I recently learned about a Tony-winning play that it set during the Early Republic of American History.
It follows the drama inside President Washington's cabinet as one brave Founding Father fights for the ideals of the American people and to preserve this country for the future. Oh and the play ran in the year 1943. That's right, Hamilton the Musical may be record-breaking and visionary in several respects but it is far from the first Broadway attempt to discuss America's founding. The key difference in this play called The Patriots, besides the lack of rap songs, is the protagonist and antagonist are switched. Jefferson is the man of the people, fighting against despotism as he did in the Declaration of Independence and Hamilton is the corrupt, immigrant bastard who distrusts people and wants a strong centralized government to rule the unwashed masses. Indeed, Lin Manuel Miranda's greatest accomplishment is not getting people to know Hamilton, but branding him a hero. Hamilton, as important as he is, has often been portrayed as a bit of an outcast and villain by historians from the inception of American history. "If men were angels, no government would be necessary" Hamilton's famous line from Federalist 51 has defined his view of life. He distrusted the common man and found them to be easily manipulated and uneducated enough on policy to have much of a voice at all in government. He wanted the President to serve for life, essentially recreating the British government. He even sold out John Jay in negotiations with Great Britain to prevent a severing of the two countries relationship. So while 1943's play is not nearly as famous today, it is important for its historiography. What Founding Father will get redeemed by history next? John Jay? Thomas Paine? Find out more about the musical in this podcast: http://backstoryradio.org/shows/hamilton/
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