"Hamilton” Presents a Teachable Moment

The only thing that most students know about Alexander Hamilton is that is portrait is on the front of a ten-dollar bill. They know little about his role in the establishment in the Bank of the United States or his relationship with Aaron Burr. It seems that every now and again something pops up in popular American culture that strikes a nerve in the public psyche.  In  1977, the mini-series “ Roots” placed the African- American struggle front and center on the TV sets of Americans.  The same can be said a year later (1978) when the series” Holocaust” brought the Nazi atrocities into mainstream American consciousness.

Turning to Broadway, the musical “1776” debuted in 1969 dramatized the struggle of our Founding Fathers to produce the Declaration of Independence and the fledgling nation of the United States of America. This show later became a motion picture in 1972. All of these events created teachable moments that could be used in the classroom to make history come alive and more palatable to students.

Which brings us now to “ Hamilton” the Broadway smash hit that has already won a Pulitzer Prize and is destined to walk away with a lion’s share of Tony Awards come June. Tickets are virtually impossible to get- it is probably easier to visit the White House. What is it about the rap music and nontraditional cast that has caught America’s attention? Will students even be able to get in to see this? (I have been told that there are seats available on certain nights for students at a more affordable rate). The message here is that “Hamilton” is one of those rare teachable moments that classroom teachers should take advantage of. Please read Zach Shonfeld’s article in the February 9^th issue of Newsweek.

(Hamilton is currently playing at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York. There are plans for several traveling companies in the future.)

c. 2016  J. Margolis