Identifying Fact and Fiction Possibilities

[ahunker]

As we continue to identify or refute possible fact or fiction, we will update the list we form here. Have each act in separate comments, place the songs in numerical order, and for each fact or fiction, please have an accompanying lyric so we know what we need to tag in each song as we move on to the next stage. Once we identify whether the lyrics in question are fact or fiction, indicate which one after the lyrics and add the relevant information explaining why it is fact or fiction and a source for the information. Don't worry about getting all of this down at once, just start with compiling the list for now and we'll go from there. E.g. Act One

1. Alexander Hamilton
   • By fourteen, they placed him in charge of a trading charter - Fact: Hamilton was in charge of a trading charter called * in the year **. (Source)

[ebeshero]

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<l>...<seg type="fact">Something Hamilton Did</seg><note>Fact! 

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</note></l>

[bsf15]

Here is a very messy list of possible lyrics to investigate in act 2:

1. What’d I Miss “I helped Lafayette draft a declaration” - If fact, what was the declaration, who else was involved with the declaration besides Lafayette?

"Washington's the president." How far along was Washington in his presidency.

"Someone came along to resist him / Pissed him off until we had a two-party system." -Did Jefferson and Hamilton's fighting result in the different parties?

"Kicking ass as the ambassador to France." Is this all Jefferson was doing at the time??

"Letter on my desk from the president." Is this how Washington contacted Jefferson about being secretary of state

"Sally, be a lamb." Who is Sally?

2. Cabinet Battle 1 "Secretary Hamilton's plan to assume state debt and establish a national bank."

"'Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.'" - Show the document this came from

“Now, place your bets as to who that benefits: The very seat of government where Hamilton sits” - What was Hamilton’s plan exactly and did it benefit Hamilton despite Hamilton claiming that Jefferson’s statement here is “Not true!”

"Madison, you're mad as a hatter, son, take your medicine" Was Madison sick and taking some kind of medicine?

3. Take a Break “I have a sister, but I want a little brother” - Does Philip have a sister? Who was she? How much older or younger than him was she? Does he have older brother already? Was Philip Hamilton and Eliza's first child?

“In a letter I received from you two weeks ago I noticed a comma in the middle of a phrase It changed the meaning. Did you intend this?” - Can we find this supposed letter? Further evidence Hamilton and Angelica had some type of flirtation going.

"Do you have to live an ocean away?"

“I have to get my plan through Congress I can't stop until I get this plan through Congress” What was the plan Hamilton was currently working on here?

4. Say No to This

"That's when Miss Maria Reynolds walked into my life." Did Maria come to him?

“I gave her thirty bucks that I had socked away” Did Hamilton actually give Maria Reynolds this money?

“Dear Sir, I hope this letter finds you in good health And in a prosperous enough position to put wealth In the pockets of people like me: down on their luck You see, that was my wife who you decided to” - Can we find this letter from James Reynolds to Hamilton?

"Nobody needs to know" How did Hamilton keep this quiet?

How long did this affair go on between Hamilton and Maria? Find a lyric to attach this to!

5. The Room Where it Happens “They renamed it after him. The Mercer legacy is secure” Was there a Clermont Street renamed after General Mercer?

“The immigrant emerges with unprecedented financial power A system he can shape however he wants The Virginians emerge with the nation’s capital And here’s the pièce de résistance: No one else was in The room where it happened” Was it just Hamilton, Jefferson, and Madison involved in this compromise? What exactly went down between the three of them(what is Hamilton’s unprecedented financial power?)?

6. Schuyler Defeated “War hero Philip Schuyler loses senate seat to young upstart Aaron Burr” - Did this happen?

“I changed parties to seize the opportunity I saw” - What party was Aaron Burr beforehand?

7. Cabinet Battle 2 "France is on the verge of war with England." What war?

"We signed a treaty?" What treaty? Did America double back on a deal made with the French??

"We signed a treaty with a king whose head is now in a basket." - What king? Add details to this.

“Draft a statement of neutrality” - When was this statement drafted?

8. Washington on Your Side “Thanks to Hamilton, our cab’net’s fractured into factions” Is it just due to Hamilton that the cabinet is separating?

"Look back on the bill of rights / Which I wrote." Did Madison write the bill of rights?

"I have to resign." Did Jefferson resign?

"Follow the money and see where it goes." Do they find dirt on Hamilton about his affair with Reynolds?

9. One Last Time "No, he's stepping down so he can run for president." Is that why Jefferson stepped down?

"I'm stepping down, I'm not running for president." Why did Washington step down?

“Though, in reviewing the incidents of my administration, I am unconscious of intentional error, I am nevertheless too sensible of my defects not to think it probable that I may have committed many errors. I shall also carry with me . . .” Can we show the actual Farewell Address to see if they completely match up?

10. I Know Him “John Adams?! I know him That can’t be That’s that little guy who spoke to me All those years ago What was it, eighty-five?” How did King George know Adams? Did they speak in 85? Was Adams actually a short man in comparison to Washington?

11. The Adams Administration “Protean creator of the Coast Guard Founder of the New York Post” Was Hamilton the founder of new york post and creator of the coast guard?

"Jefferson's the runner up which makes him the vice president" is this true?

"Adams fires Hamilton?" Is this true? Did Hamilton just step down due to pressure they were putting on him?

“‘Hamilton publishes his response’ ‘Sit down, John, you fat mother—(BLEEP)’” Can we find what Hamilton actually called Adams since he supposedly published his response?

12. We Know “‘We have the check stubs. From separate accounts…’ ‘Almost a thousand dollars, paid in different amounts…’ ‘To a Mr. James Reynolds way back in Seventeen ninety-one’” Did Jefferson, Madison, and Burr actually have these check stubs? Was the amount accurate??

"I paid him quarterly." How did Hamilton pay Reynolds? How long did this go on for?

13.Hurricane “When I was seventeen a hurricane Destroyed my town” Where was Hamilton’s town exactly? Was he seventeen?

“I wrote my way out” How did he write his out??

“I was twelve when my mother died” How did Hamilton’s mother die?

"Reynolds Pamphlet" When did he publish this?

14. The Reynolds Pamphlet "Alexander Hamilton had a torrid affair and he wrote it down right there"

““The charge against me Is a connection with one James Reynolds! For purposes of Improper speculation My real crime is an Amorous connection with his wife For a considerable time With his knowing consent” Can we find the actual Reynolds Pamphlet to compare to the lyrics?

15. Burn “I’m burning the memories Burning the letters that might have redeemed you” Did Eliza actually burn the letters?

"You forfeit the place in our bed" Did Eliza kick Hamilton out or did Hamilton leave?

16. Blow Us All Away “Meet the latest graduate of King's College!” Did Philip graduate from King’s College? If so, when?

“Ladies, I'm lookin for a Mr. George Eacker Made a speech last week, our Fourth of July speaker He disparaged my fathers legacy in front of a crowd” Can we find evidence of George Eacker speaking against Hamilton? What did he say?

“Everything is legal in New Jersey” If this is true, why was this the case at the time?

"Come back home when you're done Take my guns. Be smart. Make me proud, son" - Did Hamilton actually encourage Philip to do this duel?

17. Stay Alive (Reprise) “Mr. Hamilton, come in. They brought him in a half an hour ago. He lost a lot of blood on the way over. Yes. But you have to understand The bullet entered just above his hip and Lodged in his right arm” Where was Philip brought? Was the information here about his injury accurate?

18. It’s Quiet Uptown “The Hamiltons move uptown” Where exactly do the Hamiltons move?

“I take the children to church on Sunday” How many children does Hamilton have? Who are they? Was Philip the eldest? Maybe look into how religious were the Hamiltons??

"If you see him in the street, walking by her Side, talking by her side, have pity" and "Forgiveness. Can you imagine?" - Did Hamilton and Eliza reconcile after Philip's death?

19. The Election of 1800 "John Adams shat the bed. I love the guy, but he's in traction" What did John Adams do that made him so disliked as president?

“‘So now I'm facing’ ‘Aaron Burr!’ ‘With his own faction’” More details about Jefferson vs Burr

"You're openly campaigning?" - What was Burr doing that was new here since he was openly campaigning?

“Jefferson has my vote” Did Hamilton vote for Jefferson? Was this decision actually up to Hamilton?

“‘Its crazy that the guy who comes in second gets to be Vice President’ ‘Yeah, you know what? We can change that.’” Was it Jefferson who changed who was VP?

20. Your Obedient Servant “For the last time Dear Alexander:” Did Hamilton and Burr plan this duel through letters? If so, can we maybe find those?

"I have the honor to be Your Obedient Servant" Was this actually how they signed the letters?

“Here's an itemized list of thirty years of disagreements” What are some of their disagreements?

“Weehawken. Dawn” Was this where and when the duel actually took place?

21. Best of Wives and Best of Women “I just need to write something down” What was Hamilton writing on the night before the duel?(his letter to Eliza where he refers to her as best of wives and best of women?)

22. The World Was Wide Enough “We rowed across the Hudson at dawn My friend, William P. Van Ness signed on as my” Is this information accurate?

“Hamilton arrived with his crew: Nathaniel Pendleton and a doctor that he knew” Again was this actually who was with Hamilton?

"Near the same spot My son died, is that Why—" - Were they near the same spot Philip died? At the duel or the place he was brought to with the doctors?

"My fellow soldiers’ll tell you I’m a terrible shot" - Was Burr a terrible shot?

“they won’t teach you this in your classes But look it up, Hamilton was wearing his glasses” Was Hamilton wearing glasses?

"This man will not make an orphan of my daughter" Was Theodosia's mother dead? Was Burr her only parent that was alive at this time?

"I get a drink" - Did Burr actually get a drink?

“Angelica and Eliza— Were both at his side when he died” Were they with him?

“When Alexander aimed At the sky” Did he actually aim at the sky or was Burr simply quicker in the duel?

"Now I’m the villain in your history" - Is this really how Burr is looked at in history books?

23. Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story I'll give him this: his financial system is a Work of genius. I couldn't undo it if I tried And I tried" - Did Jefferson actually try to undo what Hamilton did?

"I live another fifty years" Did she actually live another fifty years?

“I interview every soldier who fought by your side” Who did Eliza interview? Can we find any of these interviews somehow?

“She is buried in Trinity Church” Is Angelica buried there by Hamilton? Might be interesting to see if we can find a picture of the graves.

“I raise funds in D.C. for the Washington Monument” Did Eliza raise funds? How much?

“I speak out against slavery” Can we find evidence of Eliza doing this?

“I established the first private orphanage in New York City” Did she? What was the name of the orphanage?

"Oh, I can't wait to see you again" How badly did Eliza miss Hamilton? (refer to Chernow and what he wrote about people noticing her talking to Hamilton when she was by herself after he died)

[ahunker]

I probably was heavy handed on the fact/fiction in the first half, especially in regards to songs involving the Military because they reference a lot of battles and people and events.

ACT ONE

1. Alexander Hamilton

• "A bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a/Scotsman" Who were Hamilton's parents?
• "Spot in the Caribbean"
• "The ten-dollar Founding Father" I know he's on the ten dollar note, but maybe more information about how and when this happened and a picture.
• "By fourteen, they placed him in charge of a trading charter" Is this true? Which trading charter?
• "Then a hurricane came, and devastation reigned" Which hurricane and when?
• "And he wrote his first refrain" Can we find what he wrote?
• "Took up a collection just to send him to the mainland" Did people collect money so he could go to America?
• "When he was ten his father split. full of it, debt-ridden"
• "Alex got better but his mother went quick" What disease did she die from?
• "Moved in with a cousin, the cousin committed suicide" Who is the cousin and why did he commit suicide?
• "Started workin’, clerkin’ for his late mother’s landlord/Tradin’ sugar cane and rum and all the things he can’t afford" What business did the landlord run?
• "Bow of a ship headed for a new land"

2. Aaron Burr, Sir

• "I have been looking for you" Did Hamilton seek out Burr and is this how they actually met?
• "You punched the bursar" I really want to know if this is true or not...
• "I wanted to do what you did. Graduate in two, then join the revolution." Did Aaron Burr actually graduate from Princeton with a full degree within two years? Because if yes, that man is crazy.
• "It was my parents’ dying wish before they passed" Who were Burr's parents and when did they die?
• "The Lancelot of the revolutionary set!" Why is Lafayette compared to Lancelot?
• "Talk less/Smile more"

3. My Shot

• "I’m ‘a get a scholarship to King’s College" Did Hamilton go to King's College on a scholarship?
• "Yo, I’m a tailor’s apprentice" Is this what Mulligan was being trained in? Was it a family thing or just a general apprenticeship?
• "Laurens, I like you a lot" Were Hamilton and Laurens BFFs? Or even something more...
• "Only nineteen but my mind is older"
• "Then King George turns around and runs a spending spree"

4. The Story of Tonight

• "But I will gladly join the fight!" Did all four men volunteer for the army?
• "Raise a glass to the four of us" Were the four men actually friends who hung out together?

5. The Schuyler Sisters

• "Take Philip Schuyler: the man is loaded" Was Mr Schuyler a rich man?
• "His daughters, Peggy, Angelica, Eliza/Sneak into the city just to watch all the guys" Did the girls actually do this?
• "I’m a trust fund" Did Burr live off of a trust fund?
• "I’ve been reading Common Sense by Thomas Paine" Was Angelica a well-read woman?

6. Farmer Refuted

• "My name is Samuel Seabury"
• "And I present 'Free Thoughts on the/Proceedings of the Continental Congress!'" Is this something Seabury actually did and can we find this speech somewhere?
• "Don’t modulate the key then not debate with me!" Did Hamilton confront Seabury in public?
• "Why should a tiny island across the sea regulate the price of tea?" More info on the British taxing the colonies.
• "A message from the King!" Did King George send them a message?
• "And what about Boston?" Boston Massacre

7. You'll Be Back

• "The price of my love’s not a price that you’re willing to pay" What were the colonies paying and what were they paying for?
• "In your tea which you hurl in the sea when you see me go by" The Boston Tea Party reference?
• "Remember we made an arrangement when you went away" What was the arrangement?
• "I will send a fully armed battalion to remind you of my love!" Did King George threaten the colonies with war and death?

8. Right Hand Man

• "British Admiral Howe’s got troops on the water/Thirty-two thousand troops in New York harbor" Why were the troops in New York harbour and when did this happen?
• "I knew that I was poor/I knew it was the only way to—/Rise up!" Was being in the army and in a place of command a way to climb the social ladder during Revolutionary times?
• "The venerated Virginian veteran " Why is he so well-known and what makes him a veteran?
• "Writin’ letters to relatives/Embellishin’ my elegance and eloquence" Did he write letters to his relatives and if yes, what were they about?
• "How can I keep leading when the people I’m/Leading keep retreating?" Were people running away and why?
• "Yo, let’s steal their cannons—" Did Hamilton and his boy band go and steal cannons?
• "we’re abandonin’ Kips Bay and…/We just lost the southern tip and…/We gotta run to Harlem quick, we can’t afford another slip" What is the Harlem quick? Can we name the battle?
• "I was a captain under General Montgomery/Until he caught a bullet in the neck in Quebec" Was Burr in a noteworthy leadership position in the army?
• "Your excellency, you wanted to see me?" Did Washington personally request Hamilton?
• "Nathaniel Green and Henry Knox wanted to hire you…" Who are these men and why do they want Hamilton?
• "I’m working with a third of what our Congress has promised" What did Congress promise Washington?
• "I’ll write to Congress and tell ‘em we need supplies" Was Hamilton the official scribe for Washington?
• "And his right hand man!" Was Hamilton known as Washington's 'right hand man'?

9. A Winter's Ball

• "Washington hires Hamilton right on sight"
• "We're reliable with the/Ladies!" Were Hamilton and Burr known as ladies men?
• "Martha Washington named her feral tomcat after him!" I need to know if this is true.
• "And the Schuyler sisters are the envy of all" Were the Schuyler sisters that popular and were there other sisters besides Angelica, Eliza, and Peggy?

10. Helpless

• "We were at a revel with some rebels on a hot night" Can we find a place and date?
• "I’m about to change your life" Did Angelica introduce Hamilton and Eliza?
• "One week later/I’m writin’ a letter nightly" Did Eliza and Hamilton correspond that much?
• "My father’s stone-faced/While you’re asking for his blessin’" Did they really get engaged two weeks after they met?
• "Eliza, I don’t have a dollar to my name" Was Hamilton destitute?
• "Laughing at my sister as she's dazzling the room"
• "Laughing at my sister because she wants to form a harem"
• "Peggy confides in me"
• "We'll get a little place in Harlem"

11. Satisfied

• "Now everyone give it up for the maid of honor/Angelica Schuyler!" Was Angelica the maid of honor at Eliza and Hamilton's wedding?
• "Set my heart aflame, ev’ry part aflame" Did Angelica love Hamilton?
• "My father has no sons so I’m the one/Who has to social climb for one" I'm pretty sure she has brothers.
• "I know my sister like I know my own mind" Were Angelica and Eliza very close?
• "Ben Franklin"

12. The Story of Tonight (Reprise)

• "I didn’t think that you would make it" Did Burr attend Hamilton's wedding?
• "She’s married to a British officer" Who is the woman Burr is seeing and how does he know her?
• "There's hope for our ass, after all!" Weren't they all married?
• "Lieutenant Colonel"

13. Wait for It

• "Theodosia writes me a letter every day" Did they correspond?
• "He's on the British side in Georgia" Who was Theodosia's husband?
• "My grandfather was a fire and brimstone preacher" Who was Burr's grandfather?
• "My mother was a genius" Who was his mother?
• "My father commanded respect" Who was his father?
• "Just a legacy to protect" What legacy?

14. Stay Alive

• "I have taken over writing all his correspondence" Did Hamilton write Washington's letters for him?
• "I shoot back, we have resorted to eating our horses" Did the Revolutionary army eat their horses?
• "They only take British money, so sing a song of sixpence" Were there loyalists?
• "I go back to New York and my apprenticeship" Did Mulligan leave the army?
• "I ask for French aid, I pray that France has sent a ship" What was Lafayette's role in the Revolution?
• "I’m a General. Whee!!!!" Was Thomas Lee a general?
• "He shits the bed at the Battle of Monmouth" What happened?
• "A thousand soldiers die in a hundred degree heat"
• "He started sayin’ this to anybody who would listen:" Was Lee defaming Washington?
• "Then I’ll do it" Did Laurens challenge Lee to a duel?
• "We write essays against slavery"
• "Plantin tobacco in Mount Vernon"

15. Ten Duel Commandments

• "It’s the Ten Duel Commandments" Were there actually ten rules people were supposed to follow in the event of a duel?
• "But your man has to answer for his words, Burr" Were Burr and Hamilton the seconds for Lee and Laurens?

16. Meet Me Inside

• "You shot him in the side!" Did Laurens actually shoot Lee?
• "Here comes the General!" Did Washington catch them?
• "Don’t call me son" Did Washington call Hamilton 'son'?
• "These men take your name and they rake it/Through the mud" What are people saying about Washington?
• "Go home, Alexander" Did Washington send Hamilton home?

17. That Would Be Enough

• "I wrote to the General a month ago" Did Eliza tell Washington and not Hamilton that she was pregnant?

18. Guns and Ships

• "I go to France for more funds" Why?
• "We rendezvous with Rochambeau, consolidate their gifts" Who is Rochambeau?
• "I have soldiers that will yield for you" Did Washington bring Hamilton back and promote him?
• "Fluent in French"

19. History has its Eyes on You

• "I led my men straight into a massacre" I think this was Washington's first and only failure as a leader.

20. Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)

• "I go back to France/I bring freedom to my people if I’m given the chance" What was going on in France?
• "Take the bullets out your gun!" Was this an actual command from Hamilton?
• "The code word is ‘Rochambeau,’ dig me?"
• "Laurens is in South Carolina, redefining brav’ry" What was he doing?
• "A tailor spyin’ on the British government!" Was Mulligan a spy?
• "Running with the sons of liberty"
• "After a week of fighting, a young man in a red coat stands on a parapet" Is this how the British announced their defeat?
• "Lafayette is there waiting in Chesapeake Bay"
• "We negotiate the terms of surrender" What were the terms?
• "The world turned upside down" Was this actually a drinking song people sang after the war?
• "Eliza's expecting"

21. What Comes Next?

• "The price of my war’s not a price that they’re willing to pay" Who isn't willing to pay this time?
• "You cheat with the French, now I’m fighting with France and with Spain" What war is this?
• "Don't come crawling back to me"

22. Dear Theodosia

• "You have my eyes. You have your mother’s name" Was Theodosia Burr's daughter?
• "Oh Philip, when you smile I am undone" Was Philips Hamilton's son?

22b. Tomorrow There'll Be More of Us

• "Alexander? There's a letter for you" Is this how Hamilton learned that Laurens had died?
• "On Tuesday the 27th, my son was killed in a gunfight against British troops retreating from South Carolina. The war was already over. As you know, John dreamed of emancipating and recruiting 3000 men for the first all-black military regiment. His dream of freedom for these men dies with him" Did this happen?

23. Non-Stop

• "I practiced law, Burr worked next door" Were Burr and Hamilton lawyers?
• "This is the first murder trial of our brand-new nation" Did Hamilton and Burr work together on the first murder trial?
• "I was chosen for the Constitutional Convention!"
• "Goes and proposes his own form of government!" What kind of government was it?
• "Talks for six hours! The convention is listless!" Did he actually talk for six hours?
• "A series of essays, anonymously published/Defending the document to the public" What was this and did he ask Burr to join him?
• "I have found a wealthy husband" When did Angelica get married and move to London? Who was her husband?
• "Alexander joins forces with James Madison and John Jay to write a series of essays defending the new United States Constitution, entitled The Federalist Papers. The plan was to write a total of twenty-five essays, the work divided evenly among the three men. In the end, they wrote eighty-five essays, in the span of six months. John Jay got sick after writing five. James Madison wrote twenty-nine. Hamilton wrote the other fifty-one!"
• "They are asking me to lead" Who asked Washington to be President?
• "Sir, do you want me to run the Treasury or State department?" Did Washington get to choose who ran what?