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Hamilton’s America tells the story of Lin-Manuel Miranda, the award wining creator of Hamilton. Not only does the documentary talk about the creation of Hamilton, it also gives insight into the life of Miranda himself. Although I must admit that while I have a personal love for musicals, I prefer more traditional musicals, and I never quite understood Hamilton. After watching this documentary, I am still not especially fond of Hamilton, however, I understand it more and I understand the appreciation it gets.
However, with that being said, the story of Hamilton fits well within the context of this class. Hamilton undoubtedly had a profound impact on the history of the Atlantic, and this documentary gives a unique insight into his life. As others have pointed out, such as Hunter Loya, Miranda felt an especially close connection to Hamilton because of Hamilton’s complex background. Namely, Hamilton’s status as an immigrant himself, and the hardships that he faced, such as being and orphan and having to work even harder due to his immigrant status. Miranda’s focus on Aaron Burr contrasts both Miranda and Hamilton’s lives with Burr’s life. It also helps to solidify his love and admiration for Hamilton, for whom it is obvious he feels a close connection.
Also as Hunter Loya stated in his blog, an important aspect of this documentary in regards to this class is the discussion of slavery. As the documentary noted, slavery was an important aspect of both Miranda’s life and Hamilton’s life. The emphasis on slavery shows how much slavery, especially in the Caribbean, is still ever present today. Although this class does not often discuss the modern day, this documentary really helped to show how ever-present the past and the actions of past figures are, even in the modern day. Likewise, the fact that Miranda felt so compelled to write an entire modern-musical complete with modern music about a historic figure who is often left out of many conversations speaks to the power of past figures and their ability to influence the future.