8.2.4: Political Debates Through Songs from Hamilton- An American Musical

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Hamilton: An American Musical written by Lin-Manuel Miranda tells the story of Alexander Hamilton and the founding of the United States using hip hop, R&B, pop, and soul music as well as Broadway-style show tunes. It opened in February 2015 and won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama as well as numerous Tony Awards that same year.

Lin-Manuel Miranda described the musical as about "America then, as told by America now" (The Atlantic, September 29, 2015, para. 2).

Video \(\PageIndex{1}\): Official trailer for filmed performance of Hamilton, released on Disney+. Uploaded by Walt Disney Studios.

Explore how Hamilton portrays history and then write your own Hamilton-style lyrics in the following activities.

Activity 1: Analyze the Lyrics from Hamilton

Listen to the songs from Hamilton:
Listen to the songs again while reading the lyrics. Feel free to take a look at the way that Genius analyzes the lyrics after forming your own opinions and takeaways.
- Cabinet Battle #1
  - Genius Lyrics
- Cabinet Battle #2
  - Genius Lyrics
- Cabinet Battle #3
  - Genius Lyrics
Then, either:
- Write a Yelp or Amazon review for each song based on the accuracy, credibility, relevance, and presentation of historical events and issues (see example Amazon Review template by Madeline Hill), OR
- Design a podcast, video, or website in which you discuss the following questions:
  - Are these songs factual? To what degree? Do they leave anything out? How do they complement what you’ve learned in social studies classes?
  - How is Lin-Manuel Miranda able to make these historical moments contemporary? How does he utilize music and lyrics to convey history?
  - Does seeing history in a more contemporary light aid your learning? How can this be applied to other disciplines and/or mediums?
  - What parallels can you draw between the points Hamilton and Jefferson bring up in these cabinet battles and contemporary political issues/debates?

Activity 2: Write Your Own Hamilton-Style Lyrics

Hamilton highlights the Federalist/Anti-Federalist debates of the time - a set of tensions between federal and state power that still dominate U.S. politics today as different levels of government seek to solve problems of racial justice and inequality, climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, the struggling economy, and attacks on truth and democracy.

Choose an issue that interests you and investigate how federal, state, and local government are dealing with it.
- You could look at:
  - Pandemic policies such as mask mandates, vaccine requirements, or school reopenings.
  - Environmental and climate change initiatives such as plastic bans at grocery stores.
  - Automobile emissions and other fuel-saving transportation regulations.
  - Food safety and agricultural regulations.
  - Another area where there is disagreement between levels of government.
Write your own Hamilton-style debate lyrics about the topic of your choosing. Focus on the tensions between federal and state power related to your issue.
Bonus Points: Perform and record your rap song on TikTok, Snapchat, or Flipgrid.

Additional Resources

Linking Letters with Lyrics: "Hamilton" Songs Draw on Original Library Documents, Library of Congress
Hamilton Cast Read-Along of "The Storyteller's Candle/La Velita de los Cuentos" in Spanish (with English closed captions)

Connecting to the eBook

Building Democracy for All: 2.4 Debates Between Federalists and Anti-Federalists

Connecting to the Standards

Massachusetts Civics & Government Standards
- Compare and contrast key ideas debated between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists over ratification of the Constitution (Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for History and Social Science) [8.T2.4]
ISTE Standards
- Knowledge Constructor
  - 3a: Students plan and employ effective research strategies to locate information and other resources for their intellectual or creative pursuits.
  - 3b: Students evaluate the accuracy, perspective, credibility and relevance of information, media, data, or other resources.
  - 3d: Students build knowledge by actively exploring real-world issues and problems, developing ideas and theories and pursuing answers and solutions.
- Creative Communicator
  - 6a: Students choose the appropriate platforms and tools for meeting the desired objectives of their creation or communication.
  - 6b: Students create original works or responsibly repurpose or remix digital resources into new creations.
  - 6d: Students publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for the intended audiences.
DLCS Standards
- Interpersonal and Societal Impact (CAS.c)
- Digital Tools (DTC.a)
- Collaboration and Communication (DTC.b)
- Research (DTC.c)
English Language Arts > History/Social Studies Common Core Standards
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.2
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.4
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.6
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.8
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.2
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.4
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.5
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.2
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.4
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.7
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.8
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.9
English/Language Arts Common Core Standards