Rutgers University Press Historians on Hamilton: How a Blockbuster Musical Is Restaging America's Past

Review "Historians on Hamilton emerges as a template for thoughtful, deliberate dialogue. In the deft hands of Potter and Romano, the volume manages to be critical and incisive while still, from my impression, maintain a similar spirit to the musical itself. Both provide examples of how to talk across and not at disciplinary, professional, and creative categories. A cultural force as powerful as Hamilton gives historians in many hats a unique opportunity to demonstrate what our work can do....History is not, and should not, the sole interest of historians, but artists, musicians, performers, politicians, activists, and engaged, interested participants in the American and global communities. Historians on Hamilton is an intuitive reminder that historians can, and must, participate on that wider stage."-- "Early Americanists" "Historians on Hamilton is smart and interesting. It was great fun to read all the different points of view and even have some of my opinions changed. What more could you want from a book?"-- "Show Showdown" "Hamilton is coming. Here's how to give it your best shot," by Jenna Price-- "Sydney Morning Herald" Product Description America has gone Hamilton crazy. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony-winning musical has spawned sold-out performances, a triple platinum cast album, and a score so catchy that it is being used to teach U.S. history in classrooms across the country. But just how historically accurate is Hamilton? And how is the show itself making history? Historians on “Hamilton” brings together a collection of top scholars to explain the Hamilton phenomenon and explore what it might mean for our understanding of America’s history. The contributors examine what the musical got right, what it got wrong, and why it matters. Does Hamilton’s hip-hop take on the Founding Fathers misrepresent our nation’s past, or does it offer a bold positive vision for our nation’s future? Can a musical so unabashedly contemporary and deliberately anachronistic still communicate historical truths about American culture and politics? And is Hamilton as revolutionary as its creators and many commentators claim? Perfect for students, teachers, theatre fans, hip-hop heads, and history buffs alike, these short and lively essays examine why Hamilton became an Obama-era sensation and consider its continued relevance in the age of Trump. Whether you are a fan or a skeptic, you will come away from this collection with a new appreciation for the meaning and importance of the Hamilton phenomenon. About the Author RENEE C. ROMANO is the Robert S. Danforth Professor of History at Oberlin College in Ohio. She is the author or coeditor of many books, including Racial Reckoning: Prosecuting America's Civil Rights Murders. CLAIRE BOND POTTER is a professor of history and the executive editor of Public Seminar at The New School in New York. She is the author or coeditor of several books, including War on Crime: Bandits, G-Men, and the Politics of Mass Culture (Rutgers University Press). About the contributors: Joseph M. Adelman is an assistant professor of history at Framingham State University in Massachusetts. A historian of media, communication, and politics in the Atlantic world, he is currently working on a book about the circulation of political news during the American Revolution and the history of the U.S. Post Office. Catherine Allgor is the president of the Massachusetts Historical Society in Boston, Massachusetts. She is the author of several books about women and politics in the founding era, including A Perfect Union: Dolley Madison and the Creation of the American Nation. Jim Cullen is a history teacher at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York City. He is the author of numerous books, among them The American Dream: A Short History of an Idea That Shaped a Nation and Sensing the Past: Hollywood Stars and Historical Visions. Joanne B. Freeman is a professor of history and American Studies at Yale University, specializ