10 Types of Tears Hamilton Made You Shed

Photo credit: Sara Krulwich

#5: Rise Up Tears

Now that the Hamilsquad has decided to “gladly join the fight,” this means war. Literally. The Revolutionary War is in full swing, and our men are fighting for freedom under the leadership of the pride of Mount Vernon: George Washington! Though they are, as the song states, “outgunned, outmanned, outnumber, outplanned,” the American forces are giving it all they’ve got. Hamilton has been recruited to serve as Washington’s right hand man, and though the odds seem stacked against them, our dudes end up (spoiler alert!) victorious AF.

The adrenaline of the battles, the new-found nationalism of men, and the thrill of the history playing out right in front of our eyes converge to leave us blubbering all over our earbuds when Hamilton sees George Washington smile at the end of the Battle of Yorktown. The soldiers all yell, “WE WON, WE WON, WE WON, WE WON!” and we’re sitting here, two centuries later, avoiding eye contact on the subway so as not to alarm any fellow riders like, “HELL YEAH, WE DID.” In this politically garbage year, it might just be Hamilton that ends up showing us the way back to unembarrassed patriotism. Raise a glass to freedom, shall we?

Songs to cry to: Right Hand Man, Guns and Ships, Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)