In Francois Furstenberg’s book, In the Name of the Father, he describes how popular memory of a President came to exist in nineteenth-century America. But how does his account of the past hold up in America today? This depiction of popular memory can be seen in the musical, Hamilton.
This paper argues that the arguments made by Furstenberg about nationalism and political consent, unlike slavery, can be seen as pertinent to understanding Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton.
First, the arguments that Furstenberg makes about nationalism, slavery, and political consent will be discussed. Next, the connection that each of Furstenberg’s arguments have on understanding the lyrics of Hamilton will be discussed. Finally, this paper concludes by summarizing …show more content…
In his work, Furstenberg describes slavery as that which “undermined both the meaning of consent in the republic, and the very unity post-Revolutionary nationalism sought to enact.” The presence of slavery, as viewed by Furstenberg, is seen as something that is detrimental to the nation as a whole.
Although slavery seems to have ample evidence and support in Furstenberg’s work, the musical Hamilton offers minimal evidence of such an issue. In the song, “My Shot,” John Laurens proves to be a very vocal abolitionist: “But we’ll never be truly free until those in bondage have the same rights as you and me, you and I. Do or die. Wait till I sally in on a stallion with the first black battalion.” The only other mention of slavery is in the song “Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)”: “Laurens is in South Carolina, redefining brav’ry. We’ll never be fre until we end slavery.” Although slavery is mentioned in Hamilton, Furstenberg’s work offers a more substantive insight on slavery.
Furstenberg’s arguments about nationalism, slavery, and political consent can be seen as pertinent in understanding the present. By analyzing the lyrics of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical Hamilton, the relevancy of slavery as a particularly vital topic for discussion can be seen as less so than the arguments about nationalism and political
This paper argues that the arguments made by Furstenberg about nationalism and political consent, unlike slavery, can be seen as pertinent to understanding Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton.
First, the arguments that Furstenberg makes about nationalism, slavery, and political consent will be discussed. Next, the connection that each of Furstenberg’s arguments have on understanding the lyrics of Hamilton will be discussed. Finally, this paper concludes by summarizing …show more content…
In his work, Furstenberg describes slavery as that which “undermined both the meaning of consent in the republic, and the very unity post-Revolutionary nationalism sought to enact.” The presence of slavery, as viewed by Furstenberg, is seen as something that is detrimental to the nation as a whole.
Although slavery seems to have ample evidence and support in Furstenberg’s work, the musical Hamilton offers minimal evidence of such an issue. In the song, “My Shot,” John Laurens proves to be a very vocal abolitionist: “But we’ll never be truly free until those in bondage have the same rights as you and me, you and I. Do or die. Wait till I sally in on a stallion with the first black battalion.” The only other mention of slavery is in the song “Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)”: “Laurens is in South Carolina, redefining brav’ry. We’ll never be fre until we end slavery.” Although slavery is mentioned in Hamilton, Furstenberg’s work offers a more substantive insight on slavery.
Furstenberg’s arguments about nationalism, slavery, and political consent can be seen as pertinent in understanding the present. By analyzing the lyrics of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical Hamilton, the relevancy of slavery as a particularly vital topic for discussion can be seen as less so than the arguments about nationalism and political