Alexander Hamilton, the subject of the hit Broadway play, “Hamilton.” Source: Wikimedia

By Armando Martinez ‘19

On December 6, 2017, Passaic High School students that take the Advanced Placement United States History 2 course got the opportunity of a lifetime, in watching the historic play Hamilton at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York City.

The Gilder Lehrman Institute made a special donation to the school, paying for all of the students tickets, and staff who went along to chaperone. The only fee students had to pay, was to create a two-minute performance inspired by Alexander Hamilton’s legendary life.

A group of Passaic High School teachers judged the performances, that ranged from raps and poems to songs and skits. The lucky winners were Vincent Sposato, Daisy Gonzalez and Ellenie Berhe, who got to perform their skit at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, in front of not only students from Passaic High School, but students from other schools in the city, and New Jersey.

As I entered Richard Rodgers Theatre, I went in thinking I knew all there was to know about the great legacy of Alexander Hamilton, but I was pleasantly surprised there was more to the “bastard.” Watching the Hamilton play only enriched my knowledge on one of our founding fathers.

Hamilton was the type of person to give up everything, to keep his honest man image that he created for himself. He’d rather spill his own dirty laundry to the world, than have someone hold it against him. As triumphant as Hamilton was in his political life, he had several faults in his personal life.

Hamilton didn’t comprehend the meaning of family, which may be due to his tumultuous childhood. His ambition always put him between a rock and a hard place. In the scene “That Will Be Enough,” the audience can see how Hamilton had an internal conflict within himself, whether to keep on moving up or settling down.

Eliza Schuyler Church, his wife, represents staying at home, and Angelica, his implied lover, represents continuing to move up the ladder of power. His other issue were with the women in his life, by having an affair with Maria Reynolds, and his flirtatious relationship with Angelica Schuyler Church.

Even though Alexander Hamilton was a man with great ambition who left an unmatched legacy, it was at the cost of his personal life.
I would like to give a special thanks to Mrs. Welch and Mr. Newman for all of their hard work, in preparing this amazing experience for my peers and me. Thank you to Mr. Wierzbicki for being excellent AP US History teacher, and an amazing chaperone on the trip, as well as the other staff members who tagged along, and showed their support.