26 Lesser-Known Facts About Hamilton

Few could have foreseen that a hip-hop-inspired musical about Alexander Hamilton would become Broadway’s most sought-after show. Yet, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton achieved just that after its debut in July 2015. The original cast’s performance was captured in a film titled Hamilton: An American Musical, which premiered on Disney Plus on July 3. Here are some intriguing details about Miranda’s interpretation of the life and legacy of the nation’s first Treasury Secretary.

1. The musical Hamilton draws its inspiration from Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton.

Shortly after his musical In the Heights won four Tony Awards in 2008, Lin-Manuel Miranda decided to take a break. Before leaving, he grabbed a copy of Alexander Hamilton, a biography by Ron Chernow. “I was casually browsing the biography section. It could have been any historical figure,” he mentioned during an interview with 60 Minutes. “I came across the part where a hurricane devastates St. Croix, Hamilton’s home. His poetic response to the disaster ultimately became his ticket off the island.”

“This is a core element of the hip-hop ethos: using words to rise above your situation and envision the future you aspire to,” Miranda told The New York Times. “At just 14, Hamilton wrote, ‘I wish there was a war.’ That’s as hip-hop as it gets.”

Miranda shared with Vogue, “I searched ‘Alexander Hamilton hip-hop musical’ online, fully expecting someone else to have already created it. To my surprise, no one had. So, I decided to take on the challenge.”

2. Miranda spent a year composing Hamilton’s opening number—and another year to complete the second song.

He debuted the song, “Alexander Hamilton,” at the White House in 2009 (you can watch the video above). “From what I understand,” Questlove, the producer of the cast album, told Billboard, “the president never misses a chance to remind everyone: ‘It all started at the White House.’”

Miranda dedicated another year to perfecting Hamilton’s rallying cry, “My Shot.” “Every line had to be the finest I’d ever written,” Miranda told 60 Minutes. “That’s how much effort I poured into it.”

3. Miranda composed Hamilton’s lyrics while on the go.

He explained to Smithsonian that walking was essential to his creative process. “For Hamilton, I’d start by writing at the piano until I had something I liked,” he said. “I’d create a loop of it, put it in my headphones, and walk around until the lyrics came to me. That’s where the notebooks came in—I’d jot down ideas as they came, then return to the piano. I need to be moving to write lyrics effectively.”

4. Hamilton began as a mixtape, not a stage production.

Originally, Miranda envisioned a concept album centered on Alexander Hamilton’s life, titled The Hamilton Mixtape. “I always saw the potential for a stage adaptation, but I started with the idea of a concept album, similar to how Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar began as albums,” Miranda told the Hollywood Reporter. “I crafted the score by imagining my favorite artists in the roles. George Washington, for instance, was a blend of Common and John Legend (which fits Christopher Jackson, who plays him). Hercules Mulligan was inspired by Busta Rhymes, and Hamilton was shaped by my love for lyrical masters like Rakim, Big Pun, and Eminem.”

He explained to The New York Times that he wanted the lyrics to be as dense as his favorite hip-hop albums. “Thinking of it as a hip-hop album allowed me to pack the lyrics with meaning. But in the end, I only know how to write musicals.” Miranda performed 12 songs from The Hamilton Mixtape at Lincoln Center’s American Songbook series in January 2012. He began workshops for the show in 2014, premiered it at The Public in January 2015, and brought it to Broadway in July 2015, with its official opening in August.

5. Miranda immersed himself in extensive research—both historical and musical—to create Hamilton.

Beyond Chernow’s biography, Miranda studied Hamilton’s personal letters and writings, and he visited key Revolutionary War sites in New York City. To better understand Aaron Burr, he read The Heartbreak of Aaron Burr by H.W. Brands, and to grasp the dueling customs of the era, he consulted Affairs of Honor by Joanne Freeman. He even wrote portions of the musical at the Morris-Jumel Mansion, a location Washington once used as his headquarters. In October 2014, before the show’s debut at The Public, Miranda and director Thomas Kail visited the Weehawken, New Jersey, dueling site where Burr fatally shot Hamilton (now marked by a small memorial, as the original grounds are beneath train tracks).

Miranda also drew inspiration from other iconic musicals like Jesus Christ Superstar and Les Miserables before crafting Hamilton. “I channeled my inner Les Miz in this score, carefully deciding where to reintroduce musical themes,” he told The New Yorker. “When it comes to emotional impact, no musical does it better.”

6. Ron Chernow served as the historical consultant for

Hamilton.

Miranda first met Chernow before performing what would become “Alexander Hamilton” at the White House—he even sang the song to Chernow in the biographer’s living room. Chernow later became a key advisor for the show. “[Miranda] understood that staying true to the facts was the best way to bring this story to life,” Chernow told 60 Minutes.

“As someone deeply rooted in theater, my knowledge of history often comes from plays and musicals,” Miranda explained to The Atlantic. “That’s why I felt a tremendous responsibility to stay as historically accurate as possible while crafting a compelling narrative. Ron Chernow’s role as a historical consultant was crucial—he kept us grounded. Whenever I took creative liberties, I made sure I could justify them to Ron, knowing I’d have to defend those choices publicly. None of those decisions were made carelessly.”

As reported by Smithsonian, Chernow reviewed every draft and song, ensuring historical precision throughout the production.

7. Hamilton wasn’t originally intended to be entirely sung through.

While Hamilton is now entirely sung and rapped, it wasn’t always designed that way. “We initially worked with a playwright,” Miranda shared with Grantland. “There was a version of Act 1 with songs interspersed with dialogue, but we realized that after starting with our opening number, returning to spoken words felt unnatural. The energy was simply too high to dial back.”

8. A key scene from Hamilton was left out of the official soundtrack.

The show includes a single non-sung scene, omitted from the cast album: “Tomorrow There’ll Be More of Us,” which occurs between “Dear Theodosia” and “Non-Stop.” In this scene, Hamilton learns of his friend Laurens’s death. “I chose not to include this scene on the album for two reasons,” Miranda explained on Tumblr:

”1) It’s more of a scene than a song—the only one in the show—and its full impact is best felt in the live production. 2) Growing up, I only listened to cast albums (we couldn’t afford many Broadway shows, like most people), and those moments left out of the recordings were revelations when I finally saw them onstage years later. Since Hamilton is entirely sung through, I wanted to preserve at least one surprise for the audience. I stand by this choice, and I believe the album is stronger for it.”

9. Miranda composed King George’s song, “You’ll Be Back,” during his honeymoon.

As an outsider in the narrative of Hamilton, King George’s song, “You’ll Be Back,” stands apart from the rest of the score. “It’s a nostalgic nod to a 1960s Beatles-style tune,” Jonathan Groff, who portrays King George, told Vogue. “It’s essentially a breakup song between America and England, delivered with a sarcastic tone: ‘You’re leaving me? Oh, really? Good luck with that.’” Miranda wrote the song in 2010 while on his honeymoon, “without access to a piano,” he shared with Grantland.

10. The early version of Hamilton’s “My Shot” included an additional verse dedicated to Hercules Mulligan.

“I’m Hercules Mulligan, a tailor secretly gathering intelligence on the British Government / I collect the details, pass the information, and deliver it / To my brother’s revolutionary group / I’m working with the Sons of Liberty, and I’m thriving,” Mulligan raps. At that stage, neither the Marquis de Lafayette nor John Laurens were included in the song. You can listen to the full demo here; parts of Mulligan’s verse eventually made it into “Yorktown (World Turned Upside Down).”

11. Miranda composed “Wait for It” while riding the subway.

“I was on my way to a friend’s birthday party in [Brooklyn],” he recalled, when a line from the chorus of Aaron Burr’s song, “Wait for It,” suddenly came to mind. “I recorded the melody on my iPhone, stayed at the party for about 15 minutes, and then wrote the rest of the song on the train ride back home.”

12. The rap in “Guns and Ships” is incredibly fast-paced.

“Rap is uniquely suited to tell Hamilton’s story because it delivers more words per measure than any other musical style,” Miranda explained to 60 Minutes. “It’s rhythmic and dense, much like Hamilton’s writing.” The use of rap allows Miranda to fit over 20,000 words into two and a half hours—averaging 144 words per minute, according to Leah Libresco at FiveThirtyEight. “If Hamilton were performed at the pace of other Broadway shows, it would stretch to four to six hours,” Libresco noted. She discovered that the fastest verse in the musical, from “Guns and Ships,” reaches a speed of 6.3 words per second.

13. Hamilton’s soundtrack incorporates rap samples and nods to rap songs—along with references to other musicals.

Given its rap-inspired foundation, it’s no surprise that Miranda infused Hamilton with rap influences and samples: “My Shot” includes traces of Mobb Deep’s “Shook Ones Part II” and a tribute to Notorious B.I.G.’s “Going Back to Cali”; “Ten Duel Commandments” mirrors B.I.G.’s “Ten Crack Commandments”; the intro to “Cabinet Battle #1” echoes Jay-Z’s “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)” and incorporates elements of Grandmaster Flash’s “The Message”; “Meet Me Inside” features hints of DMX’s “Party Up in Here (Up in Here)”; and “Cabinet Battle #2” nods to B.I.G.’s “Juicy (It’s All Good).” These themes and samples recur throughout the musical.

Miranda also pays tribute to Broadway classics: He borrows a line from South Pacific for Burr (“I’m with you but the situation is fraught / You’ve got to be carefully taught,” in “My Shot”), references “Modern Major General” from Pirates of Penzance (when Washington sings, “I’m the model of a modern major general / the venerated Virginian veteran whose men are all / Lining up, to put me on a pedestal,” in “Right Hand Man”), and incorporates parts of “Nobody Needs to Know” from The Last Five Years into “Say No to This.”

Miranda’s lyrics are also rich with historical allusions. We’ve decoded some here, and many fans have annotated the lyrics on Genius (Miranda himself has also contributed there). Additionally, Miranda authored his own book of annotated lyrics, which he tweeted are “Not what you'd find on Genius, just things in my brain & heart.”

14. Initially, Miranda struggled to decide whether to portray Hamilton or Burr.

“I relate deeply to both Burr and Hamilton,” Miranda shared with The New Yorker. “Burr is just as intelligent and talented as Hamilton, and he’s experienced similar losses. But their personalities differ—Burr hesitates while Hamilton charges ahead. I’ve felt like Burr in my life as often as I’ve felt like Hamilton.” Ultimately, he chose to play Hamilton: “In Hollywood, I’m often cast as the best friend to the white lead. If I want to be the protagonist, I’ve learned I need to write it myself. As Hamilton, I get to be bolder, sharper, and more impulsive than I am in real life—it’s like unleashing my id for two and a half hours.”

Leslie Odom Jr. portrayed Burr. “I unintentionally gave him some of the best songs,” Miranda told Grantland. “‘Wait for It’ and ‘The Room Where It Happens’ are among the finest songs I’ve ever written, and he got to perform both.”

15. The decision to cast people of color in Hamilton’s leading roles was intentional.

“Our vision was to tell a story about America’s past through the lens of modern America, and we wanted to reflect the diversity of our country today,” Miranda explained to The New York Times. “We sought the best performers to bring these characters to life. It’s a powerful statement, but it doesn’t feel forced.” The sole main character played by a white actor is King George.

“Thinking about what this album or show would have meant to me as a 13- or 14-year-old—it’s incredibly moving,” Odom shared with The New York Times.

Later, the producers of Hamilton would state that, “The storytelling of Hamilton relies on the principal roles, written for nonwhite characters (excluding King George), being portrayed by nonwhite actors.”

16. Miranda decided to remove George Washington’s death from Hamilton.

Originally, Washington’s death was included in the show—but Miranda ultimately removed it. He explained on Twitter:

“One deleted line... BURR: And in our grief- HAMILTON/JEFFERSON: He unites us one last time.”

“It was a musical moment that got cut, starting with Burr singing, ‘I hear wailing in the streets…,’” Miranda added. He removed it, he said, “because we already have an entire song about him saying goodbye, and while the moment was emotional, it felt repetitive.”

17. One of the most pivotal yet subtle characters in Hamilton is “The Bullet.”

Early in the show, a spy is executed by a British soldier after the song “You’ll Be Back.” Played by Ariana DeBose, the spy transforms into The Bullet—a personification of death. As PopSugar points out, The Bullet subtly hints at future deaths: she interacts with John Laurens in “Yorktown,” who dies soon after; she flirts with Philip Hamilton in “Blow Us All Away,” who later perishes in a duel; and she has multiple encounters with Hamilton before delivering the fatal shot in “The World Was Wide Enough.”

18. The Hamilton ticket lottery included its own mini-performance series.

Dubbed #Ham4Ham, the event often showcased Hamilton cast members and other Broadway stars outside the Richard Rodgers Theatre. Highlights included Miranda singing a duet with Lea Salonga, answering fan questions using only Les Miz lyrics, demonstrating the tech crew’s importance by running the cast through a number while calling cues, and hosting a contest for fans to master Lafayette’s rap in “Guns and Ships.” Miranda created #Ham4Ham, he told Rolling Stone, to ensure that even those who didn’t win the lottery left with a memorable experience.

19. The set design of Hamilton carries deep symbolism.

David Korins, the set designer for Hamilton, shared with the Washington Post that his vision for the stage was an incomplete colonial-era structure under construction. He explained, “The narrative revolves around those who laid the groundwork for the nation, hence the wooden scaffolding surrounding a partially built wall, symbolizing a space of ambition.” The Post also noted that the turntables on stage were designed to reflect the whirlwind of historical events that engulfed Hamilton, as well as the actual hurricane that struck his Caribbean birthplace.

As the play transitions between acts, the set evolves—brick walls (crafted from plastic and wood) behind the scaffolding grow 8 feet taller, symbolizing the nation's advancement and the expansion of its foundation, Korins explained to WaPo. The rifles on the walls are replaced with quills and parchment, marking the shift from war to governance.

Navigating the stairs on the Hamilton set is a physically demanding task.

James Monroe Iglehart, known for his role as the Genie in Broadway’s Aladdin, took on the roles of Lafayette and Jefferson in Hamilton in 2017. He revealed to Mytour that the most challenging aspect of the performance was unexpected. “The difficulty isn’t the French accent, the rapid lyrics, or the show itself—it’s the stairs,” he stated. “The set features stairs ascending and descending onstage, with additional hidden stairs backstage. My routine as Marquis de Lafayette involves climbing up, descending backstage, adjusting my jacket, and repeating the process multiple times during certain songs. The physical demand was so intense that my calves were in disbelief. Despite my experience with cartwheels and tap dancing in Aladdin, the stair-intensive choreography in Hamilton was a new challenge that had me questioning the set design.”

A life-sized cutout of Hamilton became a unique guestbook for celebrities visiting backstage, who left their signatures on it.

Celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, Danny DeVito, Steven Spielberg, Sting, Jon Lasseter, Oprah, and even Vice President Joe Biden have all left their encouraging messages and autographs on and around the Hamilton memorabilia.

The cast of Hamilton contributed to fundraising efforts for the orphanage established by Eliza Hamilton.

Eliza Hamilton co-founded New York City’s inaugural private orphanage in 1806, now known as Graham Windham. Lin-Manuel Miranda and Philippa Soo, who portrayed Eliza in Hamilton, participated in a fundraising event for the organization. Miranda expressed his emotions on Twitter, saying, “An unforgettable experience at the @GrahamWindham luncheon today. Hearing the children (from ELIZA'S ORGANIZATION) sing ‘Eliza, you have done enough’ was incredibly moving.”

Barack Obama is an ardent admirer of Hamilton.

President Obama praised the production as “brilliant,” humorously noting, “It’s likely the sole matter on which Dick Cheney and I have concurred throughout my entire political tenure.”

24. The musical Hamilton has earned the endorsement of Stephen Sondheim.

Miranda once shared his compositions with Stephen Sondheim, the acclaimed creator of Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, and numerous other musicals. Sondheim remarked to The New York Times, “He presented me with printed lyrics and audio recordings of his songs. Initially, I had concerns: the potential monotony of an all-rap performance and the relentless rhythm. However, Lin-Manuel’s rap is uniquely grounded in tradition. He understands theater deeply… Hamilton represents a significant innovation… The rise of rap musicals is inevitable. Perhaps next, we’ll witness a rap interpretation of Lincoln’s story. Mark my words, revisit this conversation in a year.”

25. Miranda collaborated with various artists for The Hamilton Mixtape and a sequence of “Hamildrops.”

In October 2015, Miranda announced on Twitter: “The show is complete. The cast album is released. Now, we’re embarking on The Hamilton Mixtape. Expect remixes, covers, and inspired creations. SERIOUSLY. PREPARE YOURSELVES. Initially, I aimed to finalize the mixtape with Atlantic before the premiere, but that proved as challenging as undergoing surgery while in labor.”

The 23-track mixtape showcased performances by a diverse array of artists, including The Roots, Queen Latifah, Ashanti, Ja Rule, Kelly Clarkson, Usher, Ben Folds, and Regina Spektor, who covered songs from the musical. It also included unreleased demos, such as one depicting the struggles of the Continental Army at Valley Forge and a third rap battle focusing on slavery, which Miranda described on Twitter as a tribute to Tupac Shakur’s ‘Hail Mary.’ He elaborated on this in an interview with Billboard.

After the mixtape, Miranda introduced a series of releases dubbed “Hamildrops.” These included “Ben Franklin’s Song” by The Decemberists, “The Hamilton Polka” by Weird Al Yankovic, an extended rendition of “Dear Theodosia” by Sara Bareilles, and a remix of “One Last Time” that included a segment from Barack Obama.

26. The final gasp by Eliza in Hamilton is open to multiple interpretations.

In the concluding number, “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story,” Eliza reflects on her efforts to preserve Hamilton’s legacy. She sings, “And when my time is up, Have I done enough? Will they tell your story? Oh, I can't wait to see you again. It's only a matter of time.” Alexander then takes her hand, guides her across the stage, and as she reaches the edge, she looks upward and gasps.

This pivotal moment is not scripted, leading to widespread speculation among Hamilton enthusiasts about its significance. Some interpret the gasp as Eliza’s realization of her own death and reunion with Hamilton in the afterlife. Others suggest it represents Eliza’s recognition of the audience, signifying her success in immortalizing Hamilton’s narrative.

In a 2016 interview, Soo explained, 'People often ask, ‘Is Eliza entering heaven? Is she reuniting with Alexander? Is she encountering God? What’s happening?’ The truth is, it encompasses all those interpretations. Sometimes, it’s as simple as looking out and seeing the audience, but the overarching theme is one of transcendence.'

Miranda recently shared his thoughts, stating, 'The gasp holds a unique meaning for every Eliza. I’ve had various discussions about it. It’s a breathtaking moment, isn’t it? I believe it transcends time in some manner—whether she’s seeing Hamilton, heaven, or the present world. All these interpretations are valid and meaningful. In that instant, she’s glimpsing across time.'

One thing is clear: Miranda isn’t portraying himself in the final scene, guiding Eliza to gaze at the audience, as one fan speculated. 'It’s a charming idea… but it falls apart when I’m not in the role,' Miranda tweeted. 'The Gasp remains The Gasp. I appreciate all the theories.'