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Historical and Fictional Timeline of "Hamilton":

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Description:

The timeline above shows which years were the most prominent within the whole musical. It covers 100 years (1755 - 1855) and has 83 events placed on the timeline by year. A larger circle over a year indicates many events took place during that year while a small cirle indicates only one event took place that year. All events were selected from the songs (and one spoken scene) and every song was assigned to have at least one event occurring in it. If the song had no distinct events mentioned in the lyrics (due to not being historically accurate or vague), an estimated date was assigned to the song to keep the musical in a chronological order. The events chosen had to be mentioned in the lyrics in order to be further investigated and placed onto the timeline. Most dates are historically accurate, but some dates are only accurate within the musical. A detailed description of the events and dates that occur in each song is below:

Alexander Hamilton

  • 1757-01-11: Alexander Hamilton's Birth - Alexander Hamilton was born in Charlestown, St. Kitts and Nevis. There is a debate that he was born two years earlier in 1755, but 1757 matches closer to ages listed in the musical.
  • 1767-01-16: Hamilton's Father Left - James Hamilton, Alexander Hamilton's father and a Scottish Laird, left Hamilton and his family, most likely due to the fact Alexander was his illegitimate son. This date is estimated from the song lyrics describing Alexander Hamilton as ten when his father left.
  • 1768-02-19: Hamilton's Mother Dies - Rachel Faucette Buck, Hamilton's mother, died on February 19, 1768. After her death, Hamilton and his brother, James, moved to live with their cousin.
  • 1771-01-16: Hamilton In Charge of a Trading Charter - The lyrics in "Alexander Hamilton" describe Hamilton being in charge of a trading charter when he was fourteen. This is an estimated date to show when he would be in this position.
  • 1772-08-31: Hurricane Maria Hits - Hurricane Maria hit St.Croix, where Hamilton was currently working, in 1772.
  • 1772-09-06: Hamilton Writes Letter About Hurricane Maria - Hamilton wrote a letter describing the storm to his father which gained the attention of the island's elite. The letter was how he "wrote his way out" and got to travel to New York.
  • 1772-12-01: Hamilton Arrives in New York - Near the end of 1772, Alexander Hamilton arrives in New York City. The month and day are estimated based off other dates.

Aaron Burr, Sir

  • 1773-01-01: Hamilton Interested in Attending Princeton - In 1773, Hamilton was applying for Princeton.
  • 1776-01-01: Hamilton meets Burr, Laurens, Lafayette, and Mulligan - The lyrics at the very beginning of the song mark 1776 as the year. The song introduces Hamilton to Aaron Burr, and three other prominent characters in the musical and history, John Laurens, Marquis de Lafayette, and Hercules Mulligan. This date is not historically accurate though as these men all met Hamilton at different times prior to 1776.

My Shot

  • 1773-09-01: Hamilton Attends King's College - In the fall of 1773, Alexander Hamilton attends King's College

The Story of Tonight

  • 1776-01-01: No Distinct Dates - This song has no distinct dates, but since the musical is intended to be in chronological order, this song would follow the established dates from the previous songs.

The Schuyler Sisters

  • 1776-01-10: Common Sense by Thomas Paine is Published - In January of 1776, Thomas Paine published Common Sense.

Farmer Refuted

  • 1774-09-05: Free Thoughts on the Precedings of the Continental Congress is Published - Samuel Seabury under the pseudonym A.W. Farmer published Free Thoughts on the Precedings of the Continental Congress in 1774.
  • 1775-02-23: Farmer Refuted is Published - Hamilton responds with his own piece, Farmer Refuted. He signs the piece as "A sincere Friend to America" rather than using his name.

You'll Be Back

  • 1773-12-16: The Boston Tea Party - King George mentions the Boston Tea Party during this song.
  • 1776-08-22: The Battle of Brooklyn - Based off the lyrics in this song, it appears King George was planning on using force to retaliate against the colonies. If applying the musical's chronology, this song should fall around 1776, and in 1776 the British captured New York City during the Battle of Brooklyn.

Right Hand Man

  • 1775-06-15: George Washington Becomes Commander in Chief of the Continental Army - In 1775, Washington was unanimously selected as Commander in Chief of the Contintental Army.
  • 1775-08-25: Hamilton Captures British Canons - Hamilton and volunteers from a musket drill unit at King’s College captured twenty-one cannons at a British stockade on the tip of Manhattan Island in New York.
  • 1775-09-13: Burr in Quebec - At this point of time, Aaron Burr was in Quebec with Benedict Arnold and General Richard Montgomery.
  • 1776-09-15: The Battle of Kip's Bay - The British won over the unexperienced American troops during this battle when the heavy fire from British ships caused the American troops to flee. This battle gave the British control of New York City on the lower half of the island. Washington estbalished strong positions in Harlem, though.
  • 1777-01-25: Washington Invites Hamilton to his Military Staff - Hamilton becomes a lieutetant colonel under Washington.

A Winter's Ball

  • 1780-12-01: A Winter's Ball - The lyrics date the Winter's Ball occurring during 1780. This event is where Eliza and Hamilton meet according to the musical, so the date falls before they were married.

Helpless

  • 1780-12-14: Eliza and Hamilton Get Married - Eliza Schuyler gets married to Alexander Hamilton on December, 14 1780.

Satisfied

  • 1780-12-14: Eliza and Hamilton's Wedding - Two songs in the musical focus on Eliza and Hamilton's marriage. In this song, Angelica, Eliza's sister, describes her perspective of the wedding and her feelings for Hamilton.

The Story of Tonight (Reprise)

  • 1780-12-20: No Distinct Dates - This song has no distinct dates, but since the musical is intended to be in chronological order, this song would follow the established dates from the previous songs.

Wait For It

  • 1780-12-30: No Distinct Dates - This song has no distinct dates, but since the musical is intended to be in chronological order, this song would follow the established dates from the previous songs.

Stay Alive

  • 1778-06-28: The Battle of Monmouth - Charles Lee and George Washington came into a confrontation during this battle which led to Lee's permanent dismissal from the army.

Ten Duel Commandments

  • 1778-12-23: John Laurens and Charles Lee Duel - On December 23, 1778 John Laurens and Charles Lee have a duel.

Meet Me Inside

  • 1781-03-15: Hamilton Goes Home - After a dispute with Washington, Hamilton leaves his staff for a few months.

That Would Be Enough

  • 1781-04-15: No Distinct Dates - This song has no distinct dates, but since the musical is intended to be in chronological order, this song would follow the established dates from the previous songs.

Guns and Ships

  • 1779-08-01: Lafayette Returns to France - Lafayette expressed desire to return to his homeland for awhile during this time period.
  • 1780-03-19: Lafayette Returns to America with Supplies and Aid from France - Lafayette sailed into Boston on March 19, 1780 after his period in France.

History Has Its Eyes On You

  • 1780-04-15: No Distinct Dates - This song has no distinct dates, but since the musical is intended to be in chronological order, this song would follow the established dates from the previous songs.

Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)

  • 1781-09-28: The Battle of Yorktown - This battle occured in Yorktown, Virginia from September 28th to October 19th in 1781. This battle essentially ended the fighting in the revolution and assured success to the American cause.

What Comes Next

  • 1783-09-03: The End of the Revolution - The Treaty of Paris was finally signed which negotiated between American and Great Britain, ended the revolution, and recognized America as independent.

Dear Theodosia

  • 1782-01-22: Birth of Philip - Alexander Hamilton's son, Philip, was born.
  • 1783-06-21: Birth of Theodosia - Aaron Burr's daughter, Theodosia, was born.

Tomorrow There'll Be More of Us

  • 1782-08-27: The Death of John Laurens - In the musical, Alexander Hamilton receives a letter from John's father telling him that John Laurnes had died on August 27, 1782.

Non-Stop

  • 1782-09-01: Hamilton Returns to New York - Sometime during 1782, Hamilton returns to New York and becomes a lawyer alongside Burr.
  • 1783-01-01: The Churches Go to England - Angelica and her family go to England in 1783.
  • 1787-01-01: The Federalist Papers - John Jay, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton wrote a series of 85 essays titled The Federalist Papers in the span of a year which encouraged ratification to the constitution.
  • 1787-05-25: Hamilton at the Constitutional Convention - Hamilton arrives at the Constitutional Convention on May 25, 1787.
  • 1789-02-04: Washington Becomes the Preisdent - On February 4, 1789, George Washington becomes the first president of the United States of America.
  • 1789-09-02: US Treasury is Founded - The Treasury was founded on September 9, 1789.
  • 1789-09-11: Hamilton becomes Secretary of the Treasury - Hamilton takes office on September 11, 1789.
  • 1800-03-31: First Murder Trial in the United States - The trial involving Levi Weekes took place from March 31st to April 1st in 1800 and was the first murder trial in the United States. Weekes had Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton, and Henry Brockholst Livingston representing him at the trial.

What'd I Miss

  • 1789-07-14: French Revolution Begins - The French Revolution started in July of 1789.
  • 1789-10-01: Jefferson Returns from France - Thomas Jefferson returns to America from Paris in October of 1789.
  • 1790-03-22: Jefferson Becomes Secretary of State - Thomas Jefferson starts his term as Secretary of State in 1790.

Cabinet Battle 1

  • 1793-02-25: First Cabinet Meeting - Washington held the first cabinet meeting on February 25, 1793.

Take a Break

  • 1787-12-06: Angelica and Hamilton's Letters - Hamilton and Angelica wrote letters near the end of 1787 featuring the punctuation of the comma described in the lyrics.
  • 1791-01-22: Philip is Nine - Philip Hamilton turned nine in this song, making the song take place in 1791.

Say No To This

  • 1791-07-01: Start of Hamilton's Affair - In the summer of 1791, Hamilton begins to have an affair with Maria Reynolds.
  • 1791-12-12: James Reynolds Sends Hamilton the Letter - James Reynolds sent Hamilton a letter about his discovery of his wife's affair with Hamilton. Reynolds told Hamilton that if Hamilton wanted to keep seeing Maria and wanted to keep the affair secret he had to pay him.

Room Where It Happens

  • 1790-06-20: The Date of the Dinner - June 20, 1790 was the date Jefferson claimed the dinner between himself, Hamilton, Madison, and a few others took place.

Schuyler Defeated

  • 1791-01-01: Philip Schuyler Loses Seat in the Senate to Aaron Burr - in 1790, Aaron Burr takes over Philip Schuyler's, Hamilton's father-in-law, seat in the senate.

Cabinet Battle 2

  • 1793-01-21: King Louis XVI Dies - King Louis XVI dies on January 21, 1793.
  • 1793-04-22: Proclamation of Neutrality - The Proclamation of Neutrality is created on April 22, 1793.

Washington on Your Side

  • 1794-01-01: No Distinct Dates - This song has no distinct dates, but since the musical is intended to be in chronological order, this song would follow the established dates from the previous songs.

One Last Time

  • 1796-07-30: Hamilton Drafts Washington's Farewell Address - Hamilton helps draft Washington's Farewell Address in 1796.

I Know Him

  • 1797-03-04: John Adams Becomes President - John Adams was elected as the president in 1797.

The Adams Administration

  • 1790-08-04: Founding of the Coast Guard - Hamilton founded the Coast Guard in 1790.
  • 1795-01-31: Hamilton Resigns from Treasurer - Hamilton resigned from his position as treasurer in 1795.
  • 1801-11-16: Founding of the New York Post - Hamilton founded the New York Post in 1801.

We Know

  • 1797-01-01: No Distinct Dates - This song has no distinct dates, but since the musical is intended to be in chronological order, this song would follow the established dates from the previous songs.

Hurricane

  • 1797-02-01: No Distinct Dates - This song has no distinct dates, but since the musical is intended to be in chronological order, this song would follow the established dates from the previous songs.

Reynolds Pamphlet

  • 1797-07-30: Hamilton Publishes the Reynolds Pamphlet - To prove he was not embezzling government funds, Hamilton publishsed the Reynolds Pamphlet in July of 1797. In the pamphlet, he admitted to his affair with Maria Reynolds and explained the money he spent was involved with the affair.

Burn

  • 1797-08-01: No Distinct Dates - This song has no distinct dates, but since the musical is intended to be in chronological order, this song would follow the established dates from the previous songs.

Blow Us All Away

  • 1800-01-01: Philip Hamilton Graduates from King's College - In 1800, Philip graduated from King's College.
  • 1801-07-04: George Eacker Gives Speech - On July 4, 1801, George Eacker criticized Alexander Hamilton in a speech.
  • 1801-11-20: Philip Hamilton Confronts Eacker - Philip and his friend Richard Price confronted Eacker about the speech at a social event on November 20, 1801.
  • 1801-11-23: Philip Hamilton and George Eacker Duel - Philip and Eacker duel in Weehawken, New Jersey in November of 1801.

Stay Alive (Reprise)

  • 1801-11-24: Philip Hamilton Dies - Philip Hamilton died on November 24, 1801 after being shot in a duel by George Eacker.

It's Quiet Uptown

  • 1802-01-01: The Hamilton Family Moves to Harlem - After Philip's death, the Hamiltons move to Harlem, New York in 1802.

The Election of 1800

  • 1800-10-31: The Election of 1800 - The election of 1800 was held from October 31, 1800 to December 12, 1800. It was primarily between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, but Aaron Burr (Jefferson's running mate) received the same amount of electoral votes as Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson won the election and became president due to the decision of the old Federalist Congress and Alexander Hamilton.
  • 1801-03-04: Thomas Jefferson Becomes President of the United State - On March 4, 1801, Thomas Jefferson becomes the third preisdent of the United States with Aaron Burr (and later, George Clinton) as his vice president.

Your Obedient Servant

  • 1804-06-01: Hamilton and Burr Plan Duel - In June of 1804, Hamilton and Burr plan to duel each other in Weehawken, New Jersey.

Best of Wives and Best of Women

  • 1804-07-04: Hamilton Writes Eliza the Letter - Hamilton wrote Eliza a letter for if he should die in the upcoming duel with Aaron Burr. He ends the letter addressing Eliza as "best of wives and best of women."

The World Was Wide Enough

  • 1804-07-11: Hamilton and Burr Duel - On July 11, 1804, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr dueled in Weehawken, New Jersey.
  • 1804-07-12: Hamilton Dies - After being shot by Burr, Alexander Hamilton died on July 12, 1804.

Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story

  • 1806-01-01: Graham Windham Orphanage Founded - Eliza helped found the first prviate orphanage in New York in 1806.
  • 1814-03-14: Angelica Dies - On March 14, 1814, Angelica died. She was buried in the same cemetery, Trinity Church, as Alexander Hamilton and Philip Hamilton.
  • 1848-01-01: Construction for Washington Monument Begins - The Washington Monument started construction in the year 1848.
  • 1854-11-09: Eliza Dies - On November 11, 1854, Eliza died. She was also buried in Trinity Church cememtery.

Analysis:

As an overview, the timeline helps place the musical in a specific time frame and shows which years the plot focuses on the most. Years such as 1780 (the year Hamilton is married to Eliza), 1776 (the year in the musical when all the characters are introduced), 1789 (the year Washington becomes president), 1797 (the year Hamilton publishes the Reynolds Pamphlet), 1800(the year of the election of 1800), 1801 (the year Hamilton’s son Philip dies), and 1804 (the year Hamilton dies) are major years on the timeline and show how the musical tends to focus on Hamilton as an individual more so than the American Revolution or the beginning of America’s politics and government. Also, when looking into the detailed description of all the events and dates, it can be seen that the musical is not 100% factual. For example, the musical sets up the year 1776 as the year Hamilton meets Burr, Laurens, Lafayette, and Mulligan when in actuality they met prior to that date and it is never recorded that the five men were ever all together. There are also some historical inaccuracies as the musical gives exact ages of Hamilton during certain events of Hamilton’s life, such as his mother’s death, which do not match up to actual dates and how old Hamilton would have really been during that event. The musical also has some songs in act two that go out of chronological order. These songs all deal with Hamilton’s personal life involving his son’s death and the Hamilton family coping with that loss and moving to Harlem, New York in 1801 and 1802. It can be assumed that the break away from chronology was for plot reasons so the musical would have a consistent mix of politics and Hamilton’s personal life since those songs precede the end of the musical which focuses on the Election of 1800 and Hamilton and Burr’s duel. Overall, the musical’s timeline matches up to historical dates and the songs fall in chronological order. When there are differences, they can be attributed to the fact the musical has to follow a suitable format for an audience where main characters need to be introduced promptly and themes need to be placed appropriately.