buddy, Hamilton!
And he was a key role when chatting with General Cornwallis about Britain's surrender.
And then everyone lived happily ever after!
Just kidding, he died a year later.
So, as you can see, he wasn’t in South Carolina during the Battle of Yorktown.
It’s much more complicated than that.
Lin also addresses this on Twitter.
Woo.
*MUSIC*
In the song The Schuyler Sisters, Burr can be seen hitting on Angelica, and Angelica
then going into full feminist with her response.
However, in reality, Burr was actually quite the feminist.
He was more progressive than any other character in the show, and that includes people like
Angelica.
Hamilton constantly argued against Burr on the topic of Burr’s feminist ideals, and
Burr taught his daughter Theodosia how to read and write when she was just 3, which
was wildly unpopular at the time.
A matter of fact, Michel Martin, Theodosia’s hired tutor, documented that “[Burr believed]
that women, whatever may be said, are capable of the same kind of genius as men.”
The show portrays Burr as a man with unknown and constantly changing ideals, but, ultimately,
he was as passionate about this as Hamilton was about other issues.
*MUSIC*
The song “Your Obedient Servant” make it seem like Burr dueled Hamilton because
he was straight up frustrated with the “effects of your life on mine.”
However, the reason for the duel likely wasn’t Hamilton and Burr’s overall relationship,
but because, after a loss, it was common for a politician to duel in order to defend their
honour.
Burr’s loss was a huge blow to his self-image, so he needed to prove that he was still a
worthy politician.
Also, historians suspect that, going into the duel, Burr wasn’t even thinking about
killing Hamilton.
Politicians duels like this one wasn’t usually held to get revenge, but to show that you’re
willing to die to protect your honour.
*MUSIC*
Philip Hamilton died in his famou duel on November 24, 1801, but the songs Blow Us All
Away and Stay Alive Part 2 take place BEFORE the Election of 1800 in the musical, buuuut
it should be after.
*MUSIC*
WEIRD VOICE: Ooh but Alex, of course there weren’t really 10 Duel Commandments
at the time, that was just a thing in the musical that sounded cool.
NORMAL: No!
That’s you’re wrong!
There were quote endquote, Duel Commandments, but there weren’t 10, there 25.
The American code duello was a set of rules guiding how to conduct yourself during a duel.
The code includes language like, “a blow [which is a shot] is strictly prohibited under
any circumstances,” and “No dumb shooting or firing in the air is admissible in any
case.”
Huh.
You can read through the entire document if you want, click the i.
*MUSIC*
Burr wasn’t, in fact, Charles Lee’s Second in the Laurens v. Lee Duel, a man named Evan
Edwards was.
I couldn’t find too much on Evan himself, but I can tell you that the Edwards family
was a prominent player in the Revolutionary war.
Enoch Edwards, Evan’s brother, was George Washington’s physician.
*MUSIC*
In “The Election of 1800,” Burr prompt proclaims that he’s putting himself out
there and openly campaigning, but is this really true?
Ehh, sorta.
Real open campaigning didn’t take full form until 1840, when William Henry Harrison brought
us into the modern age political advertising.
He has slogans and speeches and bells and whistles.
A matter of fact, there’s a Parks and Recreation episode about that!
However, Burr did significantly change the game of politics by starting campaigning practices
that we now see as common.
He had a campaign headquarters, called on his supporters to, well, support him and get
the word out, and made a database of voters and their preferences.
Thaaaaat’s not creepy.
*MUSIC*
For our final inaccuracy, we go to Anthony Rosenthal to tell us more about Hamilton and
his gang.
Anthony just closed Falsettos on broadway!
Yea, he’s a broadway actor!
He was in a show with Andrew Reynolds and Christian Borle!
And he’s on a cast album!
It’s so cool!
*Anthony just being awesome*
Take it away, Anthony!
>> ANTHONY: Hi Alex!
Yea, even though in the song “Aaron Burr, Sir,” Hamilton meets all of his friends
in one bar, they were never in bar at that time, a matter of fact, Hamilton met them
all at different places, and even, for some, different years!
It took him years to find a group of friends. #Relatable
Hamilton met both Burr and Mulligan before 1776, and he wouldn’t meet Laurens, and,
then, shortly after, Lafeyette, until 1777 in the Continental Army.
Not to mention, the timeline of this song is doubly off here.
Not only, as I just explained, did he not meet them all at the same place and time,
but Hamilton himself wouldn’t have been there.
He was there to talk to Aaron Burr about getting into college, but Hamilton applied to college
in 1773 or 74.
Remember, the song takes place in 1776
In 1776, there would be absolutely no incentive for him to talk with Burr about getting into
college.
Isn't that crazy? Oh, oh, what's this?
Oh, sorry, this is just the playbill for when I saw Hamilton on Broadway. Sorry; I don't know how that got there. (he totally does it's pretty cool.)
>> ALEX: Thanks, Anthony!
Anthony has an amazing and hilarious channel check it out, link in the description.
A Matter of fact, I guest-starred in one of his videos!
I’ll put a link to that when the end screen comes around.
And those were 10 more things Hamilton got wrong.
Which ones were your favourite, and (singing) what’d I miss?
I’m sorry.
Let me know in comments down below, and, of course, if you haven’t seen the original
video, check that out.
I actually did recently get to see the musical, and it is simply stunning in real life.
I got this beautiful program and this playbill signed by the man, the legend himself, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Rory O'Malley, the guy who plays the King and is a total boss.
All of that is to say, remember, I’m talking about this not because I want to hate on Hamilton, but because Hamilton
and how it not only has amazing music and dancing and all that, but also starts a discussion
about history and the founding of America, and take a sec and think about how special
it is that this piece of art Lin can do that.
It's amazing.
Anthony, can you take us out?
>> ANTHONY: Thanks for watching, DFTBA, and explore on.
>> LIN: *singing* Happy Cinco De Mayo!
The best taco bowls are made in Trump Tower Grill.
I love Hispanics!
>> ALEX: This really is an awesome shirt, and you really can get it!
Click the link in the description or on screen right now if you want to snag one.
Also the link is an affiliate link, so that by buying this shirt, you’ll be supporting
Technicality and making it even more awesome.
If you want to help out the show and get yourself this dope shirt, click right here.
You can also click on screen right now to see Anthony’s channel and our collab over
there.
Thanks Anthony for coming on the show.
Bye guys.