Mangled History in the Musical

The podcast episode delves into the historical inaccuracies present in the hit musical, Hamilton. One of the main myths the podcast debunks is the romantic love triangle between Alexander Hamilton, his wife Eliza, and her sister Angelica. In reality, Angelica was already married when she met Hamilton, and while they flirted through letters, there is no evidence of a romantic relationship. The episode also highlights the discrepancy between the three accusers portrayed in the musical (Aaron Burr, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison) versus the historical figures who actually confronted Hamilton (James Monroe, Abraham Vinnable, and Frederick Muhlenberg). Additionally, the podcast reveals that the musical misrepresents Hamilton's retirement from public life, omitting his involvement in the quasi-war with France and his continued commuting downtown for work. Finally, the real cause of the duel between Hamilton and Burr, which led to Hamilton's death, was their broken friendship and Hamilton's persistent disparagement of Burr, not Burr's blame for the 1800 election.