#ronchernow

Images:

Top: Lin-Manuel Miranda and Leslie Odom Jr., courtesy of Disney Plus

Middle: Captain Alexander Hamilton of the Provincial Company NY Artillery; 1776 (artwork 1923), National Archives ID 542435

Lower: Portrait of Aaron Burr attributed to Gilbert Stuart

HAMILTON IN OUR RECORDS: Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story?  Song 2: Aaron Burr, Sir

Today’s post, by Miriam Kleiman from the Public Affairs office, is the second in a series using archival records (largely from the National Archives Founders Online) to explore Hamilton’s life and legacy, song by song. Please note: given differing accounts of Hamilton’s birth year, stories use the 1755 date, with the 1757 date in parentheses.

The blockbuster musical’s catchy second number, “Aaron Burr, Sir,” could be the response to an AP US History Exam question:

Compare and contrast (in rap): Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr

The song opens in New York City in 1776, setting the stage for the coming drama by showing the first encounter of “young, scrappy and hungry” Hamilton and “prodigy of Princeton college” Burr, and underscoring the cavernous difference between the two in the following realms.

First impressions 
 From the start, Hamilton’s enthusiasm clashes with Burr’s haughtiness. Burr is evasive when Hamilton asks: “Are you Aaron Burr, Sir?” responding: “That depends, who’s asking?” Beyond thrilled to meet Burr, Hamilton enthusiastically solicits college and career advice: “Sir, I heard your name at Princeton” when “seeking an accelerated course of study.” Like Burr, he wanted to ”graduate in two, then join the revolution” and asks: “So how’d you do it, how’d you graduate so fast?” Burr responds: “It was my parent’s dying wish before they passed.”Burr also offers the following guidance: “Talk less… Smile more…”

Background
 Though both orphans, the men are from vastly different backgrounds. Hamilton, as described by John Adams, was the “bastard brat of a Scotch Pedler” (letter of 1/25/1806) who immigrated from the Caribbean to America in 1772 at age 15 (13) lacking family, wealth, and connections. By contrast, Burr was born into early American aristocracy; his maternal grandfather was “Great Awakening” preacher Jonathan Edwards, his father helped establish the College of New Jersey (Princeton), and his father and grandfather were the second and third presidents of the school.

Education 
Hamilton hoped to study at Princeton and was initially accepted, but was rejected when he sought to follow Burr’s lead and “graduate in two.” He says the bursar “looked at me like I was stupid” and admits he “may have punched him.”* Hamilton enrolled at Kings College (now Columbia) in 1774, but didn’t graduate.

Despite his unparalleled connections to the school, Burr was rejected when he first applied to Princeton (at age 11)! He was admitted two years later (age 13) with sophomore standing, excelled on the debate team, and graduated in two years. After college, he first studied theology and then law.

To the Revolution!
 Hamilton became an activist at Kings College, speaking and writing in support of the Continental Congress and independence. He left school to “join the revolution” in 1775, started a volunteer military company, and was commissioned Captain of the New York Provincial Artillery Company in March 1776.

Following the Battle of Lexington and Concord, Burr put his legal studies on hold and “fast tracked” his military career. In July 1775, he traveled with another well-connected friend, Matthias Ogden, to the fledgling, month-old Continental Army camp in Cambridge, MA. Thanks to their impressive family networks, they personally met with General George Washington and presented themselves and a letter of introduction/recommendation from Continental Congress President John Hancock! General Washington reportedly had no officer appointments available but accepted both men as so called “gentlemen volunteers.“

*FUN FACT!
 Hamilton met with Princeton president (and founding father) John Witherspoon, not a bursar. Also, there’s no record of violence. Miranda justified the need for artistic license: “Chernow blanched a bit at this historical leap-Hamilton wasn’t needlessly violent-but the rhyme [bursar and blur/Burr, sir] was too good to pass up.” Agreed, Mr. Burr, Sir?

ICYMI: Song 1, Alexander Hamilton

Stay tuned for Song 3, My Shot, and discover:

Does Hamilton socially advance or socially distance?

Can he help the new country “handle our financial situation”?

Do he and Burr prove they’re “worth more than anyone bargained for”?

Featured National Archives public program/video:
 Historians on Hamilton: How a Blockbuster Musical is Restaging America’s Past, with opening remarks by Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero.

More online:

Papers of Alexander Hamilton, Founders Online 

Papers of Aaron Burr, Founders Online

Archives Displays Hamilton’s Documents in Exhibit Incorporating Musical’s Lyrics, National Archives News

Conversation with Chernow, Kail, and Miranda at the 2016 Records of Achievement Award Ceremony

From Alexander Hamilton to ‘Hamilton’—at the National Archives

Obscure fun fact: Romano and Kleiman were high school classmates and fellow speech/debate team members!

Lin-Manuel Miranda performs "Alexander Hamilton" at The White House, 10/1/2015

HAMILTON IN OUR RECORDS:  Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story? 

Today’s post, by Miriam Kleiman from the Public Affairs office, is the first in a series. Special thanks to Miriam’s neighbor and friend Stefanie for the idea, sparked by her sheer delight at finding the Reynolds Pamphlet in the National Archives Founders Online. 

Like so many others, my family had front-row seats to the smash hit musical Hamilton (online) and it blew us all away. As a longtime National Archives researcher and staffer, and inspired by exhibits curator Corinne Porter’s related document display, I decided to explore Hamilton’s life and legacy through the lens of our records, song by song.  

Hamilton in our Records, Song 1: Alexander Hamilton

One of the first mentions of Alexander Hamilton is the Probate Court Transaction on Estate of Rachel Lavien, 2/19/1768. The appointed estates administrator for the “Christiansted jurisdiction on the Island of St. Croix,” another administrator, the bailiff, and the court reporter met at 10 pm, a few hours after the death of Hamilton’s mother, to witness “the sealing up of a chamber containing her effects together with a trunk etc..,” items that were moved to storage with the exception of “some pots and other small things which remained unsealed for use in preparing the body for burial, among them being 6 chairs, 2 tables, and 2 wash-bowls.” 

The document notes the purpose of the meeting: “to take an inventory of them for subsequent distribution among the decedent’s surviving children.” Much is made of her marital status or lack thereof; noting that three children are legitimate and two are not: James (15) and Alexander (13).

Less than two years later, at age 15, Hamilton writes to his friend Edward Stevens (letter of 11/11/1769) of his longing for more, and his “plannin' for the future,” underscoring the lyrics: “There's a million things I haven't done, but just you wait.”

Ned, my Ambition is prevalent that I contemn the grov’ling and condition of a Clerk or the like, to which my Fortune &c. condemns me and would willingly risk my life tho’ not my Character to exalt my Station. Im confident, Ned that my Youth excludes me from any hopes of immediate Preferment nor do I desire it, but I mean to prepare the way for futurity. Im no Philosopher you see and may be jusly said to Build Castles in the Air. My Folly makes me ashamd and beg youll Conceal it, yet Neddy we have seen such Schemes successfull when the Projector is Constant I shall Conclude saying I wish there was a War.

Founders Online includes an unexpected record, a love poem Hamilton submitted for publication to The Royal Danish American Gazette (4/6/1771). While it’s not certain that Hamilton wrote it, the tone and content do reflect a young man beginning to rewrite his game:

I am a youth about seventeen, and consequently such an attempt as this must be presumptuous; but if, upon perusal, you think the following piece worthy of a place in your paper, by inserting it you’ll much oblige 

What starts off as a sappy, romantic love story then grows darker:

In yonder mead my love I found Beside a murm’ring brook reclin’d: Her pretty lambkins dancing round Secure in harmless bliss. I bad the waters gently glide, And vainly hush’d the heedless wind, Then, softly kneeling by her side, I stole a silent kiss—

She wak’d, and rising sweetly blush’d By far more artless than the dove: With eager haste I onward rush’d, And clasp’d her in my arms; Encircled thus in fond embrace Our panting hearts beat mutual love— A rosy-red o’er spread her face And brighten’d all her charms.

Silent she stood, and sigh’d consent To every tender kiss I gave; I closely urg’d—to church we went, And hymen join’d our hands. Ye swains behold my bliss complete; No longer then your own delay; Believe me love is doubly sweet In wedlocks holy bands.—

Content we tend our flocks by day, Each rural pleasures amply taste; And at the suns retiring ray Prepare for new delight: When from the field we haste away, And send our blithsome care to rest, We fondly sport and fondly play, And love away the night.

Cœlia’s an artful little slut; Be fond, she’ll kiss, et cetera—but She must have all her will; For, do but rub her ’gainst the grain Behold a storm, blow winds and rain, Go bid the waves be still.

So, stroking puss’s velvet paws How well the jade conceals her claws And purs; but if at last You hap to squeeze her somewhat hard, She spits—her back up—prenez garde; Good faith she has you fast.

Stay tuned for Hamilton in our Records, Song 2: Aaron Burr, Sir.

More online:

Papers of Alexander Hamilton, Founders Online

Archives Displays Hamilton’s Documents in Exhibit Incorporating Musical’s Lyrics, National Archives News

Seven Plots to Kill Castro, Part Two

This is the second installment of the Killing Castro series from HistoryDojo. Please read the first in the series here. Look for more installments on this fascinating effort to kill one of the most famous men of the 20th Century.

The CIA was determined to kill the leader of Cuba.

Since the founding of the United States, the government and it’s leaders had an outsized fixation with Cuba.

Startin…