Hamilton: How Old Alexander Was When He Died

How old was the real-life Alexander Hamilton when he died? The American founding father is the focus of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s wildly-successful play Hamilton, which details Alexander’s life experiences after emigrating from a Caribbean island to New York City. Miranda stars as the focal subject in Hamilton.

Overall, Hamilton’s characters on Disney+ are youthful, energetic, and charismatic — even King George III (Jonathan Groff), who offers some comedic relief. Hamilton is portrayed as a street-savvy intellectual, a man with enough charm to gain the attention of the Schuyler sisters; a man who can hold his own in cabinet rap battles. Because Hamilton is fundamentally rooted in history and hip-hop culture, the main character must be smooth with his words and quick on his feet; a combination that has made the play so appealing to theatre fans and Disney+ subscribers. Hamilton builds to a fateful moment when the subject is killed in a duel by the Vice President Aaron Burr.

Founding father Alexander Hamilton was 47 or 49 years old when he passed away. Historians aren’t quite sure about the official birth date, primarily because Alexander was born out of wedlock as the son of James A. Hamilton and a married woman named Rachel Faucette. Miranda turned 40 years old on January 16, 2020, and is therefore not too far from Alexander’s age when the historical figure succumbed to his wounds. Technically, however, Miranda was 36 years old when the Hamilton movie was filmed in June 2016. In fact, Miranda was only 29 years old when he originally introduced the Hamilton “mixtape” concept to Barack Obama at a 2009 White House performance. At that point in time, Miranda was young enough to portray Alexander’s ill-fated son, Philip. In 2020, though, he’s grown into the Hamilton role.

When America gained independence in 1776, Hamilton was only 21 years old. Given the uncertainty about his actual birth day, it’s possible that he was only 19 at the time. Just a few years before, Alexander allegedly fathered a son named William, who later become a civil rights activist. Approximately six years later, the founding father met Elizabeth Schuyler, who is portrayed by Phillipa Soo in the Hamilton play and Disney+ movie, and was approximately 22 years old when she married Alexander.

By 1801, Alexander and Eliza’s eldest son, Philip, was killed in a duel at the age of 19 — a life moment that’s part of the Hamilton narrative. Three years later, Alexander was similarly killed in a duel before his 50th birthday, leaving Eliza to raise their seven surviving children. Hamilton on Disney+ ends with Eliza’s gasp, which emphasizes her intense connection to her late husband. Eliza would ultimately outlive Alexander by a half-century, as she lived to be 97 years old and passed away in 1854.

About The Author

Q.V. Hough
(1892 Articles Published)

Q.V. Hough is a senior writer at Screen Rant. He’s also the founding editor at Vague Visages, and has contributed to RogerEbert.com and Fandor.

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