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Lesson 9

We will analyze the letters between Alexander Hamilton and George Washington and make connections between these letters and Miranda’s characterization of Hamilton in the musical.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I recognize and interpret how word choice affects tone?

  • Can I make connections between the information in the letters and the way in which Hamilton is characterized in “Stay Alive,” “Meet Me Inside,” and “Guns and Ships"?

  • Can I explore a variety of credible sources to answer a question or solve a problem?

Texts

Core

  • Tradebook
    • Hamilton: The Revolution, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter, Grand Central, 2016
  • Digital Access
    • “Correcting ‘Hamilton’,” Liz Mineo, The Harvard Gazette, October 7, 2016
  • Unit Reader
    • “From Alexander Hamilton to George Washington, 2 May 1781,” Alexander Hamilton, Public Domain, 1781
    • “From Alexander Hamilton to George Washington, 22 November 1780,” Alexander Hamilton, Public Domain, 1780
    • “From Alexander Hamilton to George Washington, 27 April 1781,” Alexander Hamilton, Public Domain, 1781

Materials

Tools

Reference Guides

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Discuss

We will share our mentor sentence analyses with partners.

Work with a partner to discuss the mentor sentences you identified in your Mentor Sentence Journal during the homework reading. Use the following questions to guide your discussion:

  1. Why did you select this sentence?

  2. What is unique about the word choice in this sentence?

  3. What is unique about the syntax in this sentence?

  4. What mood does the author create in this sentence? How do you know?

  5. What tone is conveyed by the author in this sentence? How do you know?

  6. How does the sentence contribute to your understanding of the ideas in the text?

Activity 2: Write

We will identify the tone of “Stay Alive” and “Meet Me Inside.”

Have your homework out for reference.

Use the same technique that you used with the letters to find the tone of "Stay Alive" and "Meet Me Inside." Focus on Hamilton’s tone toward the subject:

Review the words Hamilton uses when he discusses leading troops. Annotate the text while answering the following questions:

  1. What synonyms could he have used?

  2. Note any trends within the words and phrases. For example, are the words generally positive or negative? Are the words casual, technical, informal, or formal?

  3. Identify the effects of the words: What emotions do you feel when you read the words and phrases? How does the text affect you? Do you laugh? Do you become anxious? Do you get angry?

  4. If you were to replace the words with synonyms or antonyms, how would the passage change? Would it affect you in a different way?

  5. What is Hamilton’s tone?

Activity 3: Discuss

We will compare the tone found in the letters with the tone found in the songs.

In small groups, discuss the following questions as you look at the tones you identified within the letters and songs:

  1. How did Lin-Manuel Miranda interpret and portray Hamilton’s desire for a role in the war?

  2. How does this portrayal compare with your interpretation of Hamilton’s feelings based on his letters to Washington?

Assign the following roles to group members to help guide your discussion:

  • facilitator

  • note-taker

  • time-keeper

After discussing in your small group, share your thoughts and inferences during a whole-class discussion.

Activity 4: Read

We will consider how Miranda interpreted Hamilton’s views on slavery.

In small groups, reread the following stanzas from Hamilton:

"Stay Alive"

LAURENS:

I stay at work with Hamilton.

We write essays against slavery.

And every day’s a test of our camaraderie and bravery.

"Yorktown"

HAMILTON, LAURENS:

We’ll never be free until we end slavery!

"Cabinet Battle #1"

HAMILTON:

A civics lesson from a slaver

…

We know who’s really doing the planting.

After reading, discuss the following question in your small group:

  1. What do you learn about Hamilton in these lines?

Share your answer with the class.

Next, read "The Slavery Debate: Cut Lyrics of Cabinet Battle #3."

As you read, consider the following questions:

  1. What is the central idea of this song?

  2. What do you learn about Hamilton?

Activity 5: Read

We will read an article by a historian and go on a fact-finding mission and research Hamilton’s views on slavery.

Go on a fact-finding mission to help you respond to the following question:

  1. What were Hamilton’s views on slavery?

Begin your search by finding and reading “Correcting ‘Hamilton’” from the Harvard Gazette, written by Annette Gordon-Reed, who is a professor of American legal history at Harvard Law School. Gordon-Reed was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in History and the National Book Award for her book The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family.

Continue your search by finding at least two other reputable and reliable sources to help you understand other historical perspectives on Hamilton’s views on slavery. Use evidence from multiple sources to support your response

As directed by your teacher, review the Assessing Sources Reference Guide section, The Process: Assessing a Source’s Usefulness and Guiding Questions for Assessing Sources, to help you determine whether sources you locate are credible and reliable.

Take notes from your sources on a Research Note-Taking Tool.

Activity 6: Read

we will finish any research needed for our fact-finding mission.

For homework, complete any additional research necessary to respond to the question on the Research Note-Taking Tool. Write new or interesting words you encounter in your Vocabulary Journal.