Ask anyone who just walked out of the Richard Rodgers Theatre and they might tell you the story of Alexander Hamilton is a whirlwind of 1776 grit. It feels fast. It feels like one long, breathless summer of rebellion. But honestly, if you look at the dates, the musical spans roughly thirty years of dense, messy history.
It isn't just a "Revolutionary War story."
The show covers the gap between 1776 and 1804. That’s a massive chunk of time. To put it in perspective, the characters age from scrappy twenty-somethings to middle-aged politicians with bad knees and heavy regrets. You’ve got the war in the first half and the birth of a shaky new government in the second.
When Did Hamilton Take Place? The Real Timeline
The opening number sets the stage by summarizing Hamilton’s childhood in the Caribbean, but the "present day" action of the show officially kicks off in 1776. This is when we meet the core crew: Burr, Laurens, Lafayette, and Mulligan.
History nerds will tell you this is where the musical takes its first big creative leap. In real life, these guys didn't all meet in a New York bar in 1776. Lafayette didn't even land in America until 1777. But for the sake of a good story, Lin-Manuel Miranda jams them all together to show the "spirit" of the revolution.
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Here is how the years actually break down:
- Act One (1776 – 1781): This is the war era. It starts with the Declaration of Independence and ends with the British surrender at the Battle of Yorktown in October 1781.
- The Intermission Gap: There is a bit of a jump here. We see the birth of Hamilton’s first son, Philip, in 1782, and then things move quickly toward the peace treaty and the Constitutional Convention of 1787.
- Act Two (1789 – 1804): This is the "politics is hard" era. It begins with Thomas Jefferson returning from France in 1789 to join Washington’s cabinet. It concludes with the infamous duel between Hamilton and Burr on July 11, 1804.
The Problem With 1776
When people ask when did Hamilton take place, they usually focus on 1776 because of the song "Aaron Burr, Sir." It’s iconic. It’s the year of the "Ten-Dollar Founding Father" making his mark. But the war itself only takes up about half of the musical’s runtime.
The second act is actually longer in terms of historical years. It covers 15 years of governance, scandals, and the messy transition of power from Washington to Adams and then Jefferson. If you’re watching closely, you’ll notice the costumes change. The military coats disappear. Suddenly, everyone is in waistcoats and debating debt limits.
Key Historical Milestones in the Show
You can track the passage of time through specific historical events that the musical highlights. It’s easy to miss if you’re just vibing to the beat.
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The Winter’s Ball (1780)
Hamilton meets Eliza Schuyler. Historically, this happened at a party in Morristown, New Jersey. They were married by December of that same year. In the show, this feels like it happens right after they meet, which is actually pretty accurate—it was a fast-moving romance.
The Battle of Yorktown (1781)
This is the big climax of Act One. It’s the world turning upside down. Hamilton finally gets his command, and the American colonies effectively win their independence.
The Reynolds Pamphlet (1797)
The scandal that ruined Hamilton’s political career didn't happen right after the war. There was a significant gap. The affair with Maria Reynolds started in 1791, but Hamilton didn't publish the "tell-all" pamphlet until 1797. The musical compresses this a bit to keep the tension high.
The Election of 1800
This is a major plot point in Act Two. It’s the "Peaceful Revolution" where power shifted between parties for the first time. The musical depicts Hamilton’s endorsement of Jefferson as the reason Burr lost, which is sort of true, but it was much more complicated in reality.
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Why the Timing Matters for the Story
Most musicals cover a week, a month, or maybe a year. Hamilton is different. Because it covers nearly three decades, we see the cost of time. We see characters lose their friends, their children, and eventually their own lives.
The sense of "running out of time" isn't just a metaphor. By the time we get to the duel in 1804, Alexander is 47 or 49 years old (his birth year is still debated by historians). He’s not the young kid we met in 1776 anymore. He’s a man who has lived a full, exhausting life.
When did Hamilton take place? It took place during the most volatile period of American history. It covers the transition from a collection of colonies to a functional, if deeply flawed, nation.
How to Use This Information
If you’re a teacher or just a fan trying to get the facts straight, don’t take the musical as a literal calendar. It’s a dramatization. To get the real-world context, you should:
- Check the years in the lyrics: Songs like "The Adams Administration" and "Take a Break" mention specific ages and years (like Philip being nine in 1791).
- Read Ron Chernow’s biography: This is the book that inspired the show. It gives the day-by-day breakdown that a two-and-a-half-hour musical simply can't fit.
- Visit the sites: If you’re in New York, go to Trinity Church. You can see the graves of Alexander and Eliza. Seeing the dates carved in stone—1804 for him, 1854 for her—makes the timeline feel incredibly real.
The musical ends with Eliza’s story, which extends all the way to 1854. She lived fifty years longer than her husband. That final "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story" segment covers a half-century of her work, including the establishment of the first private orphanage in New York City. The show may start in 1776, but its legacy stretches far beyond the 1804 duel.