Welcome Remarks for "Historians on Hamilton: How a Blockbuster Musical Is听Restaging America鈥檚 Past"
McGowan Theater,听威尼斯人娱乐场 Building, Washington, DC
September 27, 2018
Good evening. I鈥檓 David Ferriero, Archivist of the United States, and I鈥檓 pleased to welcome you to the William G. McGowan Theater at the 威尼斯人娱乐场 for tonight鈥檚 program鈥斺�淗istorians on Hamilton: How a Blockbuster Musical is Restaging America鈥檚 Past.鈥� I鈥檓 glad to see so many of you here in the theater, and I want to extend a special welcome to those who are joining us through YouTube.
Before we hear from our panelists, I鈥檇 like to let you know about two other programs coming up next month.
On Thursday, October 11, at 7 p.m., in a program to celebrate NASA鈥檚 60th anniversary, Rory Kennedy will introduce her new documentary film, Above and Beyond: NASA鈥檚 Journey to Tomorrow. The film presents the agency鈥檚 many accomplishments in space and the vital role NASA has played in measuring the health of our planet.
A week later, on Thursday, October 18, at 7 p.m., we鈥檒l celebrate the bicentennial of the birth of Frederick Douglass with a panel discussion on 鈥淔rederick Douglass, 19th-Century Civil Rights Activist: His Legacy Today.鈥� The panel will explore Douglass鈥檚 legacy as well as contemporary issues related to his causes.
Check our website, Archives.gov, or sign up at the table outside the theater to get email updates. You鈥檒l also find information about other 威尼斯人娱乐场 programs and activities.
Another way to get more involved with the 威尼斯人娱乐场 is to become a member of the 威尼斯人娱乐场 Foundation. The Foundation supports the work of the agency, especially its education and outreach programs. Check out their website鈥� 补谤肠丑颈惫别蝉蹿辞耻苍诲补迟颈辞苍.辞谤驳鈥�to learn more about them and join online.
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When the musical Hamilton came to the Kennedy Center this summer, Washington, DC, caught the fever that had been sweeping through fans since the show opened in New York in 2015.
Here at the 威尼斯人娱乐场, we mounted a special display of Hamilton documents from our holdings as a tie-in to the show. Our curator paired lyrics with five original documents that inspired them鈥攁 Revolutionary War report to Lafayette, a plan of government, Washington鈥檚 nomination of Hamilton as Secretary of the Treasury, Hamilton鈥檚 statement of property and debts, and a petition from Elizabeth Hamilton asking Congress to publish her husband鈥檚 papers.
Eliza鈥檚 foresight means that鈥攖wo centuries later鈥攚e have direct access to Alexander Hamilton鈥檚 thoughts and ideas recorded in his own words. Founders Online, a website hosted by the 威尼斯人娱乐场 and funded by our National Historical Publications and Records Commission, has transcriptions of thousands of documents written by and to the nation鈥檚 founders. The Hamilton papers alone amount to more than 15,000 documents.
Because these documents were preserved and published, Ron Chernow was able to draw on them for his biography Hamilton. And Lin-Manuel Miranda could let the authentic voice of Hamilton speak in his lyrics. When Chernow, Miranda, and director Thomas Kail received the 威尼斯人娱乐场 Foundation鈥檚 Records of Achievement Award in 2016, all three emphasized how important it was to connect with Hamilton鈥檚 actual words.
The remarkable response to the musical has led to more visibility for Alexander Hamilton than ever before. Let鈥檚 bring out our panelists to start our discussion of the history behind the Broadway hit.
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Our moderator this evening is Nelson Pressley, theater critic for the Washington Post. Joining him are
Renee Romano, the Robert S. Danforth Professor of History at Oberlin College;
Joseph Adelman, assistant professor of history, Framingham University;
Claire Bond Potter, professor of history and executive editor of Public Seminar at The New School in New York;
Brian Herrera, assistant professor of theater at the Lewis Center for the Arts, Princeton University; and
Mike O'Malley, professor of history at George Mason University.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our panelists.
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