1. Dan McGurk Research and Instruction Librarian Pickler Memorial Library
Truman Days 2018
Dan McGurk
Research and Instruction Librarian
Pickler Memorial Library

2. Introductions Where are you from? What are you studying?
What was something you did this summer (or in the past year)?

3. Reading 1 Joeposnanski.com/Hamilton Reflection
Think of something in your life that you were obsessed with seeing or doing at some point in your life (a concert, a sporting event, movie, etc.)
How did you feel when it finally happened? Did it live up to your expectations?
Conversely, if it didn’t come to pass, how did that make you feel?
The author of this piece talks a great deal about obsessions. Think about some of your own obsessions in your life. What are some benefits of obsessions in our lives? What are some of their negative effects?

4. Reading 2
Gordon-Reed, A. (2016). Legacy. What is a legacy? History Today, 66(11), live
Reflection
This article discusses Hamilton as a sensation that cuts across generations and social groups.
What reasons does the author give for this? Do you agree with her reasoning?

5. Hamilton as History
As an historian, Gordon-Reed brings up some concerns about the distortion of Hamilton as an historical figure for the sake of artistry.
She is also quoted in a New York Times article on the topic of the show’s historical value.
Hamilton and History: Are They in Sync?
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This will be a topic for tomorrow’s session
Please read this article and review the article by Gordon-Reed before the session.

6. Questions for Friday’s Session
Choose one of these questions to think about for Friday
Sean Wilentz states in the article that “Hamilton was more a man for the 1 percent than the 99 percent”. What do you think this means? What elements in the musical or in your reading of the Federalist Papers can you find to confirm or refute this?
Gordon-Reed echoes a criticism by the historian Lyra D. Monteiro that “the show’s multiethnic casting obscures the almost complete lack of identifiable African-American characters, making the country’s founding seem like an all-white affair.” Ron Chernow, who wrote the book on which the musical is based, counters that “this show is the best advertisement for racial diversity in Broadway history and it is sad that it is being attacked on racial grounds”. How does the casting enhance or detract from the show’s message?
Gordon-Reed discusses Hamilton as “an unabashed celebration of the American Founding and the Founding Generation” and one of the few theatrical renditions of the American Revolution era. How does the musical affect your understanding of the nation’s founding, compared to what you learned in studies in school? Are there other areas of history that you have learned about through renditions in popular culture?