If you had told me when I was an optimistic middle schooler that my favorite musical, Hamilton, would have real-world parallels on its 10th anniversary, I would’ve laughed in your face. And that laugh wouldn’t have been a humorous one; it would’ve been one of shock. But here we are 10 years later, and now Hamilton is more relevant than ever for those in the United States. Aside from the genius work of Lin-Manuel Miranda in both storytelling and musicality, the message of the musical still rings true. Especially now.
For those who don’t know about Hamilton, the musical follows the life story of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton through R&B, hip-hop and rap music. The audience starts with Hamilton at age 19, in 1776, and we follow his core moments up until his death in 1804. Even if you don’t like history, Hamilton has something for everyone, with a Pulitzer Prize under its belt. If that still doesn’t convince you, here are just a few of the parallels between this award-winning musical and the current US climate, and why you should care about them.
polarized politics
Hamilton puts political tension at the forefront of this musical through discussions of war, financial decisions for the nation, and human rights. On a more concentrated level, there were two different political parties at this time: the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans. The conflict between these two parties was seen primarily between Alexander Hamilton (a Federalist), Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison (Democratic-Republicans) in two separate Cabinet Battles. With Cabinet Battles formatted as rap battles, we can feel the conflict building through this song’s genre choice. “Cabinet Battle #1” discusses the arguments between these political parties regarding Hamilton’s new economic plan for the country. Additionally, “Cabinet Battle #2” lays out the disagreement between the parties on foreign policy. Needless to say, there is never fully an agreement between the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans.
Similar to Hamilton, our major political parties in modern-day America rarely agree on things. The two current major U.S. parties, Democrats and Republicans, are also divided like the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans were long ago, with their differing opinions and stances.
Media battles
If you think the media was not relevant in the late 1700’s, you are wrong. Hamilton explores the multitudes of media and press, which at this time were spread using essays, pamphlets, private letters and newspapers. During the presidential election of 1800, Jefferson v. Burr, Hamilton was called upon by his fellow federalists to endorse a candidate. He inevitably endorsed Jefferson through private letters sent to House Members. Despite being ‘friends’ with Burr, Hamilton helped sway the election in Jefferson’s direction, which ultimately led to his win. His reason for doing this? He sings, “I have never agreed with Jefferson once, we have fought on like 79 different fronts. But when all is said and all is done, Jefferson has beliefs. Burr has none”. On a different occasion and in an attempt to save his image from scrutiny, Hamilton admitted to an affair in the Reynolds Pamphlet. Though he thought this act of honesty would save his public image, the reactions said otherwise, with lyrics, “Well he’s never gon’ be president now” and “You ever see someone ruin their own life?” This use of media destroyed his goal of being president, as the people deemed him unelectable.
In 2025, we might not have the Reynolds Pamphlet, but we do have Instagram, Facebook, X and TikTok. And these social media sites are just as effective as the media in the 1700s, if not incredibly more. Now, with media at its height, it can actually make or break a political campaign or an individual’s public image. Hamilton shows us proof that, though we think the influence of the media is new, it has always been relevant in both our society and politics.
Women’s rights
In Hamilton, we see the narrative of women’s rights through the three Schuyler sisters: Peggy, Angelica and Eliza. In their introductory song “The Schuyler Sisters,” the sisters repeatedly sing the words, “We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal,” which is a direct reference to The Declaration of Independence. At this time, this meant that women did not have the same rights as men, which is why the word ‘women’ was left absent from this phrase (though there was never a change to make this notorious phrase more gender inclusive). After this, the oldest sister Eliza carries on singing, “And when I meet Thomas Jefferson, I’ma compel him to include women in the sequel.” This lyrics references women at this time knowing that they did not have the same measure of equality that men did. But, it is also clear that they were not complacent in this fact, being outspoken for their rights in the future.
Though women’s rights have made impressive strides since this time, the work is far from over. Women throughout the country are still reporting acts of sexism in all areas of life: in the workplace, in personal life, in relationships, in media and more. Women continue to fight for the maintaining of rights in the government as well, for things such as bodily autonomy, protections against sexism in the workplace, protections for equal pay, and credit rights. Similar to the Schuyler sisters, modern-day women continue to be outspoken in demanding equal treatment in our country and will continue to fight for their rights.
hope for a better tomorrow
A theme that’s present through this musical in each character, but specifically in Hamilton, is hope. In the song “Non-Stop,” audiences experience Hamilton’s drive to make change, which is fueled by the hope for a better future to come. Aaron Burr, who acts as the musical’s narrator, described Hamilton teaming up with James Madison and John Jay, with a goal to write 25 essays defending and fighting for the new United States Constitution. They ended up writing over three times the number of essays than intended, with Hamilton writing 51 of 85 total essays. Hamilton was passionately dedicated to the bettering of this nation with a hope for a better tomorrow for all.
In the current climate of America, we need to maintain a similar hope for tomorrow. Working towards a better future is what creates conversations and resulting change. Even through a political climate starkly divided, hope for a better tomorrow remains in the American people.
Go watch hamilton now!
Realistically, I could have listed out over 10 additional connections between this renowned musical and the current U.S. climate. So, don’t just take my word for it, go watch Hamilton! The pro-shot is available with a Disney+ subscription. If you plan to visit New York soon, go see it on Broadway at the Richard Rogers Theater. If you are unable to watch Hamilton or see it live, you can listen to the Official Broadway Cast Recording on any music platform for free. So, if you want to be inspired for the hope of a better tomorrow, go watch or listen! You won’t regret it.