Hip Hop Hamilton

Posting’s been a bit slower, as I try to finish grading a set of exams. In the meantime, here’s something different. One of the historical figures that I discuss in my constitutional law courses is Alexander Hamilton. It would be difficult to overstate Hamilton’s importance in American history. There are his military contributions as aide-de-camp and line officer for General Washington, including his bravery at the decisive battle of Yorktown against General Lord Cornwallis’s redcoats. His political involvement and intrigues in the new Confederation government, including his rumored participation in the Newburgh plot by disaffected officers of the Continental Army, which was put down by personal appeal from General Washington. His contributions to constitutional change through, initially, the Annapolis Convention in 1786 and then, the Philadelphia Convention of 1787, especially his authorship of most of The Federalist Papers in support of the Constitution during the New York and Virginia ratifying conventions. One of those papers presents the argument for a strong judiciary and a defense of constitutional judicial review echoed in the Supreme Court’s Marbury v. Madison decision. His creation of a sound American financial structure in the early 1790s through his three reports on The Debt, Banking, and Manufactures, the constitutional arguments for which were replicated in the Supreme Court’s McCulloch v. Maryland decision. His construction of a broad constitutional theory of executive power to influence George Washington in his proclamation of American neutrality in the naval war between the French Republic and Great Britain, a position eagerly followed by Abraham Lincoln and successive administrations since.

In addition to his historical pre-eminence, Hamilton’s personal story is so compelling as to be almost unbelievable. His illegitimate birth in the West Indies. The early death of his father. The early strength of his intellect so apparent to others in his community that they sent him to New York to study at King’s College (Columbia). His wealth as a successful New York lawyer. His rise to power as leader of the Federalist Party and downstate New York politics. His personal scandals, including his adulterous relationship with a woman whose husband tried to extort money from him. His political machinations in moving the deadlocked vote in the House of Representatives in the election for President in 1800 in favor of Thomas Jefferson and against his old political rival from the upstate New York political machine, Aaron Burr. His eventual duel with, and death at the hands of, that same Aaron Burr in 1804.

A fascinating, brilliant, yet very flawed man. Below is a rap performance about the first part of Hamilton’s life. It’s not exactly what one expects from a rapper, especially when the rap is accompanied musically by—a piano. But, then, the rap was at the White House in front of an audience that includes the rapper-in-chief who likes to dress in white shirt and chinos, not exactly “keeping it real” ‘hood attire.