Hamilton: An American Musical, often called Hamilton, is a musical that tells the story of Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. The musical was created by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the music, lyrics, and story. It is based on a book titled Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow, which was published in 2004. The musical describes Hamilton’s life, his role in the American Revolution, and his part in the early political history of the United States. The music was written between 2008 and 2015 and includes styles like hip hop, R&B, pop, soul, and traditional show tunes. The actors who play the Founding Fathers and other historical figures are not all white. Miranda said the musical is about "America then, as told by America now."

When Hamilton first opened, it received very high praise from critics and audiences. It began on February 17, 2015, at the Public Theater in Lower Manhattan, where Miranda performed the role of Alexander Hamilton. Every show during its initial run sold out. The musical won eight Drama Desk Awards, including one for Best Musical. It later moved to the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway, opening on August 6, 2015. Critics gave it excellent reviews, and it sold many tickets. At the 70th Tony Awards, Hamilton received 16 nominations and won 11 awards, including Best Musical. It also won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. In 2020, a movie version of the Broadway show was released on Disney+. A new version of the show was released in theaters in 2025 by Walt Disney Pictures.

The Chicago version of Hamilton started with preview shows at the CIBC Theatre in September 2016 and officially opened the next month. The London version opened at the Victoria Palace Theatre on December 21, 2017, after previews in late November. It won seven Olivier Awards in 2018, including Best New Musical. The first U.S. national tour began in March 2017. A second U.S. tour started in February 2018. The third U.S. tour began on January 11, 2019, and included a three-week performance in Puerto Rico, where Miranda played the role of Hamilton again. The first version of Hamilton in a language other than English opened in Hamburg, Germany, in October 2022. It was translated into German. As of 2026, no licenses have been given for amateur or professional performances of Hamilton.

Synopsis

The musical "Hamilton" tells the story of Alexander Hamilton's life in two parts. It describes his role as an aide-de-camp to General George Washington during the American Revolutionary War, his marriage to Eliza Schuyler, his work as a lawyer and Secretary of the Treasury, and his relationship with Aaron Burr, who is the main narrator of the musical. The story ends with a duel between Hamilton and Burr that leads to Hamilton's death.

Alexander Hamilton was an orphan who faced challenges early in life. With the help of his community, he left the island of St. Croix and moved to New York City. While studying at King's College in 1776, he met Aaron Burr, John Laurens, the Marquis de Lafayette, and Hercules Mulligan. He impressed them with his speaking skills. Laurens, Lafayette, and Mulligan shared their support for the American Revolution, while Burr remained uncertain. Meanwhile, the daughters of wealthy man Philip Schuyler—Peggy, Angelica, and Eliza—expressed excitement about the revolution. Bishop Samuel Seabury opposed the revolution, and King George III claimed authority over the American colonies.

During the New York and New Jersey campaign, Hamilton accepted a position as George Washington's aide-de-camp, even though he wanted to lead soldiers in battle. At a party hosted by Philip Schuyler, Eliza fell in love with Hamilton, and he returned her feelings, leading to their marriage. After the wedding, Burr and Hamilton celebrated their achievements, but Burr reflected on Hamilton's fast rise to power compared to his own slower career.

As the Revolutionary War continued, conditions for the Continental Army worsened after the Battle of Monmouth. Hamilton helped John Laurens duel a disgraced general, Charles Lee, which led to Hamilton being temporarily removed from the army. Back home, Eliza told Hamilton she was pregnant with their first child, Philip, and asked him to slow down and appreciate life's good moments. Lafayette convinced Washington to give Hamilton field command for the Battle of Yorktown. Washington warned Hamilton that his actions would be remembered forever. At Yorktown, Hamilton worked with Lafayette to defeat the British and discovered that Hercules Mulligan had been spying on them.

After Yorktown's victory, King George asked the newly independent United States how it would succeed. Hamilton's son Philip was born, and Burr's daughter Theodosia was born. The two fathers promised to protect their children. Hamilton learned that Laurens had died in a battle after the war ended and threw himself into his work. Over the next decade, both Hamilton and Burr returned to New York and became lawyers. Hamilton gained influence through his writing, participated in the Constitutional Convention, co-authored The Federalist Papers, and was chosen as Secretary of the Treasury by President Washington. Meanwhile, Eliza begged him to slow down, and Angelica moved to London with her new husband.

In 1789, Thomas Jefferson returned to America as Secretary of State. Jefferson and James Madison opposed Hamilton's financial plans during a Cabinet meeting. Washington asked Hamilton to find a compromise to push his ideas through Congress. Eliza and her family traveled upstate during the summer, while Hamilton stayed home to work on the compromise. Hamilton began an affair with Maria Reynolds, which made him vulnerable to her husband's blackmail. After a private dinner, Hamilton, Jefferson, and Madison reached an agreement: Hamilton's financial plan would be supported if the capital was placed on the Potomac River. Burr became jealous of Hamilton's influence and switched political parties, defeating Philip Schuyler in a Senate race and becoming Hamilton's rival.

During another Cabinet meeting, Jefferson and Hamilton argued over whether the United States should help France fight Britain. Washington decided to remain neutral. Jefferson, Madison, and Burr then worked together to discredit Hamilton. After Washington left the presidency, Hamilton helped write his farewell address. King George was surprised to learn that Washington had stepped down and would be replaced by John Adams. Adams fired Hamilton, who responded by criticizing the new president.

Jefferson, Madison, and Burr confronted Hamilton about the Reynolds scandal, accusing him of corruption. To save his career, Hamilton defended himself by writing about his affair in the Reynolds Pamphlet, which ruined his reputation and caused a rift with Eliza. Eliza burned all of Hamilton's letters to her, trying to erase her own history. At 19, Hamilton's son Philip challenged George Eacker to a duel to defend his father's honor but was fatally shot. This tragedy led to reconciliation between Alexander and Eliza.

Hamilton's support for Jefferson over Burr in the 1800 presidential election worsened his relationship with Burr, who challenged him to a duel. In his final letter, Hamilton wrote quickly while Eliza urged him to return to bed. Before the duel, Burr reflected on his life, and Hamilton reflected on his legacy. Burr shot Hamilton, and later lamented that history would remember him as the villain who killed Hamilton. The musical ends with a reflection on how history remembers people. Jefferson and Madison discussed Hamilton's legacy, while Eliza shared how she preserved his memory by recording veterans' stories, raising funds for the Washington Monument, speaking out against slavery, and founding the first private orphanage in New York City.

Principal casts

• King George III – Jonathan Groff
• Alexander Hamilton – Javier Muñoz, Michael Luwoye, Ryan Vasquez, Miguel Cervantes, Jon Rua (backup)
• Aaron Burr – Brandon Victor Dixon, Daniel Breaker, Jin Ha, Nik Walker, Nicholas Christopher
• Eliza Hamilton – Lexi Lawson, Denée Benton, Krystal Joy Brown
• Angelica Schuyler – Mandy Gonzalez
• George Washington – Nicholas Christopher
• Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson – Seth Stewart, James Monroe Iglehart, Kyle Scatliffe
• Hercules Mulligan/James Madison – Wallace Smith
• John Laurens/Philip Hamilton – Jordan Fisher
• King George III – Andrew Rannells, Rory O'Malley, Taran Killam, Brian d'Arcy James, Euan Morton, Neil Haskell, Jarrod Spector

• Aaron Burr – Wayne Brady, Daniel Breaker, Jin Ha
• Angelica Schuyler – Montego Glover

• Alexander Hamilton – Alex Sawyer
• Angelica Schuyler – Allyson Ava-Brown, Ava Brennan, Georgina Onuorah
• George Washington – Trevor Dion Nicholas
• King George III – Jon Robyns, Daniel Boys
• Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds – Courtney-Mae Briggs

• Alexander Hamilton – Lin-Manuel Miranda

• King George III – Rowan Witt

• Ariana DeBose (2015–2016, original Broadway cast)
• Ephraim Sykes (2015–2016, original Broadway cast)
• Thayne Jasperson (2015–present, original Broadway cast)
• Jon Rua (2015–2017, original Broadway cast)
• Sasha Hutchings (2015–2016, original Broadway cast)
• JJ Niemann (2025)

Musical numbers

The original Broadway cast recording for Hamilton was made available to listeners by NPR on September 21, 2015. It was released digitally by Atlantic Records on September 25, 2015, and physical copies were released on October 16, 2015. The cast album was also released on vinyl. The album reached number 12 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, the highest entrance for a cast recording since 1963. It later reached number 2 on the Billboard 200 and number 1 on the Billboard Rap albums chart. The original cast recording won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

The Hamilton Mixtape, a collection of remixes, covers, and samples of the musical's songs, was released on December 2, 2016. It reached number 1 on the Billboard 200.

The Hamilton Instrumentals, an instrumental version of the original Broadway cast recording without the cast's vocals, was released on June 30, 2017.

At the time of the release, the producers of Hamilton announced they would officially authorize free sing-along programs for fans and allow organizers to use the Hamiltunes name and logo to promote events. Unauthorized sing-alongs under the Hamiltunes name, such as Hamiltunes L.A., had already occurred in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington D.C., with events spreading nationwide.

Lin-Manuel Miranda announced a new series of 13 Hamilton-related recordings called Hamildrops, released monthly from December 2017 to December 2018. The first release, on December 15, 2017, was "Ben Franklin's Song" by The Decemberists, featuring lyrics Miranda wrote for an unused song. Miranda had imagined Benjamin Franklin singing in a style similar to The Decemberists and shared the lyrics with Colin Meloy, who set them to music.

The second release, on January 25, 2018, was "Wrote My Way Out (Remix)" by Royce Da 5'9", Joyner Lucas, Black Thought, and Aloe Blacc, a remixed version of a song from The Hamilton Mixtape.

The third release, on March 2, 2018, was "The Hamilton Polka" by "Weird Al" Yankovic, a polka medley of songs from the musical. Miranda and Yankovic became friends after trying to develop a musical together. Yankovic released a video version of the song after Hamilton premiered on Disney+ in July 2020, syncing it to clips from the show.

The fourth release, on March 19, 2018, was "Found/Tonight" by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ben Platt, a mash-up of songs from Dear Evan Hansen and Hamilton. Part of the proceeds supported the March for Our Lives initiative, created after the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. Miranda said the song aimed to raise funds and awareness for efforts by students in Parkland, Florida. Platt added that he hoped the song could help bring about real change in gun control laws.

The fifth release, on April 30, 2018, was "First Burn," featuring five actresses who played Eliza Hamilton in productions of the musical. The song was the first draft of "Burn" written by Miranda. He described Eliza's portrayal in the original version as "angrier" and "entirely reactive," while the final version gave her more agency.

The sixth release, on May 31, 2018, was a cover of "Helpless" by The Regrettes. Miranda credited Mike Elizondo, a producer who worked with the band, for suggesting the idea.

The seventh release, on June 18, 2018, was "Boom Goes the Cannon…" by Mobb Deep, which included a sample of "Right Hand Man" from Hamilton. The song was one of the last recorded by Havoc and Prodigy before Prodigy's passing in June 2017. Havoc said the release was a way to honor Prodigy and continue Mobb Deep's legacy. Miranda dedicated the song to Queensbridge.

The eighth release, "Rise Up, Wise Up, Eyes Up" by French duo Ibeyi, was released on August 31, 2018.

The ninth release, "A Forgotten Spot (Olvidado)," features Puerto Rican singers Zion & Lennox, De La Ghetto, Ivy Queen, PJ Sin Suela, and Lucecita Benítez. It was released on September 20, 2018, by Atlantic Records and Warner Music Group. The song was written by Miranda and others to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria, which struck Puerto Rico in 2017.

The tenth release, a rendition of "Theodosia Reprise" by Sara Bareilles, debuted on Halloween 2018. It featured Alex Lacamoire on piano and Questlove of The Roots on drums. The song was cut from the final production of Hamilton.

The eleventh release was "Cheering For Me Now," an original song with music by John Kander and lyrics by Miranda, based on the 1788 Federal Procession in New York City. It was released on November 20, 2018, with Miranda performing as Alexander Hamilton and an arrangement by Alex Lacamoire.

The final release, "One Last Time (44 Remix)," was released on December 20, 2018. It features Christopher Jackson, who played George Washington on Broadway, gospel and R&B singer BeBe Winans, and former U.S. president Barack Obama, who recites lines from George Washington's farewell address. The song is based on "One Last Time" with a gospel-style arrangement. The title "44" refers to Obama being the 44th president of the United States.

Instrumentation

The Broadway show's musical arrangement includes the following instruments:

• Two keyboards
• A bass player who plays electric, acoustic, and synth bass
• A guitarist who plays electric, acoustic, and tenor banjo
• Drums
• Percussion instruments
• Three violins, with one violinist also playing viola
• A cello

The conductor plays the first keyboard.

Background

Lin-Manuel Miranda was on vacation from his Broadway show In the Heights. During this time, he read the 2004 biography Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow. After reading the first few chapters, Miranda imagined telling Hamilton’s life as a musical. He researched whether a musical about Hamilton had been made before and found that a play about Hamilton’s story was performed on Broadway in 1917, with George Arliss playing Alexander Hamilton.

Miranda started a project called The Hamilton Mixtape. On May 12, 2009, he was invited to perform music from In the Heights at the White House Evening of Poetry, Music, and the Spoken Word. Instead, he performed the first song from The Hamilton Mixtape, an early version of the musical’s opening number, “Alexander Hamilton.” After that, he spent a year working on another early song, “My Shot.”

Although Miranda used some creative freedom in telling Hamilton’s story, the musical’s story and lyrics were based on thorough research. Many songs in the show include lines taken directly from original documents, such as personal letters, The Federalist Papers, and the Reynolds Pamphlet. Miranda also said the television series The West Wing influenced how he created the musical.

Miranda performed in a workshop version of the show, then called The Hamilton Mixtape, at Vassar College and the New York Stage and Film Powerhouse Theater on July 27, 2013. The workshop was directed by Thomas Kail and musically directed by Alex Lacamoire. It included the first act of the show and three songs from the second act. Lacamoire played piano during the performance. The cast included Miranda as Hamilton, Utkarsh Ambudkar as Burr, Christopher Jackson as Washington, Daveed Diggs as Lafayette/Jefferson, Ana Nogueira as Eliza, Anika Noni Rose as Angelica, Javier Muñoz as Laurens, Presilah Nunez as Peggy/Maria, and Joshua Henry as Mulligan/Madison/King George.

Of the Vassar workshop cast, only three members were in the off-Broadway production: Miranda, Diggs, and Jackson. Ambudkar, who played Aaron Burr at Vassar, later said that his alcoholism at the time led to him being replaced. The original off-Broadway cast moved to Broadway, except for Brian d’Arcy James, who was replaced by Jonathan Groff as King George III.

In 2014, there was another workshop production at the 52nd Street Project. It featured Miranda as Hamilton, Leslie Odom Jr. as Burr, Diggs as Lafayette/Jefferson, Phillipa Soo as Eliza, Renée Elise Goldsberry as Angelica, Anthony Ramos as Laurens/Philip, Okieriete Onaodowan as Mulligan/Madison, Ciara Renée as Peggy/Maria, Brian d’Arcy James as King George III, and Isaiah Johnson as Washington. An audio recording of this production is available on YouTube.

Productions

The musical Hamilton was directed by Thomas Kail and choreographed by Andy Blankenbuehler. It had its world premiere Off-Broadway at The Public Theater, under the leadership of Public Theater’s Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis. The show had previews starting on January 20, 2015, and officially opened on February 17. The production was extended twice, first to April 5 and then to May 3. Historian Ron Chernow worked as a consultant for the show. The musical received very good reviews from critics.

Producer Jeffrey Seller wanted to move the show to Broadway before the end of the 2014–2015 season to qualify for the Tony Awards, similar to how he handled the musical Rent in 1996. However, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Thomas Kail wanted more time to refine the show. Changes between the Off-Broadway and Broadway versions included removing some songs, rewriting Hamilton’s final moments, and shortening the song “One Last Ride” to “One Last Time” to focus on Washington’s decision not to seek a third term.

Hamilton opened on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on July 13, 2015, in previews, and officially opened on August 6, 2015. The same producers, set and costume designers, and other creative team members worked on both the Off-Broadway and Broadway versions. The show was highly praised and won 11 Tony Awards.

In April 2016, the cast and producers agreed to a profit-sharing deal, which is rare in theater. On March 12, 2020, the show paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resumed on September 14, 2021.

The Chicago production of Hamilton began previews at the CIBC Theatre on September 27, 2016, with a cast that included Miguel Cervantes as Alexander Hamilton and others. The Chicago show opened in October 2016 and closed on January 5, 2020, after 1,341 performances. It earned $400 million, breaking the box office record for Chicago theater. Over 2.6 million people saw the show in Chicago, including 31,000 students through the Hamilton Education Program.

Plans for a national tour began in early 2016. The first tour started in San Francisco in March 2017, with tickets selling out quickly. A second tour, called the “Angelica Tour,” began in Seattle in 2018. Each tour required special sets and a large team to ensure the show’s choreography, which uses two rotating stage platforms, could be replicated.

The “Philip Tour” premiered in Toronto, Canada, in February 2020 but was canceled due to the pandemic. The “Angelica Tour” ended in Puerto Rico on June 25, 2023, and reopened in Los Angeles in September 2024. A third tour, the “And Peggy Tour,” began in Puerto Rico in 2019, with Lin-Manuel Miranda returning to the role of Alexander Hamilton. The tour raised $15 million for arts in Puerto Rico.

A filmed version of the show, featuring the Puerto Rico cast, was part of the Hamilton: The Exhibition in 2019. Julius Thomas III took over the role of Alexander Hamilton when the “And Peggy Tour” moved to San Francisco in 2019.

Box office and business

Hamilton’s off-Broadway show at The Public Theater was sold out. When the musical moved to Broadway, it had a multimillion-dollar advance in ticket sales, with reports saying it earned $30 million before officially opening.

By September 2015, most of the show’s Broadway performances were sold out. It was the second-highest-grossing show on Broadway for the Labor Day week ending September 6, 2015, behind only The Lion King.

In late November 2016, Hamilton set a Broadway box office record for the most money earned in a single week in New York City. It grossed $3.3 million during an eight-performance week, becoming the first show to break $3 million in eight performances.

Like some other Broadway musicals, Hamilton offers a ticket lottery before every show. At first, 21 front-row seats (and sometimes standing room tickets) were available in each lottery. Lin-Manuel Miranda, the show’s creator, began hosting outdoor mini-performances before each lottery drawing. These events, called “Ham4Ham,” let lottery participants experience parts of the show even if they did not win tickets. Lottery winners could buy two tickets for the price of one, each costing $10.

An online theatrical journal called HowlRound described the Ham4Ham events as an expression of Miranda’s cultural background.

The Ham4Ham shows attracted a large number of people, causing traffic problems on West 46th Street. To reduce crowding and traffic, an online ticket lottery started in early January 2016. On the first day of the online lottery, more than 50,000 people signed up, causing the website to crash.

After Miranda left the show on July 9, 2016, Rory O’Malley, who played King George III, became the new host of Ham4Ham. The Ham4Ham events officially ended on August 31, 2016, after more than a year of performances. The online lottery continued, and in August 2017, an official mobile app was released to expand the lottery. The app allowed people to buy tickets for touring productions of Hamilton as well as the Broadway show.

Critical response

Marilyn Stasio, in her review of the off-Broadway production for Variety, wrote, "The music is exciting, but the lyrics are a big surprise. The words and the way they are sung match each character’s personality. George Washington, shown with dignity by Jackson, sings in clear, well-written language. … In the end, Miranda’s passionate telling of one man’s story becomes the shared story of a nation, a nation built by immigrants who sometimes need to remember their origins."

In his review of the off-Broadway production, Jesse Green in New York wrote, "The conflict between independence and working together is not just the show’s topic but also how it tells its story. It brings the difficulty of creating a union from many different groups to the audience’s attention. … Few theatergoers will know all of Miranda’s influences. I recognized references to Rodgers and Hammerstein, Gilbert and Sullivan, Sondheim, West Side Story, and 1776, but others had to explain the many nods to hip-hop. Whether it is a major change in theater, as some say, is unclear. Miranda is too experienced (and too fond of his influences) to try to change everything at once. … The three duels in the show are handled very well, and are highlights of a lively but sometimes busy performance directed by Thomas Kail and choreographed by Andy Blankenbuehler."

Although giving a positive review, Elisabeth Vincentelli of the New York Post (founded by Hamilton himself) wrote that the love/hate relationship between Hamilton and Burr "does not drive the show—partly because Miranda lacks the charm and intensity of the man he portrays," and that "too many songs focus on explaining events, as if this were a history lesson in song. The show has long, boring parts, especially those involving George Washington."

Reviewing the Broadway production in The New York Times, Ben Brantley wrote, "But Hamilton, directed by Thomas Kail and starring Mr. Miranda, might just about be worth it…Washington, Jefferson, Madison—they are all here, making war, writing constitutions, and debating economic ideas. So are Aaron Burr and the Marquis de Lafayette. They wear the clothes (by Paul Tazewell) you might expect in a traditional costume drama, and the large stage they inhabit has been designed (by David Korins) to look like a period-appropriate tavern, where young people might gather to drink, fight, and plan a revolution." Melanie McFarland of Salon.com wrote, "Enthralling [and] uplifting."

In Time Out New York, David Cote wrote, "I love Hamilton… A perfect mix of hip-hop (as well as R&B, Britpop, and traditional show tunes), under-dramatized American history, and Miranda’s personal focus as a first-generation Puerto Rican and talented writer, Hamilton strongly connects with many cultures. … The story’s human drama and detailed storytelling are amazing." Cote chose Hamilton as a Critics’ Pick and gave it five out of five stars.

In an issue of the Journal of the Early Republic, Andrew Schocket wrote that while Hamilton makes bold choices to move away from what he calls the "American Revolution Rebooted" genre, it remains "inspired by this genre, and despite its casting and hip-hop style, it fits this genre better than we might think." In the same issue, Marvin McAllister noted that the production’s strong hip-hop influence works well because "Miranda improves the form by combining it with musical theater storytelling, and in doing so, honors the culture and its creators."

A review in The Economist summarized the response to Hamilton as "near-universal critical acclaim." Barack Obama joked in 2016 that admiration for the musical is "the only thing Dick Cheney and I agree on." In 2019, writers for The Guardian ranked Hamilton the second-greatest theatrical work since 2000.

Some feminist scholars have criticized Hamilton for how it portrays women. Theatre professor Stacy Wolf finds that female characters are given "limited and stereotypical roles" in a story focused on men and male perspectives. Musicologist Cheryl L. Keyes argues that the main character’s three love interests—Eliza Hamilton, Angelica Schuyler, and Maria Reynolds—fit a set of three common female character types found in hip-hop music: the "good wife," the "gold digger," and the "whore."

Honors and awards

Blankenbuehler received a Special Drama Desk Award for "his inspired and heart-stopping choreography in Hamilton, which is indispensable to the musical's storytelling." His work is varied, yet a lively and smooth style is consistently evident. When it's time to "take his shot," Blankenbuehler hits the bulls-eye.

The musical has the most Tony Award nominations with 16 (though it could have only won 13 awards unless there was a tie). It won 11 awards, which is the second-highest number ever for a single show. The original Broadway production of The Producers (2001) won 12 awards and holds the record.

Concept

According to The New Yorker, the show is "an achievement of historical and cultural reimagining." The costumes and set reflect the period, with "velvet frock coats and knee breeches." The set is a wooden scaffold against exposed brick, and the warm lighting suggests candlelight. The musical is mostly sung and rapped throughout, with little dialogue outside of the musical score.

Miranda said that the portrayal of Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and other white historical figures by Black, Latino, and Asian actors does not require audience members to imagine things that are not true. "Our cast looks like America looks now, and that's intentional," he said. "It helps pull you into the story and allows you to leave cultural ideas about the founding fathers behind." He added, "We're telling the story of old, dead white men but using actors of color, which makes the story more immediate and easier for today's audience to understand."

The pro-immigration message of Hamilton is clear, as the show focuses on Alexander Hamilton, a Founding Father of the United States, and his journey in American politics as an immigrant. Instead of emphasizing his race, the show highlights his immigrant background, along with his hard work and intelligence, as described in the opening and later in the line "immigrants, we get the job done." This helps create a positive image of immigrants. The casting of Black, Latino, and Asian American leads allows audiences to see America as a nation of immigrants and shows the "complex racial history and identity of America." Renee Elise Goldsberry, who played Angelica Schuyler, said, "Hamilton is a story about America, and the most beautiful thing about it is that it's told by such a diverse cast with such diverse styles of music." She added, "We have the opportunity to reclaim a history that some of us don't necessarily think is our own." Miranda has said he is "totally open" to women playing the Founding Fathers. The British production used mostly Black British actors.

Although Hamilton is based on real events and people, Miranda took some creative liberties in retelling the story. Here are the most notable examples:

• In "Aaron Burr, Sir," Alexander Hamilton is shown arriving in the United States in 1776, but he actually arrived in 1773. In the same song, he meets John Laurens, Hercules Mulligan, and Marquis de Lafayette shortly after arriving in New York. While it is true that Hamilton met Mulligan early, he only met Laurens and Lafayette after becoming George Washington's aide-de-camp. Lafayette did not arrive in the United States until after the war began.
• In "My Shot," Hamilton describes himself as an abolitionist. While he opposed slavery, scholars disagree on whether he can be called an abolitionist. He was once president of the New York Manumission Society, but fighting slavery was not his main focus. His business dealings sometimes involved slavery, and his father-in-law, Philip Schuyler, and George Washington were slave owners. In "Stay Alive," Laurens says he and Hamilton wrote essays against slavery, but Hamilton did not write any such essays. Some evidence suggests Hamilton may have owned slaves himself.
• Angelica's relationship with Hamilton was exaggerated in the show. In "Satisfied," she says she feels pressure to marry rich because her father has no sons. In reality, Philip Schuyler had many children, including two surviving sons, and Angelica had already married and had children before meeting Hamilton. In "Take a Break," the show says Hamilton put a comma in the wrong place in a letter to Angelica, but it was Angelica who did that. Miranda said he changed this for dramatic reasons.
• In Act I, Aaron Burr's role in Hamilton's life is overstated, and many early interactions between them are fictional. For example, Burr did not serve as Charles Lee's second in his duel with John Laurens, as shown in "Ten Duel Commandments." Hamilton never invited Burr to his wedding or asked him to help write The Federalist Papers, as portrayed in the show.
• In "A Winter's Ball," Burr says Martha Washington named her tomcat after Hamilton, and Hamilton agrees. Miranda said this is likely false, as no evidence supports the story.
• "Take a Break" shows Angelica joining the Hamiltons in America and writing a letter to Alexander, but this did not happen in real life. In the song, Philip Hamilton says he wants a little brother, but he already had two younger brothers at age 9. Miranda joked that Philip ended up with five brothers and two sisters.
• John Adams and Hamilton did not get along, but Adams did not fire Hamilton as shown in the musical. Hamilton resigned from his position as Secretary of the Treasury in 1794, two years before Adams became president. However, Hamilton remained close to Washington and influential in politics until he criticized Adams in a pamphlet during the 1800 election.
• Regarding the creation of The Reynolds Pamphlet, Jefferson, Madison, and Burr did not approach Hamilton about his affair after John Adams became president. It was actually James Monroe who did so.

Legacy and impact

In 2015, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced plans to redesign the $10 bill. The plan included replacing Alexander Hamilton’s portrait with a woman from American history, though the specific person had not yet been decided. Later, because of Hamilton’s growing popularity, then-Treasury Secretary Jack Lew changed the plan. Instead, he decided to replace Andrew Jackson’s portrait on the $20 bill with Harriet Tubman. This decision was later changed by the first Trump administration, and Harriet Tubman was not placed on either the $10 or $20 bill.

On April 12, 2016, the book Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter was released. The book describes how the idea for the musical Hamilton became a successful Broadway show. It includes details about Alexander Hamilton’s life and the cultural changes brought by the musical. The book also features footnotes from Miranda and stories about the show’s creation. It won a Goodreads Choice Award for Nonfiction in 2016, and its audiobook won Audiobook of the Year at the Audie Awards in 2017.

After premiering at the New York Film Festival on October 1, 2016, the documentary Hamilton’s America aired on PBS’s Great Performances on October 21, 2016. Directed by Alex Horwitz, the film explores how Miranda adapted Hamilton’s story into a groundbreaking musical. It includes new footage of the original cast, visits to historic sites like Mount Vernon and Valley Forge, and interviews with historians, experts, and musicians. The film received a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Hamilton: The Exhibition was an interactive museum that focused on Alexander Hamilton’s life and the musical. It traveled to cities and first opened in Chicago in April 2019. Located on Northerly Island in a specially built structure, the exhibition was described by theater critic Chris Jones as something no Broadway show had attempted before. Key people involved included musical producer Jeffrey Seller, artistic designer David Korins, historical consultant Joanne Freeman from Yale University, and orchestrator Alex Lacamoire. Lin-Manuel Miranda, actors, and historians provided recorded presentations.

The exhibition closed on August 25, 2019, and plans to move it were canceled. Refunds were given for tickets purchased between August 26 and September 8.

After Hurricane Maria, Lin-Manuel Miranda used his influence to support Puerto Rico and raise awareness about the challenges faced by Puerto Ricans. In 2017, Miranda and his father, Luis Miranda Jr., opened the Placita Güisín, a café and restaurant in Vega Alta, Puerto Rico. In 2019, Miranda moved his memorabilia to a new gallery within the Placita Güisín and opened a merchandise store called TeeRico. The location has become a popular tourist spot.

Following a performance on November 18, 2016, with Vice President-elect Mike Pence in the audience, actor Brandon Victor Dixon spoke to the audience. He shared a message written by the cast, Miranda, and producer Jeffrey Seller. Dixon asked Pence to listen to concerns about President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming administration. Pence said he was not offended, but Trump criticized the cast on Twitter, claiming they had "harassed" him. This led to an online campaign called "#BoycottHamilton," which was widely mocked because the show was already sold out. The Washington Post criticized Trump for failing to address racial and social divisions in the 2016 election. Trump’s response was called a "striking act of divisiveness" by historian Robert Dallek. Jeffrey Seller, the show’s producer, said Trump was welcome to attend Hamilton if he wished.

In April 2016, a parody musical called Jeb! appeared online. It replaced Alexander Hamilton with Jeb Bush and included political figures like Donald Trump and Chris Christie in supporting roles. A staged reading was held at Northwestern University in June 2016. The parody was created by writers from universities such as Yale, Boston University, McGill University, and the University of Michigan, who collaborated through a Facebook group called "Post Aesthetics."

In 2016, Gerard Alessandrini, creator of Forbidden Broadway, wrote a revue called Spamilton. It premiered in New York and Chicago and parodied Hamilton and other Broadway shows.

On October 12, 2016, the TV show Modern Family released an episode titled "Weathering Heights." In the episode, a character named Manny records a parody of the song "Alexander Hamilton" as part of a college application. Other applications also included parodies of the song.

In 2022, the Transformers: BotBots episode "I, Cheeseburger" featured a musical parody of Hamilton. The parody included a poster identical to the original Hamilton production and fast-food-themed versions of songs.

"Weird Al" Yankovic recorded a polka medley of Hamilton songs in 2018 as part of the Hamildrops program. In 2020, he released a video using footage from the filmed version of the musical.

In 2022, a church in Texas called The Door Christian Fellowship produced an unauthorized version of Hamilton called Scamilton. The performance was live-streamed on YouTube on August 5, 2022, and later reuploaded by another user on August 28, 2022.

Ham4Progress is a group of Hamilton cast members and staff that supports social justice causes.

The Hamilton Education Program was created in 2016 with funding from the Rockefeller Foundation. It is a partnership between Hamilton producers, the Miranda Family, and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. The program includes the Ham4Progress Award for Educational Advancement, which supports high school juniors from communities affected by social injustice or discrimination.

Hamilton partnered with Michelle Obama’s When We All Vote to release a video called "The Election of 2022" for National Voter Registration Day. The video encouraged voting. Tumblr, Ohio State University, VoteRiders, and VoteForward have also supported

Adaptations

In 2016, several stage performances of the musical Hamilton were filmed at the Richard Rodgers Theatre by RadicalMedia. These recordings were made available for major movie studios to bid on. On February 3, 2020, Walt Disney Studios purchased the rights to distribute the film for $75 million. The original plan was to release the film in theaters on October 15, 2021, under the Walt Disney Pictures label. On May 12, 2020, Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of Hamilton, announced that due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the film and theater industries, the film would be released earlier on Disney+ on July 3, 2020, to coincide with the Fourth of July holiday.

Critics praised the film for its visuals, acting, and direction. It became one of the most-watched films on Disney+ in 2020. The American Film Institute listed it among the best films of 2020. The film was nominated for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (for Miranda) at the 78th Golden Globe Awards. Daveed Diggs was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Male Actor in a Limited Series or Television Movie. Hamilton also received 12 nominations at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Lead Actor for Miranda and Leslie Odom Jr., Outstanding Supporting Actor for Christopher Jackson, Phillipa Soo, and René Elizondo Jr., and Outstanding Supporting Actress for Phillipa Soo and Leslie Odom Jr.

In September 2025, Hamilton had a wide theatrical release in the United States and Canada on September 5, 2025, to mark the musical’s tenth anniversary. This release included new interviews titled "Reuniting the Revolution" with the original cast and creators. The film was shown in 1,825 theaters and earned $10.1 million, placing it second at the box office behind The Conjuring: Last Rites. Additional screenings were planned for the United Kingdom and Ireland on September 26, 2025, and for Australia and New Zealand on November 13, 2025.

In February 2017, Miranda suggested that a film version of Hamilton might be made in the future, but not for many years so people could first see the stage production. On July 6, 2020, after the film’s release on Disney+, Miranda said he was unsure how a cinematic version of Hamilton would look and that he had not written it as a movie. In December 2024, after the success of Universal Pictures’ film adaptation of Wicked, interest in a screen version of Hamilton grew again. Miranda noted that the film’s success meant the project should wait at least 10 more years but added, "If someone has an idea, let me know."