To what extent is Lin Manuel Miranda’s portrayal of the relationship between Alexander Hamilton and Angelica schuyler accurate?

Explanation:

Part of what Lin Manuel Miranda wrote in the musical Hamilton is imagined and part is true.

The parts he exaggerated are:

In a part of the song Satisfied where Angelica tells how she wants Hamilton despite him not being rich ("And Alexander is penniless / Ha! That doesn’t mean I want him any less"), she sings “I’m a girl in a world in which / My only job is to marry rich / My father has no sons so I’m the one / Who has to social climb for one)”. This part is not true, as her father had two sons. Angelica was already married and had children at the time of the initial meeting with Alexandar. These are not circumstances in the musical shows. Angelica didn’t probably introduce her sister Eliza to Hamilton. The historical evidence said that the pair likely knew each other from before.

However, the true parts are:

Angelica likely had a small crush on her brother in law. In one of the letters, she wrote to Eliza: “If you were as generous as the old Romans, you would lend him to me for a little while,” a line that was partly used in the musical. Angelica wrote to Hamilton as to her “dear and naughty Brother” in one of the letters. Hamilton probably returned these affections. In one of the letters, he wrote to Angelica “I seldom write to a lady without fancying the relation of lover and mistress.” He also frequently returned her compliments.Hamilton and Angelica had a close and affectionate relationship, even flirting a bit. This is also seen through their letters in which they describe their affection, missing each other. Their conversations are witty and flirtatious. Historians explain this kind of communication was possible exactly because they were both married. They were likely friends joking with each other, but it would be scandalous if the public saw this type of relationship between man and woman if they were single and not in their separate relationships.

Therefore, we can conclude that Miranda did exaggerate the circumstances of Angelica’s and Hamilton’s relationship, but he did not invent the attraction and affection between them.