Hamilton, the hit musical, has enthralled audiences and inspired Americans since its first preview in February, 2015. But why are people influenced by this musical?

Alexander Hamilton was born on a small island in the Caribbean called Nevis. Soon after he was born, his father left his mother to raise him alone, but she also died soon after. Hamilton was left an orphan without anyone to whom he could turn. He must have felt completely alone. As if his life had not already had enough hardship, a hurricane tore through the Caribbean, and left the entire island decimated. He used his gift of language to write about the hurricane and its effect on Nevis. People, both in the Caribbean and around America, were enthralled by his eloquence. He drew attention from some wealthy individuals who decided to sell a book collection to pay for Hamilton’s passage to the mainland.

Hamilton’s origin story is the quintessential American experience. One could even say that Hamilton was fulfilling the ultimate American Dream. He started from nothing and became a war hero, founding father, and the mastermind of the American economic system.

Let’s zoom in on just one example of Hamilton’s influence: his economic plan. Hamilton desperately wanted to wrangle the national debt into something manageable. He suggested that the US pay back its debts in full over time. In order to do this, however, Hamilton would need a line of credit into the US government, and a place to store that money. He proposed that the line of credit would be new protective tariffs, and the place to store the money would be the Bank of the United States. This economic plan shaped and defined how the American economy would operate for decades. It is impossible to overstate Hamilton’s impact on the American economic system.

Hamilton is a symbol of everything that is right with America. He had the opportunity to prove himself and use his vast intellect to make a positive change in the nation. He was the deciding factor in the election of John Adams, he was the strongest advocate for the founding charter of our nation, and he was an absolutely legendary soldier in the Revolutionary War. Seeing this kind of opportunity playing out in someone else’s life can give hope to audience members who might otherwise have forgotten about or given up on the American Dream.

People in America still have a sense of hope, of imagination, of self-improvement. Even though the realities of America limit people’s access to the American Dream, the idea of America is still an extremely hopeful one. The idea of America is why people are willing to give up everything to immigrate to America, to get a shot at the American Dream. The realities of America are complicated, confusing, disturbing, and dirty. But, that does not stop the idea of America from being beautiful.

In Mandarin, the character for the United States is 美国 (mei guo), the beautiful country. Many foreigners see America as a shining “city on a hill,” an example of what the world could be. Hamilton harkens back to that ideal by showing the audiences a clear example of someone fulfilling their American Dream in a fledgling nation.