While the first half of Hamilton deals explicitly with the American Revolution, it does not deal specifically with the Declaration of Independence. This is not surprising, since Alexander Hamilton was not at the Second Continental Congress.
Of course, this is not to say that there is no reference to the Declaration of Independence in musical theater.
As an aside, this clip cuts out the joke at the end of the song. As soon as they walk into Independence Hall, everyone jumps up to complain about Jefferson’s declaration.
Still, since Hamilton is in vogue now (deservedly so) I should post a song from Hamilton.
I select Guns and Ships.
Why Guns and Ships? Quite simple. 1917 marks the centennial of the US’ entry into World War I. There is a story of an American soldier travelling to the grave of the Marquis de Lafayette and proclaiming, “Lafayette we are here!” This was a reference to the debt that the US owed to him (and to France in general) in helping us win the Revolutionary War, and in World War I we were there to repay the debt.
So, on July 4th, 2017, it is good to stop and remember our favorite fighting Frenchman, who took the horse by the reins and made red coats redder with blood stains.
Happy 4th of July everyone!
