Line #1 YMMV/Hamilton


1	* AccidentalAesop: The increasing conflict of Hamilton and Burr because of their differing ideologies highlights the importance of balancing the two: Taking the initiative to act is just as important as knowing when to fold your cards.
2	* AccidentalInnuendo:
3	** Washington asking Hamilton, "How come no one can get you on their staff?" referring to how Hamilton keeps turning down job opportunities that he sees as beneath him, but Hamilton's indignant "Sir!" and the fact Hamilton is AmbiguouslyBi in the musical may bring to mind another meaning of the word "staff."
4	** Hamilton stating that he thinks Angelica is "A woman who has never been satisfied". Her indignant response "I'm sure I don't know what you mean, you forget yourself", softening when he explains that he's talking about ''ambition'', suggests that, InUniverse as well as out, "satisfaction" can be interpreted in [[{{Anorgasmia}} a different way entirely]], especially given the flirtatious context of the song.
5	* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
6	** Maria Reynolds and her role in the show raises a lot of questions. Was she being honest when she said she didn't know her husband would extort Hamilton? If not, was she genuinely remorseful of her actions? Did she ''really'' make up the story about her husband abandoning her, or did he actually leave her, come back and find out about her infidelity and take advantage of the situation? Even if she was in on it from the start, could she have really refused to help, or was she forced into it by her abusive husband? Did she ever care an ounce for Hamilton? Notably, even [[WordOfSaintPaul Maria's actress]] has raised these questions in an interview, stating that her opinion was that it was ''possible'' that Maria really loved him--after all, her husband was an abusive asshole, and the real life affair carried on for ''three years''. If Hamilton had asked her to run away with him, she probably would've done it. Tellingly, in many performances, as he leaves, James will smack his thigh to call Maria to him, as one would with a dog. Talk about dehumanizing.\
7	\
8	There's also an interpretation that the Maria we see in "Say No To This" is a warped version from Alexander's perspective, with only some bits of truth such as her DomesticAbuse at the hands of James. That indeed, Maria came to Hamilton out of desperation but her being TheVamp and seducing Hamilton and was something ''he'' fabricated to justify his otherwise horrific actions of being a person of authority taking [[QuestionableConsent taking advantage of an abuse victim]] and then betrayed by making their affair public information.
9	** There are two ways to interpret Angelica's rage and falling out of love with Hamilton in "The Reynolds Pamphlet", for cheating on Eliza with Maria Reynolds. There's the one that most people subscribe to: she's furious at Hamilton for being unfaithful to her sister and causing Eliza such public shame, humiliation, and heartache that she is no longer charmed by his ambitious nature. However, Angelica has always been ''fully aware'' of both Hamilton's ambitious nature/need to protect his legacy and his semi-philandering ways as indicated by her constant refrain of "He will never be satisfied" and being the ''willing, direct target'' of his flirtations (see her part in "Take a Break"). You can make sense of Angelica's supposed loyalty to Eliza with her actively flirting with Eliza's husband as her attempt at keeping Hamilton from what he eventually ends up doing: having a disastrous affair. Because so long as Angelica continues to flirt with Hamilton, she can prevent him from acting on his flirtations with anyone else. Therefore, you can also read Angelica as not just angry that Hamilton hurt her sister, but also angry that even she and the unspoken arrangement they had to prevent this, wasn't enough.
10	** Is King George's confusion that Washington can step down from his position and be replaced typical egomania and not understanding why he ''would'' do such a thing, a conviction that even if he himself could and would do it, he would be considered weak just as Hamilton fears Washington will be, or is he baffled because ''he'' doesn't have that option and wishes he does? Or is he implying that despite Washington officially stepping down, he can't choose whether people listen to him, and he will continue to be put on a pedestal?[[note]]In real life, George reportedly leaned more toward the third interpretation; the British Monarchy was legendarily hard to abdicate at the time, and he was once quoted as saying that if Washington truly does step down from power then "he will be the greatest man in the world"[[/note]]
11	** Aaron Burr and his philosophy of "talk less, smile more, don't let them know what you're against or what you're for" and "waiting for it". Is it understandable wariness of angering the wrong people and waiting for a chance instead of taking potential ones since he has already been through enough and has nothing to fall back on, or simple cowardice coupled with a lack of principles?
12	** While we're on the subject of Burr, how does Burr really feel towards Hamilton? Were the two men ever truly friends? In Daniel Breaker's version of Burr, at least, it is ''very'' easy to read Burr as only tolerating Hamilton for most of the time that the two men know each other. While there are a few flashes of camaraderie, (most notably when Burr attends Hamilton's wedding and tells about his love for a woman married to a British officer) most of their interactions can be read as Burr simply practising his philosophy of "Talk less, smile more, don't let them know what you're against or what you're for" and refusing to burn bridges. Every time Burr asks how Hamilton could possibly rise to prominence ("How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore...") there seems to be a little more resentment, disdain, and bitterness in Burr's voice, which only adds to the impression that Burr never really cared for Hamilton that much. (And what grandson of a fire and brimstone preacher in the late 1700s/early 1800s wouldn't have disdain for a bastard whore son? Never mind how that person would feel about seeing them rise above him in station...) While most people see the Burr-Hamilton relationship as one where the two men were truly friends at one time only to become enemies, it's very plausible to interpret Burr as simply tolerating Hamilton at first, and then every single encounter afterwards, (or, at least, every encounter after the end of the war) as a slow countdown to Burr completely losing his patience with/tolerance for Hamilton, gradually becoming more resentful of the man every step of the way until Burr finally snaps. Burr ''does'' feel regretful after shooting Alexander, but that's not necessarily the sign of friendship as it is about feeling regret that you killed someone who ultimately didn't want to kill you after all.
13	** Many have noted that Eliza, surprisingly and rather refreshingly, ''doesn't'' insult Maria after the affair comes out--at least, not onstage. She only refers to her as "this girl," and places the blame solely at Hamilton's feet, which is where most agree it belongs. So, was her line, "In clearing your name, you have ruined our lives," was the "our" referring to herself and Hamilton... or herself and ''Maria''? In real life, Maria Reynolds' life really was ruined beyond repair as a direct consequence of the scandal, something that Eliza likely would've seen coming. Note that she says this directly after bringing up the fact that Hamilton published the letters Maria sent him, which no doubt humiliated her. It's not impossible that she was having a moment of genuine empathy for "the other woman."
14	* AluminumChristmasTrees:
15	** Viewers might be forgiven for assuming that the joking between Elizabeth and Angelica about old-timey {{polyamory}} was entirely invented for the show. Not quite. In a letter to Eliza, she [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angelica_Schuyler_Church#Correspondence_and_personal_life apparently wrote]], "If you were as generous as the old Romans, you would lend [Alexander] to me for a little while."
16	** Related to this character running gag, in "Take a Break", Angelica over-analyses the grammar of Hamilton's letter and wonders whether his misplaced comma in the phrase "My dearest, Angelica" hints at feelings of romantic affection. This didn't ''exactly'' happen in real life; however, the reverse actually did, in which Hamilton joked that a misplaced comma in a letter by Angelica hinted that ''she'' was attracted to ''him''.
17	* AndYouThoughtItWouldFail: When Lin-Manuel Miranda first pitched the idea of the original concept album idea [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNFf7nMIGnE to an audience at the White House in 2009]], [[ItWillNeverCatchOn they chuckled]]. Then he performed a work-in-progress version of one of the songs for them, and [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome they stopped laughing immediately]].
18	* AwesomeEgo:
19	** The titular character. Young, boastful, "not stupid," and also invaluable as Washington's right-hand man and as Treasury Secretary.
20	** Marquis de Lafayette, "the Lancelot of the revolutionary set". Also a crucial friend of Hamilton in the Revolutionary war and "America's favorite fighting Frenchman".
21	** UsefulNotes/ThomasJefferson is portrayed as a self-aggrandising, egotistical asshole, constantly talking himself up whilst opposing Hamilton's more progressive policies and being rightly criticised for [[{{Hypocrite}} advocating freedom whilst being a major slaveholder himself]]. He also absolutely ''owns'' his reputation, strutting around with a pimp cane and matching Hamilton bar-for-bar in the Cabinet Battles. Everyone in the play considers him to be a ruthlessly efficient political operator and not someone you want to go up against in an election (which eventually proves to be Burr's undoing).
22	* BigLippedAlligatorMoment:
23	** While "Farmer Refuted" is a catchy number, it doesn’t really advance the plot all that much, nor is Seabury and his quarrel with Hamilton mentioned again after the number. In addition, it is the one of the few numbers in the show that does not get or include a reprise. (Besides another jab at New Jersey being made later.) Additionally, the number ends without a resolution to start the first of King George's songs. Speaking of which…
24	** King George himself is a walking and talking pile of BLAM. He only appears four times (his three solo songs, as well as a cameo walking across the stage during "The Reynolds Pamphlet"), all of which come out of nowhere, have no bearing on the plot, and have none of the other characters ever commenting on it. [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools He's also one of the most popular parts of the show]], ''especially'' in Britain, so no one really cares.
25	* BrokenBase: Thanks to ''Hamilton'', the fanbase has fractured into factions.
26	** About the audition casting calls, which asked for mainly POC cast members. At first, a backlash ensued where white actors claimed they were discriminated against, with a potential suit, and then people counterattacked by pointing out that POC actors cannot perform in most mainstream Broadway roles without invoking ColorBlindCasting, and that one of the main points of the musical (people of color reclaiming a history denied to them) is destroyed if the characters are played by white actors.
27	** There is also much debate among scholars (and much of the musical fandom) as to whether it is excusable that many aspects of the history the play covers are either played up or glossed over for the sake of the story. One particular point of contention is Hamilton's character itself undergoing HistoricalHeroUpgrade, particularly in regards to the issues of slavery and imperialism.
28	*** A renewed and wider discussion of these issues came about in 2020 when the musical's release on Creator/DisneyPlus coincided with anti-racist protests. In regards to debates over the media's role in normalizing problematic depictions of race, the musical received renewed criticism for its intentionally sympathetic depictions of white slaveholders and lead to debates about whether it invalidates the professed intention of ''Hamilton'' for people of color to take back a history that is still denied to them, especially when the story is still entirely about wealthy white elites.
29	*** Miranda briefly made his Twitter account private after some of these criticisms were brought up during a viewing party the day of the release, until he had composed a response acknowledging the validity of the complaints and offering the excuse that there simply wasn't enough time to include all of these issues in the story. Responses remain mixed.
30	** "The World Was Wide Enough" is fairly divisive song, specifically the second half. It's either a truly [[TearJerker somber and deeply emotional]] song that tugs at the heartstrings by showing Burr's regret, or it's a meandering, self-pitying bore that grinds the entire show down to a halt.
31	** "Farmer Refuted" is either a fun and enjoyable classical/hip-hop fugue that displays Hamilton's boldness or it's a pointless and forgettable number that should have been cut from the show due to [[{{Padding}} not really impacting the plot]].
32	** "Say No To This" and "The Reynolds Pamphlet" heavily divide the fanbase, less so as songs and more of their framing of Hamilton's affair. Some deride how the play makes Hamilton the victim of the affair and Maria the seductress despite how both the play and actual history proves that Hamilton gleefully took advantage of an abused woman who went to him, a person of authority, for help and then threw her under the bus by publishing the pamphlet. Others counter that claim by saying both songs are from Hamilton's own POV and the framing of Hamilton as the victim is Alex is painting ''himself'' as a victim and desperately justifying his monstrous actions. Everyone else in the play: Washington, Burr, Jefferson, and especially Eliza [[WhatTheHellHero rightfully calling Hamilton out on his actions]] gives this interpretation some water.
33	* CargoShip: A [[RuleOfSymbolism technically]] ''implied'' example with Philip/"The Bullet". [[spoiler:He is briefly seen flirting with the ensemble actress who "plays" the bullet that kills him and later his father. So he's literally ''flirting with death'']].
34	* CatharsisFactor: To the viewers who condemned Hamilton's actions during "Say No To This" and "The Reynolds Pamphlet" (he took advantage of the abused Maria and then threw her under the bus while also humiliating his family by publishing the pamphlet) having everyone call him out on it and it damage his political career can be oddly satisfying karma. The entire scene being full of BlackComedy makes it even better.
35	* CrackPairing: Eliza/Maria Reynolds has a small following, despite the fact that [[ShipsThatPassInTheNight they have never met]], the latter is the lover of the former's husband and the fact that Maria and Eliza's younger sister Peggy are [[ActingForTwo played by the same actress]], leading to some uncomfortable IncestSubtext.
36	* CrossesTheLineTwice:
37	** In "You'll Be Back," King George acts like an abusive ex-boyfriend toward the rebelling colonies which would normally be creepy. But him singing a sweet, carefree major tune promising that [[WomanScorned he'll murder [America's revolutionaries] "friends and family to remind you of my love"]] makes it oddly hilarious.
38	** Also Lin-Manuel Miranda's reaction to a comment on Anthony Ramos' recklessness on the show's softball team.
39	--->'''Miranda:''' And if he gets injured playing softball I'm a kill him. I kill him twice a night. I'll do it again.
40	** This [[http://publius-and-hamilton.tumblr.com/post/146138105362/fuckyeahanthonyramos exchange]] about Anthony Ramos: Lin jokes that the next [=Ham4Ham=] host will be chosen a Rodgers [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire Triwizard Tournament]]:
41	---> '''Macy:''' Feel bad for whoever [[SacrificialLion Cedric]] [[TooCoolToLive Diggory]] is.\
42	'''Lin:''' lol probably Anthony he dies twice in our show already.
43	* EnsembleDarkhorse:
44	** Against all odds, ''Maria Reynolds'' is well-liked by fans, mainly due to her abusive husband and desperation for Hamilton to not leave her making her far more sympathetic than the typical [[TheVamp Vamp]]. It also helps that her actress doubles as Peggy, and she's a great singer.
45	** Speaking of Peggy, she tends to get far more attention in the fandom than she does in the show, mainly thanks to the fandom finding accounts of the real Peggy's awesome feats. [[http://thefederalistfreestyle.tumblr.com/post/133214981899/suburbanhermit-thingofnewyork Read about it here.]]
46	** While in-context to the play [[PlotIrrelevantVillain he could have been cut-out of the story and not much would have changed]], King George III is just so [[EvilIsCool fun]] and [[EvilIsHammy hammy]] that a lot of people tend to remember his solos.
47	** Ariana [=DeBose=] from the original cast, who plays several minor characters, such as the person who whispers into King George's ear during "I Know Him", and "the Bullet" during "Stay Alive" and "The World Was Wide Enough". It's probably clear why Creator/StevenSpielberg cast her as Anita in the [[Film/WestSideStory2021 2021 film remake]] of ''Theatre/WestSideStory''.
48	* FandomEnragingMisconception: The musical is ''not'' a case of PoliticallyCorrectHistory, as it doesn't state that the historical figures played by non-white actors [[RaceLift weren't actually white]]. It's ''very'' deliberate ColorblindCasting, and arguing that a black man can't play George Washington or Thomas Jefferson will inevitably lead to racism accusations.
49	* FandomRivalry:
50	** The HBO miniseries ''Series/JohnAdams'', which was made while Hamilton was still a quite obscure figure, features a quite unflattering portrayal of him that fans of the musical predictably take issue with if they're led to it through their newfound interest in the period after watching it. Though funnily enough, Lin-Manuel himself loved it and even wrote King George's reference to his meeting with John Adams on the assumption that everyone would know what he was talking about from the miniseries. Even funnier is that Creator/RufusSewell, the actor who played Hamilton in ''John Adams'' was actually jealous of the musical because he didn't get to play the fun version.
51	** Similarly, some ''Hamilton'' fans have gone so far as to discourage people from seeking out ''Theatre/SeventeenSeventySix'', based purely on the fact that it centres around Adams, who is [[MisaimedFandom of course a bad guy]] for opposing Hamilton. This is a faulty takeaway not only for the previously-stated fact that Miranda ''himself'' is a huge fan of ''1776'', but because the matter is far more complicated than "Hamilton good, Adams bad" (or vice versa). The truth is that both Hamilton and Adams were very good at antagonizing their contemporaries and gave historians many reasons to both admire and criticize them, and declaring one work invalid because it highlights the rival of the other work's protagonist is not a very thoughtful way to enjoy historical fiction.
52	* FanficFuel: The fandom has drawn ample art and written fic showing [[https://www.pinterest.cl/pin/754001162592038804/ Hamilton's other children]] who are not mentioned in the show, mainly [[https://tapas.io/episode/564733 Angelica Hamilton]] and her struggle with mental illness [[spoiler:after her older brother Philip died]]. Lin himself wrote a special "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP4ZKavDqmw Ham4Ham]]" rap where the ''Fun Home'' children recited what happened to each of the Hamilkids, including John Church and Philip II.
53	* FanNickname:
54	** Not a fan-invented nickname, but it's relatively common in the fandom to just refer to Alexander Hamilton as just "Alex," "Hams" or "Hammie" (Or, thanks to his PassiveAggressiveKombat in "Your Obedient Servant", "A.Ham".)
55	** Peggy Schuyler is often referred to as "AND PEGGY!" thanks to the meme around that line.
56	** [[Series/ParksAndRecreation Human Disaster]] Aaron Burr.
57	** Thomas Jefferson is sometimes semi-affectionately referred to as "T-Jeffs", either for the sake of brevity or because Thomas Jefferson would probably hate that, and the significantly ''less'' affectionate, "Thomas Jefferson: America's Original Fuckboy". James Madison is similarly referred to as "J-Mads".
58	*** Due to allegedly being so enamoured with Mac'n'Cheese that he brought tons of it to America, many refer to Jefferson as a "Macaroni Fucker".
59	** Hamilton, Laurens, Lafayette and Mulligan are referred to as "The Hamilsquad".
60	** Lafayette is often called a "Large Baguette", since they sound very similar and he's portrayed as [[MauriceChevalierAccent stereotypically French]].
61	** The cast album is often called "Hamiltunes" by fans and Lin alike.
62	** "Smol Philip" for nine-year-old Philip Hamilton, particularly in fan art and videos.
63	** In some circles, the show itself is jokingly referred to as ''WebVideo/EpicRapBattlesOfHistory - TheMusical''.
64	** The filmed performance of the show quickly gained the name "Hamilfilm".
65	* {{Fanon}}:
66	** Since we don't get to see what either Theodosia Burr looks like, many have decided that the Burr family is all black, with Theodosia Prevost Burr being depicted with straight hair, while her daughter's is curly.
67	** In order to justify [[ActingForTwo a lot of the characters having doppelgangers]] for whatever reason, many have decided that Maria/Peggy, Lafayette/Jefferson and Mulligan/Madison are actually the same people each. In the case of Laurens/Philip, since many dislike the idea of Eliza cheating with Laurens, they decided that Philip is Laurens' {{Reincarnation}}.
68	** Laurens is gay. In many circles, Lafayette and Mulligan are a gay couple (even though the historical Lafayette was HappilyMarried to his wife Adrienne), and so are their counterparts Jefferson and Madison. Hamilton is often headcanonned as bisexual (which actually has a fair amount of basis in history), and so is Burr.
69	** It's not uncommon to draw Peggy to be shorter and [[BigBeautifulWoman somewhat plumper]] than her tall, slender sisters, especially after cryptidw00rm's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6afXX5jsGeY&ab_channel=HamiltonTrash animatic of The Schuyler Sisters]].
70	* FanPreferredCouple: Hamilton/Laurens, or "Lams" is ''the'' most popular ship in the fandom, exceeding the [[OfficialCouple canon Hamilton/Eliza]] with over ''2900 stories'' on Website/ArchiveOfOurOwn. Reasons commonly cited are [[HoYay the chemistry the two of them have]], the fact that Laurens is an [[EnsembleDarkhorse extremely popular character]], despite only appearing in Act I, and the fact that it's highly speculated that [[GeniusBonus the real Hamilton and John Laurens]] were ''actually'' in a sexual relationship, based on the letters they wrote to each other.[[note]]Even the most skeptical of historians who are often dismissive of homoerotic rumors of historical figures tend to think there was definitely something ''more'' than just friendship between Laurens and Hamilton[[/note]]
71	* FauxSymbolism: Just before Cabinet Battle #1, the servant opens up a briefcase containing the microphones that Jefferson and Hamilton use. The two of them are also dueling but with words, not guns.
72	* FriendlyFandoms:
73	** There's surprising overlap between fans of the show and fans of ''Series/ParksAndRecreation''.
74	** With ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'', and neither side can quite explain why. It may be that two popular works with critically acclaimed music are bound to bump into each other online, or that sections or entire songs have a happy coincidence of making great AMV material with the Gems. In either case, both fandoms are on very friendly terms with one another, featuring a growing amount of parody songs and crossover fanart.
75	** It has a lot of crossover with the much smaller fandom for ''Theatre/NatashaPierreAndTheGreatCometOf1812'', due to sharing a lead actress.
76	** Hamilton fans and ''WesternAnimation/{{Moana}}'' fans get along well thanks to sharing a lyricist and partial composer, as well as promoting racial diversity incorporating a cast of actors based around their cultures.
77	** With ''Series/BrooklynNineNine'', due to Lin-Manuel's love of the show, the cast's love of the play, and both shows featuring diverse casts of quirky and hilarious but genuinely competent professionals.
78	** With ''Theatre/SixTheMusical'' due to both exploring history in musical themes. However, do not compare the two if you value your life. (Although, fans are far more likely to get mad if you compare ''Six'' to Hamilton, then vis-Versa.)
79	** It also shares fans with ''Theatre/{{Bandstand}}'' and ''Theatre/MissSaigon'' thanks to all three musicals being about war. (And because "Miss Saigon" and "Hamilton" both share an actress- Rachel Anne Go was Eliza in the West End's productions)
80	** With the ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'' of all things. And just like with Steven Universe, no one can understand why. For some reason, Marvel fans are more likely to be Hamilton fans too, and there is some overlap, especially with the younger fanbases.
81	** With ''Series/TurnWashingtonsSpies'' for obvious reasons. And with ''WesternAnimation/LibertysKids'' due to sharing not only characters but also voice actors. (The voice actor for Hamilton in Liberty's kids played King George the 3rd in Hamilton.) The former also shares characters.
82	** For fairly obvious reasons, fans of this show get along with fans of ''Theatre/SeventeenSeventySix'', which is helped by the fact that Miranda is a big fan of the show and went out of his way to not step on its toes-- despite the two shows playing in the same theater. Both plays begin at about the same time but showcase very different histories, with ''Hamilton'' showing the Revolution itself and continuing on past the turn of the century until Hamilton's death, while ''1776'' is about the Congressional machinations and behind the scenes politicking that got independence declared, each making the other the HeroOfAnotherStory.[[note]]Not that Hamilton himself sees John Adams or Thomas Jefferson, two of 1776's main protagonists, as heroes and vice versa.[[/note]] It also helps that the only character the two shows share is Thomas Jefferson, who is the shy {{Tritagonist}} of ''1776'' and ''Hamilton'''s bombastic second act antagonist. (In other words, two vastly different interpretations of the man, with ''1776'' being based on his probably-historical personality and ''Hamilton'', with its emphasis on rapping-as-literary-skill, being based on the larger-than-life language he authored.)
83	** Fans of ''Hamilton'' are very likely to be fans of ''Theatre/DearEvanHansen'', ''Theatre/{{Heathers}}'' and ''Theatre/BeMoreChill'', since all of them are popular musicals from the 2010s. Particularly ''Dear Evan Hansen'' fans are quite chummy with ''Hamilton'' fans, which led to Creator/BenPlatt and Creator/LinManuelMiranda collaborating on the crossover song ''Found/Tonight''.
84	* GatewaySeries: The show has helped ease many fans who might've been interested in theatre, but were put off by its perceived snobbishness with a musical that fused contemporary rap with show-stopping numbers. It also goes the other way, as many music fans who disliked rap's popular perception as uncomplicated party music or [[BoastfulRap unsubstantial braggart "tough guy" music]] has found the wittier side of the genre.
85	* GeniusBonus:
86	** During Thomas Jefferson's first number "What'd I Miss?" he tells a slave called Sally to "Be a lamb, darlin', won't you open" a letter. Research and DNA evidence had proved that Jefferson almost certainly had a long term affair with one of his slaves, Sally Hemings--who, incidentally, ''was the half-sister of his late wife''--and fathered at least some of her children; hence the terms of endearment here. (In live performances, Hemings is briefly represented by a woman from the chorus who does a little shimmy for Jefferson as she opens the letter.)
87	** During "I Know Him", King George III alludes to the fact that [[LargeAndInCharge Washington]] (6'2") was one of the tallest presidents[[note]]And he was particularly large to his peers considering people in the eighteenth century were shorter on average than they are today[[/note]] ("Next to Washington they all look small") and Adams (5'7") was one of the shortest ("That's that little guy who spoke to me").
88	** During "You'll Be Back", King George sings "When you're gone, I'll go mad." Which actually did happen; George III did indeed develop symptoms of insanity in the later years of his life.
89	** In "Meet Me Inside", Hamilton's comment of "John [Laurens] should have shot him [Lee] in the mouth, that would have shut him up" is a reference to the fate of Thomas Conway (also mentioned in the song), who had conspired against Washington and was shot in the mouth in a resulting duel over Washington's honor.
90	** Angelica in "The Schuyler Sisters" mentions that she wants to tell Thomas Jefferson to include women in the sequel to the Declaration of Independence. Angelica later in life developed a "lasting friendship" with Jefferson and Lafayette. It may also be a reference to the Seneca Falls Convention, which produced a document explaining feminist theory modelled after the Declaration. [[WordOfGod Reportedly]], Jefferson originally had a line along the lines of "tell Angelica I said what's up" to further reference this real life relationship, but the line was cut.
91	** In "Helpless", Angelica teases Eliza that if the latter loved her then they would share Hamilton. Angelica in a real-life letter said something similar (see OneTrueThreesome below), though given that she had already eloped with another man at this point it's generally considered to have just been a joke. Similarly, her later comments about Hamilton's writing implying he has feelings for her actually did occur in one of their exchanges, but with reversed roles.
92	*** Going off of this point, Angelica's explicitly romantic feelings for Hamilton may be an invention for the show, but they're not pulled from thin air; Angelica and Hamilton had so much chemistry that many people ''at the time'' thought they were lovers, and in modern times the idea that the two of them had an affair has not been completely discounted.
93	** Although Washington's 32-page farewell address was largely condensed and paraphrased, it is true that, while all of the ideas expressed in the letter were Washington's, Hamilton wrote most of it.
94	** "The Reynolds Pamphlet" makes it very clear that Miranda read the document before writing the number - of the four lines that are quoted from the document InUniverse, 2.5 of them are lifted verbatim from the real pamphlet[[labelnote:Specifically]]"My real crime is an amorous connection with his wife" and "I had frequent meetings with her, most of them in my own house" are 100% accurate, while "The charge against me is a connection with one James Reynolds for purposes of improper (pecuniary) speculation" is only missing the single parenthetical[[/labelnote]].
95	** In the first cabinet battle, Jefferson dares Hamilton to try taxing whiskey and see what happens next. Any historian can tell you what ''did'' happen when whiskey was taxed: a full fledged rebellion, which Washington and Hamilton proceeded to put down with extreme prejudice.
96	** All the comments from Eliza and Angelica about Hamilton's eyes make more sense with a little research - by most accounts on his physical appearance, Hamilton rather famously had ''purple'' eyes.
97	** In "The Election of 1800", it's noted that Burr is popular with women, even telling a group "Ladies, tell your husbands, vote for Burr". It's played in-universe as Burr being a ChickMagnet, but in real life Burr was incredibly progressive for his time, occasionally advocating for women's rights to vote.
98	** In the same song, Jefferson says of John Adams "I love the guy but he's in traction". In real life, Jefferson and Adams became close friends during the Revolution. They worked together on the Declaration of Independence, and after the war, they were both assigned to diplomatic positions in Europe-- Adams was in London and Jefferson in Paris, so they were going through a lot of the same problems at the same time and were fire-forged friends, with Adams specifically remembering the time he formally introduced Jefferson to King George [=III=] and the two of them were openly snubbed. As seen in the show, Jefferson went on to absolutely crater Adams' political career (in particular, Abigail Adams accused him of ''directly'' and ''personally'' campaigning for the presidency, which was seen as crass before Jefferson and Burr made it cool) and Adams managed to both passive-aggressively snub him and set the precedent for peaceful transfer of power after an election loss by skipping town in the dead of night. However, they did make an effort to bury the hatchet in the twilight of their lives (Adams saying they ought not to die without explaining themselves to each other) and kept up a lively correspondence that they knew would be studied by future historians - in fact, Adams' last words were "Thomas Jefferson lives", though he was unaware that Jefferson himself had died only a few hours earlier.
99	** At the time of the Revolution, it was considered improper for single women to introduce themselves to an eligible man, and they had to wait for a man or a woman who was already married to make the introduction for them. Thus, Angelica flaunts convention by taking it upon herself to introduce Hamilton to Eliza, while making sure she stays respectable.[[note]]Though the real Angelica was actually already married at this point.[[/note]]
100	** The show's final duel between Hamilton and Burr is full of details that show just how much research was put into it:
101	*** In "The World Was Wide Enough", Burr has a line, "Somebody tells me, 'You'd better hide'". Think this is just because of Hamilton being popular? No. Since Hamilton was aiming at the sky during their duel, ''Burr would be charged with murder'', not just duelling.
102	*** At the final duel, Burr proclaims, "They won't teach you this in your classes, but look it up: Hamilton was wearing his glasses." Though you may indeed not have learned this at school, it is indeed true.
103	*** While Burr was historically unashamed of killing Hamilton in the duel, he really was quoted as saying "I should have known the world was wide enough for Hamilton and me" later on in his life.
104	*** At one point, Burr mentions that Hamilton "fiddled with the trigger" of his gun. In real life, part of the reason why Hamilton's intentions during the duel are so murky is that he had a secret hair trigger installed on his gun for the duel, but after the duel it was discovered to have been deactivated; some say the trigger is evidence that he secretly wanted to kill Burr, while others say that it's deactivation implies that he had no such intention.
105	* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: Despite its very American focus, the musical has become quite popular worldwide (largely in part due to its cast recording, which is almost treated as a concept album in its own right). The United Kingdom was the first other country to have their own production, which was then promptly nominated for a record-breaking thirteen Olivier Awards (it won seven - ironically, while most were parallels to the Tonys the show won, the Best Supporting Actor award went not to the actor who played Jefferson, but to the one who played King George III!). It's also become quite popular in Latin America, due to the show's embrace of immigrants' roles in shaping America and Lin-Manuel Miranda's proudly flaunting his Latino heritage. This was helped by Lin returning to the role of Alexander Hamilton after three years for a limited run in Puerto Rico.
106	* HarsherInHindsight:
107	** Try listening to "Dear Theodosia" again knowing Hamilton and Burr both outlived the children they were singing to. Especially the line "blow us all away" in the context of how they died--Philip was shot in a duel and Theodosia lost in a shipwreck.
108	** It gets worse. After his eldest son's death, Hamilton had [[DeadGuyJunior another son named Philip]], but died when the second Philip was only a toddler. Now recall the line "My father wasn't around / I swear that I'll be around for you".
109	** Students of history may wince a little at Alexander's assertion in "Cabinet Battle #2" that "Lafayette's a smart man, he'll be fine." The Marquis de Lafayette was very much ''not'' fine during UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution. His wife was arrested, and her mother and sister were beheaded; Adrienne de La Fayette only escaped the guillotine because Elizabeth Kortright Monroe, wife of then-U.S. Minister to France and future fifth president UsefulNotes/JamesMonroe, made a point of visiting her in prison, subtly indicating that the United States government would become involved if she was killed, though without actually causing a preemptive international incident. Lafayette himself fled into exile, spending over five years in Prussian and Austrian captivity. He was eventually joined by his two surviving daughters[[note]]Virginie and Anastasie; Henriette died in infancy[[/note]] and his wife, who became gravely ill and never fully recovered, contributing to her early death.[[note]]Most of the US efforts lobbying for their release centered around Adrienne's failing health.[[/note]] Lafayette was bankrupted by the expropriation of his estates by the revolutionary government and even deprived of his citizenship for a time. (He ''did'' survive, though, and his son, Georges Washington de La Fayette, was safe in America, cared for by both the Hamiltons and George Washington during his stay.)
110	** Lafayette's cry of "Freedom for America, freedom for France!" also becomes more bitter when you remember that soon after the American Revolutionary War came the French Revolution, the consequences of which would cause upheaval and death for decades to come, despite all the positive outcomes.
111	** Also during "The Election of 1800" Hamilton keeps singing "It's quiet uptown" as people ask for his candidate choice. It's already bad enough that his son has died, but in addition, his eldest daughter Angelica is suffering a nervous breakdown due to Philip's death. Hamilton could also be fretting about caring for Angelica and her condition.
112	** "Hurricane," about how a hurricane destroyed Hamilton's hometown, became this after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, where Lin Manuel Miranda's family comes from, causing incredible damage and loss of life.
113	** "I hope you saved some money for your daughters and son!", said in "We Know", gets worse when after looking into the real Hamilton's life reveals he... didn't really. His family was in debt after he died and Eliza had to fight for decades to get even, in part because Hamilton declined taking the pay and veteran's pension from/after the Revolutionary War.
114	** In "Helpless" Angelica tells Eliza that if the latter loved her then she would share Hamilton. Eliza responds with a "Ha!" In ''the very next song'' Angelica reveals that she fell in love with Alexander, but so did Eliza, and Angelica stepped aside so that her sister would be happy.
115	** In the same song, Alexander "wines and dines" Eliza's father for her hand. Her father finally replies with a simple "Be true." He doesn't.
116	** Hamilton being nicknamed "the tomcat" on his wedding night, and having a real cat named after him becomes unfortunate foreshadowing when he reveals through the Reynolds Pamphlet that he had an affair while Eliza and the kids were away.
117	** Philip sings as part of his birthday rap that "I have a little sister but I want a little brother!" One of his real-life sisters, Angelica Jr., went mad with grief after Philip died.
118	** In the cast recording, "Non-Stop" comes after "Dear Theodosia" and is an anthem to the triumphant Hamilton tirelessly working to achieve his goals and climb higher. In the stage production, "The Laurens Interlude," where Hamilton gets news of Laurens' death, come between the two. "Non-Stop" then becomes the story of Hamilton desperately burying himself in his work to avoid dealing with the immense grief of losing his best friend and [[HoYay possible lover.]]
119	* HeartwarmingInHindsight:
120	** Hamilton singing "Gotta start a new nation, gotta meet my son!" becomes doubly heartwarming when you learn Lin-Manuel's son Sebastian was born shortly before ''Hamilton'' premiered off-Broadway, [[https://twitter.com/Lin_Manuel/status/531858490193895425 on November 10 2014]].
121	** Six years ago, flush with the success of ''Theatre/InTheHeights'', Lin-Manuel Miranda stood in front of an audience at the White House and sung a song about "Alexander Hamilton," which earned some good-natured laughs with how the melody and rhythm rapidly change. Come March 2016, the [=OBC=] has performed the same song to a more appreciative audience, with Obama commending Miranda for the music and quoting the lines from "My Shot".
122	*** Also, at the 2016 Tony Awards, ''Barack and Michelle'' introduce ''Hamilton'''s Tony performance, detailing what happened and recalling how they laughed. As the President puts it, WhosLaughingNow
123	** At the Tony Awards, the closing number was "The Schuyler Sisters", a TriumphantReprise in the face of the Orlando shootings. The lyrics that are most repeated are "Look around look around, think of how lucky we are to be alive right now, in the greatest city in the world!"
124	** All of the talk about Hamilton being remembered after his death becomes heartwarming when you think about how much interest the musical drummed up in Hamilton's story meaning he will be remembered.
125	** Burr's opening stanza in "A Winter's Ball" asks, "How does [Hamilton the man] go on and on, grow into more of a phenomenon?" He might as well have been [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall talking about the play's success too]].
126	** Angelica teasing Eliza that if Eliza loved her then they'd share Alexander becomes this when [[spoiler:in "First Burn," the working version of the Reynolds Pamphlet aftermath, Eliza says, "I see how you look at my sister." Eliza in that version always knew that Alexander once had a thing for Angelica and may still feel attracted but knows that her sister would never betray her. Heck, in "The Reynolds Pamphlet" Angelica shuts down Hamilton's attempts to ingratiate himself to her and says she's there for her little sister and whatever they have, platonic or otherwise, is done]].
127	** Angelica marrying John Church while bidding goodbye to Alexander becomes this when you know that one of Alexander's children was named after the man, showing they eventually had a good relationship[[note]]John Church was also the owner of the set of pistols used in both Hamilton's and his son's fatal duels.[[/note]] To add to the heartwarming, John Church Hamilton would eventually write his father's biography to honor his mother's wishes.
128	* HilariousInHindsight:
129	** The bit about Hamilton no longer being able to become President after outing his affair knowing that several presidential candidates and presidents committed adultery and remained in office.
130	** After a show all about how Aaron Burr was doomed to be remembered as a footnote in Hamilton's story, Leslie Odom Jr. won the Best Actor in a Musical Tony over Lin-Manuel Miranda.
131	** Shortly after James Monroe Iglehart replaced Daveed Diggs, they both appeared in Season 3 of ''Series/UnbreakableKimmySchmidt'', complete with Iglehart having a line in French.
132	** Andrew Rannells, the third actor to portray King George III, previously voiced Alexander Hamilton in the 2001 children's cartoon ''WesternAnimation/LibertysKids''.
133	** Original King George Jonathan Groff again does a song comically totally different from the rest of the score in ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen II}}'', where his big number is in the style of an '80s power ballad and also [[spoiler: becomes King by marriage.]]
134	** [[https://silvermoon424.tumblr.com/post/638407493967577088/celtic-pyro-multi-fandom-nutjob-heritageposts This]] Tumblr post from 2014. Lampshaded by one of the tags on a reblog: #THIS PREDATES THE MUSICAL THAT MAKES IT 1000000 PERCENT FUNNIER.
135	* HoYay:
136	** WordOfGod says that "Laurens, I like you a lot" in "My Shot" is a reference to Hamilton and Laurens's possible sexual relationship. In the show as it's staged, Hamilton and Laurens are also very physically close, putting arms around shoulders and hugging. At one point (at the end of "Stay Alive") they share what a Genius annotator calls "an intimate moment" in which "Hamilton has his hand on the back of Laurens' neck and they linger there, their faces close."
137	** There's a healthy dose between Hamilton and Burr, whether it's Burr singing passionately about just how great his nemesis is or Hamilton showing up at Burr's house in the middle of the night. At least some corners of the fandom have deemed this pairing be called "Hamburrger." Also, some fans ship Jefferson and Hamilton, even though the two hated each other. This pairing has beem deemed as "Jamilton".
138	** "One Last Time", where Washington tells Hamilton about his plans to resign, has a more-than-somewhat-romantic tone. (The two men had a close relationship in RealLife that if anything the show tones down, and which even their contemporaries weren't above taking potshots at. They do it in the show as well: "You're nothing without Washington behind you," anyone?)
139	* HypeBacklash: For all the play's mainstream acclaim, it's gained a notable backlash over the years that only increased following its release on Creator/DisneyPlus in 2020. Many of the musical's detractors, especially on the American left, view it as a cringy [[TheThemeParkVersion one-dimensional]] hagiography of American history that side-steps the rampant racism, sexism, and classism of America, or at worst, supports it. Said critics also were incensed at the [[HistoricalHeroUpgrade sanitized reimagining]] of Alexander Hamilton as a progressive pro-immigrant, anti-slavery champion, with many accusing the character of being a self-insert avatar for Lin-Manuel Miranda when the real Hamilton was none of these things. Others also think marrying American politics with rap is a bad gimmick. It was bad enough a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Haunting_of_Lin-Manuel_Miranda play attacking]] ''Hamilton'' and Miranda was produced. And of course, are the group of people who don't like the concept of the Founding Fathers being portrayed by people of color, for whatever reason.
140	* IdiosyncraticShipNaming: Alexander Hamilton x James Madison is sometimes referred to by fans as "Publius", in reference to the pseudonym that Hamilton, Madison, and John Jay went by when writinh the Federalist Papers. John Jay is sometimes included in the ship.
141	* IncestYayShipping: Eliza/Angelica has a following, mostly in the context of a OneTrueThreesome after he dies. Canonically, Angelica loves her (probably not that way) the most out of anyone, even prioritizing her over Hamilton, albeit not without regret.
142	* JerkassWoobie: According to an interview, Miranda didn't like the fact that history books were either too defensive of Burr or painted him as the villain, so made him a smarmy ditherer who nevertheless has a lot of tragic and sweet moments. In fact, when Miranda did ''Series/DrunkHistory'', he made it quite clear that he doesn't consider Burr a monster, but a tragic and complicated man who made a mistake that cost him his reputation forever.
143	* LauncherOfAThousandShips: Hamilton himself, of course, in a pretty magnificent way. The most popular pairings are: Hamilton/Laurens, given its basis in history and importance to LGBT fans; Hamilton/Burr, due to how much of the show is dedicated to their complicated love/hate relationship; and Hamilton/Eliza for those who enjoy the more HappilyMarried parts of their relationship. However, the Hamilton/Jefferson ship is also popular, and Hamilton/Washington isn't rarely seen either. Less common are Hamilton/Lafayette or Hamilton/Madison, but the former gets a fair bit of love in the Gay Trio OT3 (Laurens/Hamilton/Lafayette), and Hamilton/Madison shows up occasionally from those familiar with their brief real-world friendship, even if it doesn't get much screentime in the show. One of the few non-relations that isn't often paired up with Hamilton is Angelica, and even that's not because people don't like the idea of a romance between them, but rather because few could believe Angelica would stand in front of her beloved sister that way. In all, ''every single actor'' in the show plays at least one character who is at least sometimes paired with Hamilton, with only one exception: Peggy and Maria's actor, who shows up in only two songs total, and plays a character who does canonically sleep with Hamilton, anyway. Whew.
144	* LoveToHate:
145	** [[BigBad King George III]] is an openly hateful PsychopathicManchild, but he's just so much ''[[LaughablyEvil fun]]'' to watch that it's impossible to genuinely hate him.
146	** Thomas Jefferson may be an egomaniac and an InsufferableGenius, but it's hard to not love him everytime he appears on stage. The [[AnachronismStew rockstar image]] helps.
147	** Aaron Burr is a serious piece of work, but many would argue he’s the best character in the show. Many watched the show for Hamilton but ended up gravitating towards Burr instead. He may be the {{Deuteragonist}}, but it’s not uncommon for him to steal the show away from the titular character.
148	* MemeticMutation: [[Memes/{{Hamilton}} Now has its own page.]]
149	* MexicansLoveSpeedyGonzales:
150	** The play is actually almost as popular in ''Britain itself'' as it is in the actual United States. In fact, King George's sections are considered to be even ''more'' hilarious in Britain, as George III is generally considered one of the most ineffectual kings in the nation's history precisely because he lost the colonies (and because the monarchy is always a prime target for mockery for a large percentage of the population); plus lines like "I will ''kill your friends and family''/to remind you of my love" is the type of BlackComedy that Brits adore. According to Miranda, Prince Harry, who is ''directly descended from King George'', thought he was the funniest part of the show.
151	** It's worth noting that the American War of Independence, as it's known in England, is not looked upon in anywhere near as hostile a light as most Americans would expect. First, it's rarely actually discussed ''at all'' in English history classes, as [[ButForMeItWasTuesday over sixty countries have declared independence from England at one point or another, and America's was far from the most notable such event]]. Second, even when they ''do'' go into detail specifically about America's war for independence, it's usually looked at in a very neutral light as simply a taxation policy GoneHorriblyWrong, and if they're going to get mad at any one particular figure for the event, it'll usually be King George himself.
152	* MisaimedFandom:
153	** A number of ''Hamilton'' fans praise the musical on the belief that it's 'better' than most rap because it's based on serious or intellectual topics. This totally misses that Creator/LinManuelMiranda explicitly wrote Hamilton as a love letter to the rap genre, that the musical is jam-packed with homages and references to other hip-hop artists, and that his greatest wish for the musical was for ''Hamilton'' to be accepted by the broader rap community (which it was). Not to mention that while there are songs about the allocation of state debt and international neutrality, there are also a whole bunch of songs about illegal gun fights and affairs, so it's not all that different in subject anyway. Miranda has also said that whenever such fans tell him that they "don't like rap, but they like this [Hamilton]" he always tells the person that he ''doesn't'' consider what they just said to be a compliment. Of course, it's different if they simply don't like rap out of personal preference.
154	** Also, a good part of the fandom believes that Alexander Hamilton is an unblemished protagonist and forgive his faults, despite the point being that he's a flawed tragic figure whose narrative fits that of an R & B star. This can be in part attributed to Creator/LinManuelMiranda being a charismatic NiceGuy who makes Hamilton appear charming to everyone except Burr, Jefferson, and Madison. When Miranda did ''Series/DrunkHistory'', he fully states that Hamilton was ''not'' a NiceGuy and was prone to TooMuchInformation during his life.
155	** Some fans extend this approach to the actual historical political actions of Hamilton and his peers and legitimately believe he was a committed egalitarian of the time in spite of the willingness he had to completely betray his self-declared anti-slavery positions in reality. This is understandable to an extent, however, as the musical itself tends to gloss over these issues when they center around the main protagonists, so the typical fan likely would not be aware of these things unless they specifically researched it themselves.
156	** There's also a subset who see his affair as crossing the MoralEventHorizon and won't forgive him for his terrible decision, even if Eliza eventually does.
157	** While the cast and crew are notably liberal and incorporate political subtext that matches those viewpoints (such as positive portrayals of immigrants and intentional casting of people of color in most of the roles), there are some right-wing fans who are attracted to the patriotic story and shrug off the intended subtext. This was made apparent when UsefulNotes/MikePence attended a performance in November 2016 and the cast relayed a message to him at the end encouraging him to "uphold the values that the play embodies".
158	* MoralEventHorizon: With the play being HistoricalFiction, it's easy to divert the characters from their real-life counterparts. Villains like Aaron Burr are clearly [[JerkassWoobie too sympathetic]] to ever truly cross the MEH, while characters like Jefferson and King George III are only villains [[HeroOfAnotherStory because they oppose the main characters]]. However, these "gentlemen" have clearly crossed the line at some point:
159	** While one could argue that James Reynolds has already crossed it with the mistreatment of his wife Maria, he ''definitely'' crossed it when he blackmailed Hamilton with telling Eliza about his affair, while offering to take money to keep the affair going, effectively prostituting his ''own wife''.
160	** If George Eacker hasn't crossed it with his relentless bullying of Philip Hamilton, on something that [[SinsOfTheFather the latter had no control over]], he crossed it when he accepted to duel him and then ''cheated'', mortally wounding Philip in the process.
161	* SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound: In the final song of the musical, the chorus gently humming "time", and Eliza's surprised gasp as she notices the audience at the very end.
162	* {{Narm}}:
163	** Although "It's Quiet Uptown" is a TearJerker of a song, when watched live, Hamilton constantly being on the verge of tears can come across as exaggerated and cheesy, especially contrasting Eliza's much more subdued sadness.
164	** "Stay Alive" starts as Hamilton and his friends tell just how hopeless things have gotten for the Revolutionary Army, as the starved soldiers are sent into battle after bloody battle. Then while Hamilton is talking to Washington, he imitates a gunshot with an echoing "chick-a-plao!" It's easy to laugh at such a thing happening in the middle of a tense scene.
165	** Daveed Diggs' bizarrely stilted delivery of "My God" during "We Know" in the filmed performance. He actually seems like he's sarcastically quoting some famous line.
166	** "Meet Me Inside" begins on a tense note, with Washington telling Hamilton the titular command. But then becomes unintentionally hilarious when the background singers start awkwardly echoing the line "Meet 'em inside, Meet 'em inside".
167	* NarmCharm: When the cast performed "Yorktown" at the Tonys, they decided that due to the recent Pulse nightclub shooting they would remove all the prop guns from the number, meaning the cast was performing a number about a battle while miming having weapons. It should've been ridiculous, and yet somehow it actually managed to be incredibly poignant instead.
168	* NoYay:
169	** Completely regardless of anything about the actual pairing or its potential historical accuracy, some people get really squicked out by Hamilton/Laurens due to the fact that Laurens' actor also plays Hamilton's son Phillip in act 2.
170	** Several fans are against shipping Washington and Hamilton together, mainly because they evoke a [[LikeASonToMe father-son dynamic]].
171	* OlderThanTheyThink:
172	** This isn't the first Broadway musical to center around original rap and hip-hop, nor is it even the first one by Creator/LinManuelMiranda. That honor goes to ''Theatre/InTheHeights.''
173	** Many young fans don't know there was [[Theatre/SeventeenSeventySix another musical about the founding of America]] decades before this one. "The Adams Administration" even has a ShoutOut to it.
174	* OneSceneWonder:
175	** Peggy. Only has singing parts in "The Schuyler Sisters" and then only has silent cameos in later songs featuring her older sisters, until [[DroppedABridgeOnHim she dies off-screen]] before Act II and isn't even mentioned anymore. She's just as popular as Angelica and Eliza and considered to be one of the best parts of "The Schuyler Sisters" by many.
176	** Several minor characters only appear once, but are also ''very'' memorable. Most notable are Samuel Seabury, the preppy messenger of the British who is [[ButtMonkey frequently pestered by Hamilton]], and Charles Lee, Laurens' rival general who [[GeneralFailure sucks at his job]].
177	* OneTrueThreesome:
178	** John Laurens / Alexander Hamilton / Eliza Schuyler is gaining a bit of traction, mainly because Laurens / Hamilton is quite popular, but most fans don't want to leave Eliza with no one. Partly fueled by a letter Hamilton wrote Laurens inviting him to his wedding night "to be witness to the final consummation."
179	** Angelica Schuyler / Alexander Hamilton / Eliza Schuyler also has a bit of a fanbase. Notably, this one is actually teased ''in the show'', with Angelica's semi-joking, "I'm just saying, if you really loved me, you would share him!" (And this is based off of something the ''real'' Angelica said to her sister in a letter: "...if you were as generous as the old Romans, you would lend him to me for a little while.")
180	** Alexander Hamilton / John Laurens / Marquis de Lafayette is also popular in some parts of the fandom, fueled by Hamilton / Laurens, the less-popular Hamilton / Lafayette, and the close friendship between all three revolutionaries: Hamilton's grandson once wrote that "[[HaveAGayOldTime the gay trio]] to which Hamilton and Laurens belonged was made complete by Lafayette."
181	* ParanoiaFuel: While "History Has Its Eyes On You" is a very inspirational and motivational song, it's also unsettling to know that every action you make will be recorded by those in the future and said actions will define how they remember you.
182	* PortmanteauCoupleName:
183	** [[OfficialCouple Alexander Hamilton/Eliza Schuyler]]: "Hamliza"
184	** [[SiblingTriangle Alexander Hamilton/Angelica Schuyler]]: "Hamgelica"
185	** [[HoYay Alexander Hamilton/John Laurens]]: "Lamilton", more commonly shortened to "Lams"
186	** [[FoeYayShipping Alexander Hamilton/Aaron Burr]]: "Hamburr[[{{Pun}} (ger)]]"
187	** [[FoeYayShipping Alexander Hamilton/Thomas Jefferson]]: "Jamilton"
188	** Thomas Jefferson/James Madison: "Jadison" or "[=JeffMads=]"
189	** [[BrainsAndBrawn Lafayette/Hercules Mulligan]]: [[StealthPun Mullette]]
190	** [[ShipsThatPassInTheNight Maria Renolds/Eliza Schuyler]]: Marliza
191	** [[OfficialCouple Aaron Burr]]/Theodosia Prevost Burr: Burrdosia
192	** [[MentorShip George Washington/Alexander Hamilton]]: Whamilton
193	* PraisingShowsYouDontWatch: Unlike other examples, this is practically out of necessity. While there is thankfully an original cast recording available for everyone to listen to, in order to WATCH the full show at this point, you ''have'' to see it in person, and for a while it had to be on Broadway. Much to the displeasure of anyone who wanted to see the full performance with the original Broadway cast but couldn't during its original run, most Broadway shows don't get commercially released video recordings. Until the release of the proshot on Disney+ in July 2020, there were many fans of the show who are passionate but have only heard the official cast recording and sometimes what little official video there is and the [=#Ham4Ham=] performances (and for those who don't have Disney+, this is still the case). Thankfully, they tend not to be looked down upon just because they can't see the show in person. And if one was desperate enough to search for uploads of fan recordings of the whole show, the fans tend to respect Miranda's wishes that unofficial show recordings not be put online. (Although recordings are available online, all the same.) It helps that the album doesn't remove much from the overall experience of the show as it was planned as a ConceptAlbum to begin with, and can be seen in how cohesive the story is merely taken as an album release. So unlike many examples, there's nothing vital to the story being lost here (there's only a grand total of one song missing from the soundtrack, that being "Tomorrow There'll be More of Us"; Miranda has stated that this was an intentional choice to ensure there was ''something'' that could only be seen live).
194	* RecurringFanonCharacter:
195	** Some historical figures are popular in fan works despite not appearing in the original play, including Benjamin Franklin (who did have a cut appearance), John Adams (who at least has [[TheGhost significant offscreen presence]]) sometimes portrayed by fans as the exact same depiction seen in ''Theatre/SeventeenSeventySix'', and Baron von Steuben.
196	** In a way to lessen glorifying the Founding Fathers, some fans choose to have several of the main and supporting characters' slaves appear in fics. These include Thomas Jefferson's slave Sally Heminings and Mulligan's slave Cato, though Jefferson and Mulligan are often depicted in fics as being benevolent owners and/or having a friendly relationship with them.
197	** Angelica's husband John Baker Church is only mentioned in the musical, but sometimes appears in fics. How he's depicted often varies. Sometimes he's a callous and joyless partner to Angelica which justifies the "loveless" marriage implications in some of the songs, or he's a total sweetheart who Angelica initially doesn't care for but eventually grows to respect and eventually truly love.
198	* RefrainFromAssuming: "It's Quiet Uptown" is not "The Unimaginable".
199	* RetroactiveRecognition: Creator/ArianaDeBose appears in the ensemble as [[EnsembleDarkhorse popular]] "The Bullet" character.
200	* RootingForTheEmpire:
201	** Overlapping with AlternativeCharacterInterpretation, those who supported the real Jefferson's political positions may root for him during the Cabinet battles.
202	** Aaron Burr also gets quite a bit of this. While he's the closest thing the play has to a BigBad, he's shown in a very sympathetic light, and the two songs he gets to himself, "Wait For It" and "The Room Where It Happens", are generally considered two of the best in the play. Combine this with the fact that Hamilton is shown to be obnoxious, arrogant, and an adulterer, and a lot of viewers end up finding Burr to be the more likeable of the two.
203	* ShipsThatPassInTheNight: Philip Hamilton/Theodosia Burr has a surprising following, perhaps because of how much the idea would piss off their respective parents.
204	* SignatureSong: There are several candidates depending on who you ask:
205	** "Alexander Hamilton": The opening number that perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the musical, perfectly introducing the characters, the story, and the musical stylings that will continue to be used throughout.
206	** "My Shot": Hamilton's IWantSong, which introduces the ArcWords of "I am not throwing away my shot!" that drive Hamilton's entire story, as well as introducing the iconic characters of Laurens, Mulligan, and Lafayette. By the time the song hits the climax, the energy is astronomical.
207	** "Satisfied": The solo song for EnsembleDarkHorse Angelica, featuring a combination of epic vocals and some of the fastest raps ever performed on broadway. The song is an emotional roller coaster with Angelica's feelings for both Hamilton and her sister, and the seamless transition from "Helpless" makes for one of the show's most tragic moments.
208	** "You'll Be Back": The first and longest song for King George, perfectly capturing his CardCarryingVillain mindset and featuring some of the funniest BlackComedy in the entire show. It's especially popular for white performers in particular, who often consider it the only song that can be safely used in professional settings.
209	** "The Room Where It Happens": Burr's IWantSong. Not only is the song in itself masterfully constructed and a near perfect divide of rapping and singing, but it marks a permanent shift in the story as Burr finally realizes what he wants in life, and due to the realistic nature of the politics discussed in it it's also fun for political or history buffs to listen to.
210	* SuspiciouslySimilarSong: “You’ll Be Back” could be seen as this to “King Herod’s Song” from ''Music/JesusChristSuperstar''. Both are very similar in style as simple, classic Broadway-style show tunes, performed by PsychopathicManchild kings, in the middle of a musical that primarily uses contemporary music.
211	* SpiritualAdaptation: This is probably the closest we'll ever get to having ''WebVideo/EpicRapBattlesOfHistory'' - TheMusical.[[note]]EPIC RAP BATTLES OF HISTORY!! THOMAS JEFFERSON!! VERSUS!! ALEXANDER HAMILTON!! ''BEGIN!!''[[/note]]
212	* SpiritualSuccessor: To ''Theatre/SeventeenSeventySix''. That show is more of a GovernmentProcedural focused on one summer, while ''Hamilton'' is a full biography, but there are similarities beyond "about a Founding Father." In particular are John Adams' struggle to maintain his principles while convincing his political opponents to go along with him, the struggles and contradictions of the Revolution, and his tendency to piss off everyone around him. ''1776'' also alludes to the fickle nature of legacy and historical memory with Adams' lament that he's sure to be forgotten and Franklin's comment that future generations ought to view them as men, not demi-gods. In ''Hamilton'' it's a central theme, with various characters' attempts to shape and control how they'll be viewed in the future and the awareness that every decision sets a precedent.
213	* {{Squick}}: The 2020 film spends most of King George's sections zoomed in on his face, meaning that there are multiple very close up shots of Jonathon Groff spitting all over himself throughout his songs.
214	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter:
215	** Peggy Schuyler. Despite being introduced alongside her older sisters, both of which turn out to be major characters, she [[OutOfFocus doesn't have much of a presence in the plot]] and [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse flat out disappears]] once Act II rolls in. While the real Peggy had moved to Upstate New York after the Revolutionary War ended and was dead by the time of the events covered in the latter half of Act II anyway (she died in 1801) the musical makes no note of this, as if Angelica and Eliza were ''always'' the only Schuyler children. Even ignoring the real life Peggy being quite a badass, at least the rest of the Schuyler family would mention that their beloved younger sister is dead.
216	** Both Theodosias. Even though both of them are quite important to Burr's character, being his wife and daughter respectively, [[TheGhost they don't appear in the show at all]], leaving most of Burr's actions not involving Hamilton as an InformedAttribute. Compare them to the screentime Eliza, Angelica, and Phillip have in the show, who serve essentially the same purpose as the two Theodosias.
217	* ToughActToFollow: The original cast became a huge part of the show's draw, so their departure after a year was met with widespread skepticism that their replacements could measure up. It hit especially hard on poor Javier Munoz, who suffered several reviews slamming him just for not being Lin-Manuel Miranda.
218	* UnintentionallySympathetic:
219	** Aaron Burr in the Workshop version, who comes off as a complete gentleman compared to Alexander Hamilton. Presumably, that's why some of his songs were cut from the Broadway version. He's supposed to be a rival to Alexander and resentful, but he has many moments where he's the better man. The man refuses to fight with Alexander when Eliza intervenes because she asks about his family, while Alexander is raging at Eliza for letting Burr go "scot-free". Burr gives Alexander a WhatTheHellHero and advises him to hold onto Eliza because she is the best part of his life. When he learns that Phillip is engaging in a duel with George Eacker thanks to Theodosia Jr., Burr runs to warn Alexander, telling him he knows what a father will do to protect their child, with the tone that if Phillip were his son, he would make Phillip call off the duel. You can't blame Burr for challenging Alexander to a duel when the latter insults his dead wife's memory.
220	** Even in the finished version, Burr comes across as a little too sympathetic for some audiences than was probably intended. This is likely due to Leslie Odom Jr.'s likability. This is probably also due to the [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic sheer power]] of "Wait For It" and how the song makes his "talk less, smile more" process reasonable to many folks. This reception ironically goes against Miranda's original idea of writing Burr as someone who is ''somewhat'' sympathetic and tragic but also clearly in the wrong; a person who's equal parts likable and dislikable.
221	* ValuesDissonance: While the show is as much a smash hit in London as it was in America, [[https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-surprising-timeliness-of-hamilton-in-london the audiences from the different sides of the pond find different things amusing.]] Lines like "Everything's legal in New Jersey," and Hamilton's 'sit down' rant against John Adams (the musical ''Theatre/SeventeenSeventySix'' never really took off in the UK) obviously go over the heads of some British audiences, while Hamilton's mentions of Macbeth get much more of a laugh, as do the mentions of Burr's affair with the married Theodosia. On the other hand...
222	* ValuesResonance: King George's sections are considered to be even ''more'' hilarious in Britain, since one of the primary rules of British humour is to mock the monarchy/establishment); and Brits ''love'' blackly comic lines like "I will ''kill your friends and family''/to remind you of my love". According to Miranda, Prince Harry, who is ''directly related to King George'', thought he was the funniest part of the show.
223	* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids: The musical is a mild example, since it has gained large cultural prominence and is a historical lesson on Alexander Hamilton's life. This may lead some elementary school teachers to take their kids (because it's educational!). The musical actually has several uses of S-words and F-words in the lyrics. Then there's the whole adultery incident with Maria Reynolds, and the duels...Overall, if musicals had movie ratings, Hamilton would get a PG-13[[note]]And indeed was rated as such for the Disney+ version, though the language was censored appropriately[[/note]]. Needless to say, many teenagers have enjoyed the musical.
224	* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotPolitical: A few fans and critics have noted the parallels between the play's depiction of UsefulNotes/AlexanderHamilton and the more recent life and career of President UsefulNotes/BarackObama--also a politician from {{humble beginnings}} who grew up on [[UsefulNotes/{{Hawaii}} an island]] without his father in his life, attended Columbia University, went into politics after moving to the big city, developed a reputation as an intellectual, and ultimately staked his legacy on an ambitious government program that required significant political compromises to pass through Congress. While Creator/LinManuelMiranda ''is'' a notable supporter of Obama, he has never explicitly stated that this was intentional.
225	* TheWoobie:
226	** Eliza, especially after her husband's betrayal despite her being nothing but faithful to him. At the end of the play, [[spoiler:everyone she cared about the most had died. Her firstborn son, Philip and her husband both died in duels. Her two beloved sisters died, the younger Peggy from illness at a relatively young age]]. She spends the rest of her days trying to restore her husband's tarnished legacy and keep his memory alive, only to wonder if ''she'' will be remembered. And as evidenced right here, [[EarnYourHappyEnding she will be]].
227	** Alexander ''and'' Eliza after Philip dies.
228	** Angelica during "Satisfied". She loves Hamilton ''so'' much... but she will always love her sister more, and if it's down to Angelica's own happiness or Eliza's, Angelica chooses Eliza's with no hesitation. But that doesn't make the pain of seeing Alexander marry someone else any better, especially since as an educated and ambitious woman of her time period she is chafing with palpable frustration at the limits placed on her by society, and Alexander is the first man she's met who is both able and willing to engage with her as an intellectual equal.
229	** Maria Reynolds, a young mother who is being [[DomesticAbuse abused by her husband]], is either forced to seduce Hamilton or face the horrific consequences; or she legitimately just went to him for protection and Hamilton took advantage of her. Whatever the case, her life is in ruins after Hamilton throws her under the bus by publishing the Reynolds Pamphlet.
230	** Peggy Schuyler when you learn that despite marrying well and being the {{Moe}} in the family, she succumbed to a fatal illness before she turned 45.

Context YMMV / Hamilton