Alexander Hamilton (book)

Last updated

Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton Ron Chernow Cover.jpg
Author Ron Chernow
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Subject Alexander Hamilton
Genre Non-fiction; biography
Publisher Penguin Press
Publication date
April 26, 2004 [1]
Media typePrint, digital, audio
Pages818 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-59420-009-0
973.4092
LC Class E302.6.H2 2004

Alexander Hamilton is a 2004 biography of American statesman Alexander Hamilton, written by historian and biographer Ron Chernow. Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, was an instrumental promoter of the U.S. Constitution, founder of the nation's financial system, and its first Secretary of the Treasury.

Contents

The book, which was met with mostly positive acclaim, went on to win the inaugural George Washington Book Prize for early American history and was a nominee for the 2005 National Book Critics Circle Award in biography. In 2015, the book was adapted into the musical Hamilton by playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda. The stage production went on to win numerous accolades, including 11 Tony Awards.

Background

Before working on Alexander Hamilton, Chernow had previously written multiple books in the topics of business and finance. In 1990, he published The House of Morgan , which covered the life of financier J.P. Morgan and went on to win the National Book Award for Nonfiction. [2] In 1998, he wrote a biography about John D. Rockefeller which remained on The New York Times Best Seller list for 16 weeks. [3] In 1999, Chernow shifted his emphasis away from business moguls to start a biography in a new topic, American politics. He later cited his change in focus, "as a way to broaden my scope, and to stay fresh" after being inundated with requests for further biographies about Gilded Age industrialists such as Andrew Carnegie and Cornelius Vanderbilt. [4] Therefore, Chernow called Hamilton his "exit strategy". This book would allow a foray into constitutional law and foreign policy while still including a large financial dimension. [4]

Chernow began the writing process in 1998 by going through more than 22,000 pages of Hamilton's papers and archival research around the world. [5] He described Hamilton's extensive writing by calling him, "the human word machine", saying he "must have produced the maximum number of words that a human being can scratch out in 49 years". [6] Over the course of his writing and research, Chernow also took the time to dive deeper into Hamilton's history. He held the dueling pistols used in the famous Burr–Hamilton duel, visited the jail cell on Saint Croix where Hamilton's mother was imprisoned, went to the island of Bequia in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to which Hamilton's father disappeared after abandoning his illegitimate son, and had a lock of Alexander's hair genetically tested for his racial makeup. [6] Chernow explained Hamilton in his book by stating, "If Washington is the father of the country and Madison the father of the Constitution, then Alexander Hamilton was surely the father of the American government." [6] [7]

Critical response

Following its release in 2004, Alexander Hamilton was nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award in biography. [8] In 2005, it won the inaugural $50,000 George Washington Book Prize for early American history. [9] [10] The book spent three months on The New York Times Best Seller list after its release, and then returned to the list in 2015 after the release of Hamilton: An American Musical . [11]

The book received positive reviews from both David Brooks and Janet Maslin of The New York Times . Brooks wrote, "[while] other writers...have done better jobs describing Hamilton's political philosophy, nobody has captured Hamilton himself as fully and as beautifully as Chernow." [12] Maslin praised Chernow's biographical ability to "add a third dimension to conventional views of Hamilton while reaching beyond the limits of a personal portrait". [6]

However, Benjamin Schwarz, writing for The Atlantic , criticized the book, blaming Chernow's unfamiliarity with revolutionary American politics. While he praised Chernow's earlier biographies about Morgan and Rockefeller, his review of Hamilton stated, "he's just as obviously not at home in the eighteenth century; his grasp of its religion, attitudes, and intellectual history is unsure, and he lacks command of the ideological, political, sectional, and social differences that divided the early republic." [13] Justin Martin, writing for the San Francisco Chronicle additionally thought the book "dry and speculative," as well as slow in pace; "one can only assume that Chernow, despite his abundant talent, is in the grip of a silly literary convention, namely, that bios of major figures must be very, very long." [14]

Stage adaptation

Beginning in 2008, Chernow worked with Lin-Manuel Miranda as the historical consultant to Miranda's newly conceived Broadway production, Hamilton . [11] Miranda had picked up a copy of Chernow's book while on vacation and, after finishing the first few chapters, realized its potential as a musical. Through a mutual friend, Chernow attended a performance of In the Heights where he met with Miranda backstage. [15] Miranda told Chernow that he saw "hip-hop songs rising off the page" while reading the biography, and wanted his help as an historical consultant for the musical. [16]

For six years, Chernow helped guide Miranda through the process of writing Hamilton. The musical debuted on January 20, 2015, at The Public Theater in New York City. It went on to receive a record-setting 16 Tony nominations, winning 11, including Best Musical, [17] and was also the recipient of the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. [18] The musical also won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. [19]

After the success of the musical, a paperback edition of Alexander Hamilton was released featuring the musical's logo on its cover. Sales soared from 3,300 copies in 2014 to 106,000 in 2015, and the book returned to The New York Times best-seller list. [20] Likewise, it returned to the list of top 50 best sellers according to USA Today . [21] With its re-release, additional reviews of the biography have appeared, notably in The Guardian , [22] and The Times . [23] Following the musical's opening in Europe the book began printing for the first time in the United Kingdom. [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ron Chernow</span> American writer (born 1949)

Ronald Chernow is an American writer, journalist and biographer. He has written bestselling historical non-fiction biographies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton</span> American philanthropist and wife of Alexander Hamilton (1757–1854)

Elizabeth Hamilton, also called Eliza or Betsey, was an American socialite and philanthropist. Married to American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, she was a defender of his works and co-founder and deputy director of Graham Windham, the first private orphanage in New York City. Eliza is recognized as an early American philanthropist for her work with the Orphan Asylum Society.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angelica Schuyler Church</span> American socialite and eldest daughter of Continental Army General Philip Schuyler

Angelica Church was an American socialite. She was the eldest daughter of Continental Army General Philip Schuyler, and a sister of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton and sister-in-law of Alexander Hamilton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lin-Manuel Miranda</span> American songwriter, actor and playwright (born 1980)

Lin-Manuel Miranda is an American songwriter, actor, singer, filmmaker, rapper, and playwright. He is known for creating the Broadway musicals Hamilton (2015) and In the Heights (2005), and the soundtracks for the animated films Moana (2016), Encanto (2021), and Vivo (2021). His awards include three Tony Awards, five Grammy Awards, two Laurence Olivier Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, an Annie Award, a MacArthur Fellowship Award, a Kennedy Center Honor, and a Pulitzer Prize.

Jill Furman is an American theatrical producer. Furman's Broadway credits include: Hamilton,,In the Heights, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, The Heiress, Seminar, West Side Story,The Drowsy Chaperone, Sly Fox and Fortune’s Fool. Off Broadway: Freestyle Love Supreme, On The Line and Adult Entertainment. Furman's father is the producer Roy Furman.

The New-York Historical Society gives three book prizes annually. From 2005 to 2012 there was one award for American history. A second award was added in 2013 for children's history. A third award was added in 2016 for military history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biographers International Organization</span>

Biographers International Organization (BIO) is an international, non-profit, 501 (c)(3) organization founded to promote the art and craft of biography, and to further the professional interests of its practitioners. The organization was founded in 2010 by a committee of noted biographers, led by James McGrath Morris, who served as BIO's first Executive Director. The president of BIO as of 2019 is Linda Leavell. The executive director as of 2020 is Michael Gately.

<i>Washington: A Life</i> Book by Ron Chernow

Washington: A Life is a biography of George Washington, the first president of the United States, written by American historian and biographer Ron Chernow and published in 2010. The book is a "one-volume, cradle-to-grave narrative" that attempts to provide a fresh portrait of Washington as "real, credible, and charismatic in the same way he was perceived by his contemporaries".

<i>Hamilton</i> (musical) 2015 musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda about Alexander Hamilton

Hamilton is a sung-and-rapped-through musical with music, lyrics, and a book by Lin-Manuel Miranda, based on the 2004 book Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow. The musical tells the story of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. Composed over a seven-year period from 2008 to 2015, Miranda says Hamilton was originally a hip hop concept album in his head. The show draws heavily from hip hop, as well as R&B, pop, soul, and traditional-style show tunes. It casts non-white actors as the Founding Fathers of the United States and other historical figures. Miranda described Hamilton as about "America then, as told by America now."

<i>Hamilton</i> (album) Album of the stage musical Hamilton

Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) is the cast album to the 2015 musical Hamilton. The musical is based on the 2004 biography of Alexander Hamilton written by Ron Chernow, with music, lyrics, and book by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The recording stars Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Christopher Jackson, Daveed Diggs, Anthony Ramos, Okieriete Onaodowan, Jasmine Cephas Jones, and Jonathan Groff. The ensemble features Jon Rua, Thayne Jasperson, Sydney James Harcourt, Ephraim Sykes, Ariana DeBose, and Sasha Hutchings. The musicians on the album are Alex Lacamoire, Kurt Crowley, Andres Forero, Robin Macatangay, Richard Hammond, Benny Reiner, Jonathan Dinklage, Erin Benim Mayland, Anja Wood, Mario Gotoh, and Laura Sherman. It achieved the largest first week sales for a digital cast album and is the highest-charting cast album since 1963. It was the highest-selling Broadway cast album of 2015 and peaked at number one on the Rap Albums chart, the first cast album to ever do so. After being certified nine times platinum by the RIAA in 2021, Hamilton became the best-selling cast album of all time.

"Alexander Hamilton" is the opening number for the 2015 musical Hamilton, a musical biography of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, which premiered on Broadway in 2015. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote both the music and lyrics to the song. This song features "alternately rapped and sung exposition".

"Helpless" is the tenth song from Act 1 of the musical Hamilton, based on the life of Alexander Hamilton, which premiered on Broadway in 2015. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote both the music and lyrics to the song.

"You'll Be Back" is the seventh song from Act 1 of the musical Hamilton, based on the life of Alexander Hamilton, which premiered on Broadway in 2015. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote both the music and lyrics to the song. It is sung by Jonathan Groff in the show's original cast recording. Within the context of the musical, it is performed by King George III lamenting the anti-royal machinations of the rebelling American colonists. It covers a vocal range of D3 to A4 and is written for a tenor voice.

Angelica Hamilton was the second child and eldest daughter of Elizabeth Schuyler and Alexander Hamilton, who was the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joanne B. Freeman</span> American historian (born 1962)

Joanne B. Freeman is a U.S. historian and tenured Professor of History and American Studies at Yale University. Having researched Alexander Hamilton both independently and collaboratively with mentors and peers for more than forty years, she is regarded as "a leading expert" on his life and legacy. Freeman has published two books as well as articles and op-eds in newspapers including The New York Times, magazines such as The Atlantic and Slate and numerous academic journals referencing the U.S. Founding Father. In addition to her many public lectures on Hamilton, outside of her regular student curriculum at Yale, her talks on the topics of political partisanship and violence in the pre-Civil War Congress have appeared on CSPAN. In 2005 she was rated one of the "Top Young Historians" in the U.S.

<i>Grant</i> (book) 2017 biography of Ulysses S. Grant by Ron Chernow

Grant is a 2017 biography of Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States, written by American historian and biographer Ron Chernow. Grant, a Union general during the Civil War, served two terms as president, from 1869 to 1877. Chernow asserts that both Grant's command of the Overland campaign and his presidency have been seen in an undeservedly negative light.

"Burn" is the fifteenth song from Act 2 of the musical Hamilton, based on the life of Alexander Hamilton, which premiered on Broadway in 2015. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote both the music and lyrics to the song. The song is sung by the character Eliza Hamilton, originally performed by Phillipa Soo.

<i>Hamilton</i> (2020 film) 2020 American film of the Broadway musical

Hamilton is a 2020 American historical fiction musical drama film consisting of a live stage recording of the 2015 Broadway musical of the same name, which was inspired by the 2004 biography Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow. Co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures, 5000 Broadway Productions, RadicalMedia, Nevis Productions, and Old 320 Sycamore Pictures, it was directed by Thomas Kail, who also produced the film with Jeffrey Seller and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Miranda, who wrote the music, lyrics, and book for the musical, also stars as Treasury Secretary and Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, along with the musical's original principal Broadway cast, including Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo, Christopher Jackson, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Daveed Diggs, Anthony Ramos, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Okieriete Onaodowan, and Jonathan Groff.

<i>The Haunting of Lin-Manuel Miranda</i> 2019 play

The Haunting of Lin-Manuel Miranda is a play by American writer Ishmael Reed. It critiques the acclaimed historical musical Hamilton (2015) through a depiction of a fictionalized version of Hamilton's creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, who is visited by several historical figures missing from the musical in a style similar to Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol. The play echoes many critiques made by historians, such as the whitewashing of Alexander Hamilton.

Alexander Hamilton has appeared as a significant figure in popular works of historical fiction, including many that focused on other American political figures of his time. In comparison to other Founding Fathers, Hamilton attracted relatively little attention in American popular culture in the 20th century.

References

  1. ↑ Vankin, Deborah (August 10, 2017). "A 'Hamilton' timeline: How a single song grew into a global musical juggernaut". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on March 2, 2020. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  2. ↑ "National Book Awards 1990". National Book Foundation. Archived from the original on June 15, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  3. ↑ Morrow, Lance (June 15, 1998). "Books: John D. Rockefeller: Oil In The Family". Time. Archived from the original on January 11, 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  4. 1 2 "Q&A with Ron Chernow, Part 1 | C-SPAN.org". www.c-span.org. C-SPAN. October 3, 2010. Archived from the original on June 16, 2017. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  5. ↑ Freeman, John (May 30, 2004). "Hamilton Envisioned U.S. Power". South Florida Sun Sentinel. Retrieved March 16, 2019– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  6. 1 2 3 4 Maslin, Janet (May 2, 2004). "Biographer fills in Hamilton's background". Arizona Republic. Retrieved March 16, 2019– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  7. ↑ Hartle, Terry W. (June 15, 2004). "The founder who gave America a bank to trust". The Christian Science Monitor . Archived from the original on March 21, 2017. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  8. ↑ Mickunas, Vick (April 3, 2005). "Hamilton gets turn in spotlight". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved March 16, 2019– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  9. ↑ "Hamilton biographer honored with $50,000 book prize". The Star-Democrat. May 9, 2005. Retrieved March 16, 2019– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  10. ↑ "Historian Ron Chernow wins Washington Prize". Deseret News.  – via  HighBeam Research (subscription required). May 10, 2005. Archived from the original on April 14, 2016. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
  11. 1 2 "Pulitzer Prize Winning Historian Ron Chernow to Speak at The Tennessee Theatre". Claiborne Progress. March 12, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  12. ↑ Brooks, David (April 25, 2004). "Creating Capitalism". The New York Times . Archived from the original on March 10, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  13. ↑ Schwarz, Benjamin (April 1, 2004). "New & Noteworthy". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on January 1, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  14. ↑ Martin, Justin (April 25, 2004). "Alexander Hamilton, America's first moderate / Chernow's biography presents him as a farseeing statesman". SFGate. Archived from the original on August 8, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  15. ↑ EDT, Newsweek Special Edition On 9/26/16 at 11:03 AM (September 26, 2016). "Meet the biographer who inspired Broadway's 'Hamilton'". Newsweek. Archived from the original on April 7, 2020. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  16. ↑ "Hamilton on Broadway". Mount Vernon. August 17, 2015. Archived from the original on April 7, 2020. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  17. ↑ Paulson, Michael (May 3, 2016). "'Hamilton' Makes History With 16 Tony Nominations". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 3 May 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  18. ↑ Park, Andrea (February 19, 2016). "Grammys 2016: "Hamilton" performs, wins Best Musical Theater Album". www.cbsnews.com. Archived from the original on September 21, 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  19. ↑ Viagas, Robert (April 18, 2016). "Hamilton Wins 2016 Pulitzer Prize; Miranda Reacts". Playbill . Archived from the original on March 4, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  20. ↑ Alter, Alexandra (May 3, 2016). "'Hamilton: The Revolution' Races Out of Bookstores, Echoing the Musical's Success". The New York Times . Archived from the original on January 12, 2017. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  21. ↑ McClurg, Jocelyn (June 26, 2016). "'Hamilton' bump". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  22. 1 2 Kidd, Colin (October 13, 2016). "Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow review – the man behind the musical". The Guardian . Archived from the original on November 15, 2019. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  23. ↑ Gove, Michael (December 24, 2016). "Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow". The Times. Archived from the original on April 7, 2020. Retrieved April 7, 2020.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.