Penn Valley Common Read: Hamilton: The Revolution

Fans of the musical “Hamilton” and history buffs in general are in for a special treat as the Newberry Library opens a historical exhibition on Alexander Hamilton titled “Hamilton: The History Behind the Musical.” Beginning Jan. 11, patrons of the library (60 W. Walton) can see first editions of Hamilton’s writings and original letters, as well as other items related to the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. Chicago Sun-Times, January 2017.

The lyrical genius reflects on his huge year, including his Oscar-worthy tunes in ‘Moana,’ the otherworldly success of ‘Hamilton,’ and his show’s message to VP-elect Mike Pence. The Voice, December 2016.

'Hamilton' Creator Lin-Manuel Miranda talks music, musicals, politics and more in a wide-ranging Rolling Stone interview. Rolling Stone, June 2016.

A discussion of the play Hamilton: The Revolution that focuses on how the musical has changed Broadway theater expectations. The Nation, September 2015.

"The main purpose of this study was to investigate the causes of social revolutions. In this article, I take a synthetic approach and hypothesize that the three most important factors that explain the onset of social revolution are economic development, regime type, and state ineffectiveness. I also discuss the importance of domestic and external factors that trigger social revolutions. In addition, I make a distinction between the onset and success of social revolutions. Finally, I identify two distinct types of social revolutions." SAGE Open, September 2014.

"Scholars largely agree that revolutions tend to play out in similar ways. However, revolutionary theorists are still at odds over how successful revolutionary states form. Some historians such as Theda Skocpol (1979) argue that social revolutions are a product of socioeconomic and political conditions and therefore are predictable in at-risk countries. Others, like Greg McCarthy (2008), claim that this view fails to take into account social class and the struggle resulting from socioeconomic differences, factors that have been driving forces in revolutions instigated by the lower class, as in France and Russia. I contend that, although the preceding government and society are significant in causing a revolution and creating revolutionaries, the ideological mindset of the revolutionary group is itself a major factor in determining the outcome of the revolution." The People, Ideas, and Things Journal, October 2013.