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Gareth Reynolds
My name is Shannon Maldonado. I'm the founder of Yaoi, a gift shop. From the lens of artists and handmade objects, I chose Shopify because when I was testing other platforms, it was definitely one of the most user friendly. It was important to me to think about where we would be in the future. All of the tools for reading your sales, like planning inventory, they're just right there on your dashboard. For anyone starting a small business, the biggest thing I can tell you is it doesn't have to be perfect. Shopify can help you build upon it. Start your free trial on shopify.com.
Dave Anthony
my father's dead. You killed him.
Gareth Reynolds
They think that I'm shiny.
Dave Anthony
I am a pie man.
Gareth Reynolds
I'm Pete Rose and I only go to Gold's Gym. This one specifically.
Dave Anthony
Rumor is that his penis is broken
Gareth Reynolds
and show up where the taco bar was.
Dave Anthony
His brain just fucking exploded.
Gareth Reynolds
River of cheese. You been drinking any gnome juice?
Dave Anthony
No, officer. My dad had a fart chair.
Gareth Reynolds
Hey, cover me.
Dave Anthony
You're listening to the Dollop. This an American history podcast where each week I, Dave Anthony, read a story from American history to a man I like to call the white Lionel Richie.
Gareth Reynolds
Thank you so much. Of course, Gareth Reynolds, who has no idea what the topic is going to be about. Yeah, that's really nice. Yeah.
Dave Anthony
What.
Gareth Reynolds
What era?
Dave Anthony
Oh, now, right now.
Gareth Reynolds
He had real motion back in the day.
Dave Anthony
I know, but you've aged. I would, I would. A lot of people are describing you as having aged out. Now, I don't know what that means, but it's.
Gareth Reynolds
Of course you don't.
Dave Anthony
It's a term that's old. Come on. I'm.
Gareth Reynolds
I'm getting AIARP stuff in the mail. Just complaining about the cloud for an hour.
Dave Anthony
The cloud they made the cloud was not working.
Gareth Reynolds
You can't get to the cloud. We should mention, Dave, that on Patreon we have a lot of great new stuff, including the Dollo up. We just shot our first judge, Dave. And so if you're interested in extra Dollop stuff, go to the Dollar Patreon and yeah, we will have a new podcast launching called Hollywood Hellscapes coming soon with Alex Burns and Corey Ryan Forrester. And that is a Patreon only show.
Dave Anthony
Corey's very funny. Alex is there.
Gareth Reynolds
Yes, thanks. That's. That's how people describe this. No. Yeah, it is. So we're very excited about that. So go to patreon.com search the dollop. We. Yeah, there's some really fun stuff. Oh, also, I had that conversation with the, the guy about the, the. The North Hollywood bank robbery and that, that. Who wrote the book on it, and that was pretty crazy.
Dave Anthony
Oh, I thought it was the Norco.
Gareth Reynolds
Oh, it was Norco. Sorry. He. But he. I wasn't listening. But, but he. I mean, there are. First of all, he was like, did a great job. Oh, good. He was, he was like. I don't know how you got all that information because a lot of it wasn't out yet. But. But he's like met with everybody from, you know, all the survivors of the robbery and.
Dave Anthony
Oh, that's cool.
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah. And. But he was really interesting. So there's that stuff now on Patreon, if you like, like us a lot. Which I do.
Dave Anthony
Which we're calling Patreon now.
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah. Because. Oh, do you not know what it is? Let me explain. It's a place for extra content. Okay. I'm not trying to be patrionizing, but that's what it is.
Dave Anthony
Anything else, gentlemen? I also am selling bait.
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah, Dave's a bait guy. Go ahead, shout the date.
Dave Anthony
January11. 1755. Maybe 1757.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay. That's Bill Byer's birthday.
Dave Anthony
Year.
Gareth Reynolds
Year.
Dave Anthony
About 1750.
Gareth Reynolds
No, no, he. I went to high school with him.
Dave Anthony
What's up, Bill? Alexander Hamilton.
Gareth Reynolds
Oh, no.
Dave Anthony
You're going to need to control yourself. I'm going to tell you right now. You need to behave yourself during this podcast.
Gareth Reynolds
Oh, no. In what? Wait a minute. I know what you think. Yeah, what do you think?
Dave Anthony
They're a little song.
Gareth Reynolds
You think it's gonna get songy? Yeah, it's not really a song. It's like a rap talk.
Dave Anthony
Can I just say up front that I knew about him. He's so much worse than I ever imagined.
Gareth Reynolds
I mean, this is great. This is great news.
Dave Anthony
Alexander Hamilton was born in Charlestown, Nevis.
Gareth Reynolds
No part of you wants to go Alexander Hamilton. None. Okay.
Dave Anthony
I'm a normal human being. Normal. A British island colony in the West Indies. Parents were Rachel Fossette and James Hamilton. Jimmy, I assume Jim. Jim was a failed Scottish merchant.
Gareth Reynolds
When did Jimbo start?
Dave Anthony
Well, whenever the name got to Australia.
Gareth Reynolds
It's true.
Dave Anthony
Jimmy was a failed Scottish merchant. Rachel had a son from a previous marriage who was living with the dad. Okay, so James and Rachel.
Gareth Reynolds
What a rare paternal custody back.
Dave Anthony
Isn't that so.
Gareth Reynolds
That's strange. Yeah.
Dave Anthony
Yeah, but maybe he was like learning to be.
Gareth Reynolds
I mean, to be fair, I didn't want him to be with a Scott.
Dave Anthony
Yeah, no, that would be. Yeah, right. But also if he was learning a trade they would probably start like six.
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah, right. Yeah.
Dave Anthony
James and Rachel had two sons, but they couldn't marry, as she was still technically married.
Gareth Reynolds
The sons couldn't get married?
Dave Anthony
No. The boys, they couldn't marry each other. James and Rachel. And they have two kids, but they can't marry. The first son was James Jr, and the second was Alexander. Rachel's husband came back to ask for a divorce, and he said Rachel was, quote, whoring with everyone.
Gareth Reynolds
I mean, a really?
Dave Anthony
That's how.
Gareth Reynolds
Fair complaint.
Dave Anthony
I mean, that's how you get the divorce.
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah, I mean, look, I don't think that's the right. But I've said that in every one of my relationships.
Dave Anthony
Always.
Gareth Reynolds
You know, it's a. It just slips.
Dave Anthony
How does that not come out?
Gareth Reynolds
That's a bunch of stuff. But you've been. You've been horned with everybody.
Dave Anthony
A judge granted the divorce and punished Rachel, ruling that she could never marry again.
Gareth Reynolds
You know, I. You look sometimes you go, boy, it really sure seems like women are mad about something. And when it comes to men in the world, and then the further you trace it back, it really is. It's like a systemic failure that you can trace throughout history entirely.
Dave Anthony
Well, that's weird because I was thinking dudes rock also.
Gareth Reynolds
Fair point. Fair counter. That was what happened in the court, your honor. He did this. He did this. Your honor, Dudes rock. Well, I can't argue with that. Gives him a beer. You woman.
Dave Anthony
Never get dick again.
Gareth Reynolds
You've been horn around. Is that you've been horn with everybody.
Dave Anthony
The judge called her kids. Quote, children, I'm so glad you were drinking when I said that.
Gareth Reynolds
Oh, That is the most I spilled on an episode. That is what the. I love. It's just like when someone who's supposed to be wise and with authority is so stupid. It is the funniest.
Dave Anthony
It's really great.
Gareth Reynolds
Like if a doctor's just like, your guts is all tangly. Oh, my God.
Dave Anthony
Poor children. So that meant officially, they're bastards.
Gareth Reynolds
Oh, my God, that. Is that a judge?
Dave Anthony
A judge. Now, as a bastard, Alexander is not allowed formal schooling.
Gareth Reynolds
Oh, my God.
Dave Anthony
We can have a bastard running around learning.
Gareth Reynolds
Oh, my Lord.
Dave Anthony
So Rachel educates him with tutors. But some Christian tutors wouldn't teach bastards. So his first was a, quote, Jewess.
Gareth Reynolds
Oh, my God. You are real. By the way, you shouldn't be worried about a song in the first part. They are the children under duress. Regular people won't tutor. Get a Jewess some.
Dave Anthony
So some of the stuff he learned was In Hebrew.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay.
Dave Anthony
When Alexander was 11, James Bales.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay. Scottish dad, he never.
Dave Anthony
Yeah, he never sees him again. But they did write a little bit.
Gareth Reynolds
Real dad, Scottish dad.
Dave Anthony
His real dad.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay, gotcha. Okay.
Dave Anthony
In 17, by the way, my pilot,
Gareth Reynolds
real dad, Scottish dad, did not get picked up.
Dave Anthony
See, that's because my unreal dad, Irish dad, did.
Gareth Reynolds
That says a lot.
Dave Anthony
In 1768, Alexander and his mom came down with a fever.
Gareth Reynolds
She's gonna die.
Dave Anthony
They're convalescing in the same bed or illing in the same bed. She run dmc and then she got an herb to help with the fever, but it caused awful flatulence. So she's just farting like crazy.
Gareth Reynolds
Better than deathbed.
Dave Anthony
But he got enemas and bloodletting.
Gareth Reynolds
Sorry, I just need to be very clear. He's sick. From what she has.
Dave Anthony
They're both sick with the same thing.
Gareth Reynolds
So. So they're sharing a bed. She's just.
Dave Anthony
She took the herb, farting away like a cow.
Gareth Reynolds
And he's just getting enemas. And he's 11.
Dave Anthony
He's getting stuff shoved up.
Gareth Reynolds
He's getting. And what did. What did they. It's amazing that enemas have been around that long. What are they putting in you at that time?
Dave Anthony
Water, I assume. It's coffee, I would imagine.
Gareth Reynolds
I would imagine it's the blood. They let.
Dave Anthony
They take the blood out and they put it up the butt.
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah.
Dave Anthony
This is gonna hurt and be a little weird.
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah. Wow. That's an awesome. That's great.
Dave Anthony
And then she died.
Gareth Reynolds
Right.
Dave Anthony
So her ex husband then comes back in and gets a judge to give her entire estate to their son.
Gareth Reynolds
Well, she was touring around.
Dave Anthony
Give it to the.
Gareth Reynolds
It is whore property.
Dave Anthony
So now at that time, he called Alexander and Alexander's brother, quote, obscene. Children born after the diseased person's divorce.
Gareth Reynolds
Wow. What the. Dude. So I could hear Kavanaugh saying this, but it's still. It would be news.
Dave Anthony
It's all those guys, they would all say this. Yeah, this is. This is like straight out of Ben Shapiro's mouth.
Gareth Reynolds
Right. Very simply. I mean, she. Disease in a horbed.
Dave Anthony
They went. They were sent to live with a cousin. And a little while after that, he killed himself. And then another cousin, another cousin stepped in to help, but then he died after.
Gareth Reynolds
I don't know where this story is actually headed, but it feels that justified for how he turns out so far.
Dave Anthony
Well, it's not a great start.
Gareth Reynolds
A lot of death.
Dave Anthony
Yeah.
Gareth Reynolds
If you watch your mom fart to death, that's. That's brutal.
Dave Anthony
That's actually how my dad went.
Gareth Reynolds
No, James was alive and that's not how he went.
Dave Anthony
James was then apprenticed to a carpenter, and Alexander was taken in by a wealthy merchant named Stephen Thomas. Sorry. Thomas Stevens.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay.
Dave Anthony
It's never. It's never good. It's never good when a young guy
Gareth Reynolds
goes in with a rich guy.
Dave Anthony
Yeah. At 14, a merchant firm hired Alexander as a clerk. He had a lot of responsibility for a team, keeping books, charting the shipping routes, supervising the purchase of merchandise like sugar and wine and people.
Gareth Reynolds
Great. The three top three big bigs. Big, big gifts.
Dave Anthony
He knew he. I never thought about that. They gave him his gifts 100%. Put it terrible.
Gareth Reynolds
100.
Dave Anthony
Happy Valentine's Day.
Gareth Reynolds
What do you think? He was a bit big, isn't he? Yes. I wasn't.
Dave Anthony
He knew never be able to rise higher without a formal education. And he was desperate to make something of himself.
Gareth Reynolds
And at first podcast.
Dave Anthony
Yeah, right. At 14, he was wishing for a war so he could distinguish himself as a soldier and use the military to. To rise up his station.
Gareth Reynolds
Sure. I mean, that does make some sense with the nightmare he's in.
Dave Anthony
Yeah. Alexander was very smart and he impressed important men on the island. Reverend Hugh Knox was especially taken with him and took him under his wing. Let him read his library, teach him how to hone his writing skills. And Alexander had a talent for poetry and he published pieces in local papers. One was about a devious woman that began, quote, celia's an awful. Celia's an artful little slut.
Gareth Reynolds
Oh, my God. Oh, God. Just terrible.
Dave Anthony
What do you mean?
Gareth Reynolds
The fact that it's like that it's like worked out. It's just hit him so clearly. Yes. I don't know where that's coming from. My childhood, it was full of slander on women.
Dave Anthony
A hurricane hit the island and Alexander wrote about it in a letter to his father, which Knox read and he was so impressed, he got it published in a local gazette.
Gareth Reynolds
This hurricane was a gaping hole door.
Dave Anthony
What a slut.
Gareth Reynolds
Oh, my Lord.
Dave Anthony
This convinced many of that Alexander had promise and several businessmen then agreed to finance his education in America.
Gareth Reynolds
By the way, this all stinks of pedophilia now, doesn't it? Yeah, it. It. We are now hearing that a guy is doing anything for a child out of goodness or an eye for talent.
Dave Anthony
We can't, we absolutely cannot hear it from without that angle.
Gareth Reynolds
No. Any rich guy now who's like, let me help this child. It's like, you stay the away. You understand me? We Know what you're doing? N. Try.
Dave Anthony
So they want him to go to America, hoping that he'd become a doctor and then come back to the island. That was their.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay.
Dave Anthony
So he leaves for Boston at 18, which is a bit too old to start university then.
Gareth Reynolds
Amazing.
Dave Anthony
Some biographers.
Gareth Reynolds
You're almost dead, fool.
Dave Anthony
Some biographers believe this led him to take two years off his age.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay, great.
Dave Anthony
So he's not an immigrant like those who would later, you know, come to Ellis Island. Like the classic immigrant, we think.
Gareth Reynolds
Sure.
Dave Anthony
He just moved from one British colony to another. Okay, so he was a British citizen moving to another British colony. So. But considered an immigrant, but not, like.
Gareth Reynolds
Right. Not. Not fresh off.
Dave Anthony
Not the ones that were arresting for being immigrants. Yes.
Gareth Reynolds
Which is now just fully criminalized.
Dave Anthony
Criminalized.
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah.
Dave Anthony
Yeah. He moved from Boston.
Gareth Reynolds
Interesting.
Dave Anthony
Is it.
Gareth Reynolds
It's just a very strange.
Dave Anthony
SCOTUS just handed down a ruling today.
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah.
Dave Anthony
And they said that. That you can't. You can deny asylum and you can limit the number of people seeking asylum per day.
Gareth Reynolds
And this is what I find.
Dave Anthony
You know what's interesting about that is they're all. Trump used who to argue that Obama. Because Obama did that. So he got to use that place.
Gareth Reynolds
We all. We love Obama. Stop this stuff. Very big fans of Obama. It's.
Dave Anthony
It's.
Gareth Reynolds
What I find interesting is that it's a court made up of criminals.
Dave Anthony
Psychopaths.
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah. Total psychopaths who should. Should be institutionalized and not be in charge of areas.
Dave Anthony
I like a lady who was raised
Gareth Reynolds
in a cult, showered with her dad until 13. I like that.
Dave Anthony
How about a couple of rapists?
Gareth Reynolds
Oh, my God. One guy who kept a calendar about it. Hey, me and Squeeb held her down.
Dave Anthony
Jesus. Okay, so he. He moved from Boston to New Jersey because the guy paying for him wanted me. They wanted to go to Princeton, but Princeton rejects him because he has gaps in his education. So he ends up going to a prep school in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
Gareth Reynolds
Sure.
Dave Anthony
And he impressed the professors and student. He's very quick, he's very smart, and he climbs the society's ladder using introduction letters from Hugh Knox. He's also very good at networking.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay.
Dave Anthony
He went to many of the same parties as a man, a young guy named Aaron Burr.
Gareth Reynolds
Oh, that's interesting.
Dave Anthony
But then he gets rejected again by Princeton, and now he's pissed, and he moves to Manhattan to go to King's College.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay.
Dave Anthony
Which becomes Columbia. He was desperate to create a new Persona for himself in New York, and he's. He rarely speaks of his past. And once writing quote my birth is the subject of the most humiliating criticism.
Gareth Reynolds
So the. Yeah, well I. I got a sense that it was scarlet lettered from the beginning.
Dave Anthony
Yeah. I mean it's not a great story.
Gareth Reynolds
That. That's. That's one of those. That's a very easy thing to just say and take a man down easily. Despite how my hearty works.
Dave Anthony
So you were a bastard.
Gareth Reynolds
I'm in the middle of a dissertation.
Dave Anthony
But he wasn't really about.
Gareth Reynolds
He died. Your mother died from farting because she was so loose. Isn't that right? You better fought away to death.
Dave Anthony
Exactly.
Gareth Reynolds
It doesn't work. What was it like to hear the final. Do you ever think back to the final fart? Like Alaska Gasp. Was it a sad. Do you think on that last fart the soul left the. Let me. Let me do an impression of your mother's last fart and tell me if it's close. Is that familiar? Boy?
Dave Anthony
No.
Gareth Reynolds
Yes. You're not Princeton material.
Dave Anthony
So he grows up to be a handsome young man. He's 57 tall for the time. Reddish hair, deep blue eyes. Has a graceful way of moving.
Gareth Reynolds
Oh, did he?
Dave Anthony
A friend said he moved with a quote, refinement and grace which I have never witnessed in any other man.
Gareth Reynolds
That is.
Dave Anthony
He was one of the most elegant of mortals.
Gareth Reynolds
Have you ever looked at a friend of yours move and been like this? Grace?
Dave Anthony
Luke.
Gareth Reynolds
It's just.
Dave Anthony
He spent every morning walking outside muttering lessons to himself to memorize them. Talking to himself to organize his thoughts. Became a lifelong habit. When some people thought he'd lost his mind when he'd do it.
Gareth Reynolds
Sure.
Dave Anthony
But that's actually a really good way. Like really smart people actually talk to themselves. Apparently I do that all the time.
Gareth Reynolds
I don't at all. I'm always talking.
Dave Anthony
I just stare at myself quietly.
Gareth Reynolds
Oh my God. Turning the lights on and off until the bulbs break.
Dave Anthony
He studied anatomy at first but was swept into politics after the Boston Tea Party. Same when the British punished Boston by using the intolerable. Intolerable acts. In 1774, Alexander spoke at a large gathering on campus held by the Sons of Liberty. He spoke against taxation without representation and for a boycott on British goods. And the crowd, you know. Applause, cheering.
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah, and I'm sure it was just like. I mean that had to be the. He had to do that Hamilton style. No taxation without representation, you know.
Dave Anthony
Oh, no. Go on.
Gareth Reynolds
What are we going to put inside the teapot? I recommend a real boycott.
Dave Anthony
What are we going to put in the teapot?
Gareth Reynolds
I recommend if it's not the tea. Because of the tax.
Dave Anthony
Hold on, I'm trying to make.
Gareth Reynolds
I think the British are just coming with a tax.
Dave Anthony
Hold on, I'm trying to make sense of the teapot thing.
Gareth Reynolds
There's no need to go back and think about it more. Don't talk about my mother. She was a big winner. What winner? You bastard. Sorry. That's me.
Dave Anthony
So. So he's playing to the crowd. It became clear that the war with Britain was imminent. And after loyalist Samuel Seabury wrote an article trashing the boycotts, Alexander anonymously published a 35 page pamphlet, a full vindication of the measure of Congress that skillfully rebutted Seabury's arguments. So CB Seabury writes back and then Alexander does two and that time he writes an 80 page reply.
Gareth Reynolds
That's such a tldr. That is the. That it's like if someone texts you and you got to click the. More at the bottom. Yeah.
Dave Anthony
No, you didn't do it.
Gareth Reynolds
Sorry. You up. I don't. I don't do this anymore.
Dave Anthony
It's the. It's the going past 180 characters on Twitter.
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah. It's like you look, it's. Sorry
Dave Anthony
if. And this one calls the farmer refuted. I don't know. He called those opposing Congress bad men and worried that the colonies were under threat of absolute slavery.
Gareth Reynolds
That is for people who willfully and gladly held slaves.
Dave Anthony
It's ironic. It's.
Gareth Reynolds
It's strange for him to be like, if we're not careful, they may take away our dignity. More sugar?
Dave Anthony
He agreed dependence on a British king was, quote, just and rational and that war should be avoided. Did you miss? Did you?
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah, no, I heard it. I mean, I think it's his writing. Bad take.
Dave Anthony
His writing was astute, powerful, but also snarky. Also, quote, redundant and overly long.
Gareth Reynolds
Well, eight.
Dave Anthony
That's.
Gareth Reynolds
That's when you say the 80 pages, you know, or the 35. I mean that is.
Dave Anthony
He would do that his whole life.
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah, it's verbose.
Dave Anthony
Yeah. His pamphlets made a splash in the very conservative loyalist leaning New York.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay. Loyalist, meaning they are the appropriate.
Dave Anthony
Six weeks later, war erupted. Alexander joined a New York militia unit and they drilled before classes. He kept writing opinion pieces, but wanted. But he wanted reconciliation between the colonies and Britain. And that seemed behind the times that.
Gareth Reynolds
That is such a. The Chamberlainy way. Like it's just so funny. Like, guys, we can all get along.
Dave Anthony
Yeah. Yeah, exactly.
Gareth Reynolds
It's fine.
Dave Anthony
Let's just have a king.
Gareth Reynolds
I talked to Hitler. He's gonna chill out. Okay. He signed this thing.
Dave Anthony
He really looked behind the times. After Thomas Paine published Common Sense, questioning why colonists should bend the knee to the king. But Alexander was content for Americans to be subservient to the king as long as they were treated fairly, as kings do. That's the thing about kings, they're very fair.
Gareth Reynolds
It's the Democrats.
Dave Anthony
Yes, this was in line with conservative thinking, but not the majority of Americans. So American soldiers seized King's College to use as a military hospital. And this meant his teenage wish for war was here. And he wants glory.
Gareth Reynolds
That's right. It's time.
Dave Anthony
Using his connections, he joined the Confederate. Sorry, the Continental army as a captain and a commander of a New York artillery company in 1776.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay.
Dave Anthony
He wanted his men to look brave and righteous.
Gareth Reynolds
The look is important.
Dave Anthony
The look is very important.
Gareth Reynolds
Right.
Dave Anthony
Quote, huh? Nothing is more necessary than to stimulate the vanity of. Of soldiers. To this end, smart dress is essential.
Gareth Reynolds
No flu vacs.
Dave Anthony
I forget. I was talking to a friend about bands, and he was, it's about this. And he pointed a picture. It was like, for a band. And they were all dressed the same. He goes, that's what it's about. I was just like, that's not so crazy. It's about music.
Gareth Reynolds
So crazy. The outfits, it's about what they're wearing. Well, you're just. You have PTSD from doing a podcast where you had a uniform. The I, I having done this show with you, this, like, the idea of ever insisting or pushing you to wear a costume is the funniest thing. Crazy, right? That could possibly happen.
Dave Anthony
Yeah.
Gareth Reynolds
I agree to be like, where's your clown outfit? That saying that to you? And then. And then you doing it is a different version.
Dave Anthony
Yeah.
Gareth Reynolds
It shows in 10 minutes. When are you going to put your clown stuff on?
Dave Anthony
So Alexander ended up raising funds for nice blue and buff uniforms. Looks sharp.
Gareth Reynolds
Sharp.
Dave Anthony
A few months later, a huge British fleet encircled the city and invaded. There were a few American casualties. The only ones were several in Alexander's company. It's interesting, as he commanded them to fire cannons.
Gareth Reynolds
Don't get the suits dirty. No ducking. There'll be no. No, no, no. Stand up. Hold on. All right. Oh, we've got blood all over. Marty got bloody. Marty. Oh, Sam did, too.
Dave Anthony
Marty and catch up.
Gareth Reynolds
Marty and Sam have ruined their uniforms.
Dave Anthony
Jesus Christ. Okay, we're done. We lost.
Gareth Reynolds
That's it. It's over. The war is over. There's nothing left to say. Maybe we'll go to bed and we'll fight another Day. Alexander Hamilton.
Dave Anthony
This is what I was talking about.
Gareth Reynolds
Alexander Hamilton.
Dave Anthony
So there's a lack of discipline. Discipline which led to one of the cannons blowing up, killing and injury injuring several men. It was likely a result of Alexander's poor command. But it seems that he was shielded by important friends and never had to answer for it.
Gareth Reynolds
So it's close to friendly. Friendly.
Dave Anthony
The earliest American guy getting away with it.
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah, right, right. Yeah. Our earliest war cover up.
Dave Anthony
He and his men were almost trapped.
Gareth Reynolds
By the way, where are those two pilots?
Dave Anthony
Pilots?
Gareth Reynolds
Never mind. Remember the, the plane that got downed in Iran.
Dave Anthony
Oh yeah, that's funny. And his men were almost trapped twice in other battles, but they luckily got away once they were saved when a young O officer led them to safety while evading detection to rejoin George Washington forces in Harlem Heights. The soldier who led them was Aaron Burr. Okay, meet cute.
Gareth Reynolds
It is a meet cute there.
Dave Anthony
Alexander came to Washington. Washington's attention. He watched Alexander organize soldiers to build defenses. And when the American army divided, Alexander was picked to join Washington defend to defend New Jersey. So they're dog.
Gareth Reynolds
What is the, the, the strategy of war? That is so. I mean you had a musket and it was just kind of like go over there, stay low.
Dave Anthony
Well you're, you're trying to move men around and get into an advantageous place. Right. Shoot at the other guy.
Gareth Reynolds
Right. But that's really what it is. Nobody's just like, we move at six, we're gonna go.
Dave Anthony
Well they're trying to get right the important things. Forts and, and supplies.
Gareth Reynolds
His mother died from forts.
Dave Anthony
I'm gonna take off.
Gareth Reynolds
I can do it. Leave the freaking iPad. I'll figure it out.
Dave Anthony
So they're being chased by the British. Sometimes Alexander's military company was at the rear, leaving a city as the British entered. And he would attack the British then race to rejoin the main army over and over and over again. And he impressed high ranking officers.
Gareth Reynolds
So that's kind of what it was. He would leave an area, go back, attack him, then take off again. And they're like.
Dave Anthony
Yeah. He was like the ones left behind to shoot at them to slow him down.
Gareth Reynolds
Right, right.
Dave Anthony
And he impressed high ranking officers despite his quote delicate frame which made him look younger than he was. One said he looked like a quote, mere striping who marched, apparently lost in thought with his hands resting on a cannon and every now and then patting it as if it were a favorite horse or a pet play thing.
Gareth Reynolds
That's super weird. Obviously. Right?
Dave Anthony
Yeah.
Gareth Reynolds
Good boy.
Dave Anthony
What have you got there?
Gareth Reynolds
This is My friend. This is Canon Kenny. Kenny. Kenny, my boy.
Dave Anthony
For Washington's famous surprise attack at Trenton on December 26, 1776, Alexander was one of.
Gareth Reynolds
He probably said something different and they couldn't. Like he's saying, go, Go, go now. Oh, no, no, no. What a sneak attack. Washington.
Dave Anthony
Alexander was one of the soldiers who quietly crossed the Delaware the preceding night. This victory was a major lift to the American psyche, and Washington stopped to take winter quarters in Morristown. He pleaded for food and clothes from Congress as his soldiers were so malnourished and pathetically clothed that a British secretary referred to them as, quote, ragamuffins.
Gareth Reynolds
And now we wait to do that when they come back from combat.
Dave Anthony
That's right.
Gareth Reynolds
We've changed.
Dave Anthony
That's an advancement.
Gareth Reynolds
That's. We've come a long way.
Dave Anthony
Maybe after you get back.
Gareth Reynolds
That's. Now when you get back, you have to beg for clothes and help.
Dave Anthony
That's right.
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah.
Dave Anthony
Because.
Gareth Reynolds
And we are vaccinating them again, are we? I believe there's some movement in the. They realize that was a movement in the direction.
Dave Anthony
I can't believe the most.
Gareth Reynolds
I'm not sure what happened.
Dave Anthony
That's weird. Illness was rampant and struck down many men, including Alexander, who for weeks had a severe illness. He was one of 25 out of 68 men in his company to survive that first year. Wow.
Gareth Reynolds
It's pretty good. Pretty weird.
Dave Anthony
Is it good?
Gareth Reynolds
It's good in the sense that you make it. I mean, that shows that you're kind of under half. Yeah, but that's for. As far as getting close to people. It's bad. I mean, it's kind of squid gamed.
Dave Anthony
It's closer to a third and a half. Sure of livings.
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah.
Dave Anthony
Yeah.
Gareth Reynolds
So. But you got to feel good about. Yeah, you feel good about yourself, but not.
Dave Anthony
But because the overall thing, the numbers
Gareth Reynolds
are bad, but you feel good about yourself pulling through.
Dave Anthony
Once he was recovered, Washington asked Alexander to become an ed de camp.
Gareth Reynolds
I'd like it to be kind of.
Dave Anthony
Alexander said no. He was chasing glory, and he didn't think he'd find it as an administrative assistant so funny. But after a month, he took the job because if the war was won, Washington would be a celebrated leader and he's right there by his side.
Gareth Reynolds
So he's making a career decision.
Dave Anthony
Yes.
Gareth Reynolds
Right. At 22, it's called Fetterman.
Dave Anthony
Wayne.
Gareth Reynolds
John.
Dave Anthony
John
Gareth Reynolds
Wayne. No, not a Wayne Fetterman.
Dave Anthony
Did I just pull out the most obscure comedian?
Gareth Reynolds
Man. Funny.
Dave Anthony
Yeah, he's very funny.
Gareth Reynolds
God, is Wayne Fetterman funny. John Fetterman funny too, in a different way. Just a different kind of sensible humor.
Dave Anthony
So at 22, he's promoted to lieutenant colonel. And he. He wrote Washington's letters and delivered his messages. And he excelled at it. He became indispensable to Washington, who called him his, quote, principal and most confidential aide.
Gareth Reynolds
Is it true that he would sometimes put Washington's teeth in his mouth and suck hard enough so the food would come off?
Dave Anthony
Yes, that was one of his main jobs.
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah. Thank you.
Dave Anthony
Despite being the youngest of the staff, he began acting as what we'd call a chief of staff today. Confident enough to answer Washington to other generals in Congress, sometimes without even running by Washington. But Washington, he still held them at arm's length. They worked closely for years, but it was always professional, not friend.
Gareth Reynolds
Chief of staff is a little different now. Yeah.
Dave Anthony
Now they kiss.
Gareth Reynolds
Now you're supposed to kiss them.
Dave Anthony
Alexander always called him your excellency.
Gareth Reynolds
Sure. So we've gotten away from the monarchy. Super glad we fought that thing.
Dave Anthony
Your highness hammered you crown.
Gareth Reynolds
All right. Alexander, he kind of wore a crown in his mouth. Yeah, a little bit, sort of.
Dave Anthony
Yeah. Alexander was loved by his fellow aides and soldiers who called him hammy. Very, very Australian.
Gareth Reynolds
Various hemo he did have. I'm now going to drink a beer out of my shoe. It's a shoey. Feels like we've done something big.
Dave Anthony
What's going on over there?
Gareth Reynolds
What?
Dave Anthony
He did have some real brushes with danger.
Gareth Reynolds
Sure.
Dave Anthony
At the battle of Brandywine, he was by Washington's side as they lost horribly. And he stayed with him until it got dark.
Gareth Reynolds
Sure.
Dave Anthony
Another time, while destroying flour mills on a river, the British shot at Alexander and other soldiers. He jumped overboard into the frigid water and was carried away. And the cyber survivors came back and said he had died.
Gareth Reynolds
Man. Imagine if he died.
Dave Anthony
A wild celebration erupted later that night when a soaking shivering Alexander walked through the door.
Gareth Reynolds
Hello. Wow. That's crazy.
Dave Anthony
That's the origin of the Lenny and Squiggy entrance.
Gareth Reynolds
Now you're talking about references that are obscure. God, it would have been. So imagine where would Lin Manuel Miranda be without if he died? I would love to see that butterfly effect.
Dave Anthony
That's actually the most tragic thing about Hamilton is the success of. Of Miranda.
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah. Well really the idea that it's people are like, yeah, Hamilton.
Dave Anthony
Well, especially when we get to the end of this gonna be like, oh. So in the winter of 1777, Washington's army set up camp at Valley Forge. And it's a horrific situation.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay.
Dave Anthony
Malnourishment and disease are rampant. 2500 die in three months. Wow, that's a lot. And you gotta eat everyone
Gareth Reynolds
that dies, get to eating.
Dave Anthony
In the army, if a guy dies not from wounds.
Gareth Reynolds
The ground's too cold to bury. We will eat.
Dave Anthony
Eat the boys. We will eat the b. Alexander was disgusted with Congress's inability to force states to send aid. And he wished America had a strong, powerful central government to make the state support the war.
Gareth Reynolds
It's so funny. Just be so great to take these guys to now. It just.
Dave Anthony
He would love now.
Gareth Reynolds
He would. Oh. Because it's kind of the perfect combo.
Dave Anthony
He set this all up. This is all his dream. Literally everything about America now is what he wanted.
Gareth Reynolds
Hope he's happy because it's going really good.
Dave Anthony
Oh, he's really happy.
Gareth Reynolds
Terrorists are attacking ponds with algae bombs.
Dave Anthony
This impacted his political philosophy forever. So seeing all the suffering of the soldiers, not being able to get them made, he's like, we, you know, we need a strong government.
Gareth Reynolds
I've got it.
Dave Anthony
What?
Gareth Reynolds
I'll do it.
Dave Anthony
No, but Alexander Washington, the staff were not subject to the same conditions. Alexander spent that Valley Forge winter in a two story home with a few aids. Washington staff and high ranking officers never went without meat, vegetables or wine.
Gareth Reynolds
Wow. It's. You know, it, it's remarkable obviously because you're still in the midst of fighting this for. For. For what? You, you know, to get away from the sort of tiered society or.
Dave Anthony
Yeah.
Gareth Reynolds
You know, having one. And the second you get it mean it really is. You're just like, we all need everything equally. And then you get a bigger slice of the pie and you're like in second thought,
Dave Anthony
it's not bad.
Gareth Reynolds
I mean it's got some be. I like it. How do you get away from that? You don't. You cannot get away from the idea that the second someone gets a little bit of something, they want to keep it. Yeah. Like I, I mean again, I'm not. If you. I'm not going to get into it. But it is very funny to see the transformation of Joe Rogan from Guy who wants to know why everything's so up to Guy who's like, quit asking. And the difference is like a billion dollars.
Dave Anthony
So. During a battle in Philadelphia, the British surprisingly outnumbered the Americans.
Gareth Reynolds
Batteries are being thrown.
Dave Anthony
And General Lee, Santa's dead. Then ordered a retreat or a regroup. For a regroup. Okay, so a tactical retreat. Not it's a retreat, not a runaway screaming retreat.
Gareth Reynolds
It's a little very similar. It's not well, like you're not giving up, but you're definitely like.
Dave Anthony
Well, it's like saying, go, we gotta pull.
Gareth Reynolds
It's a timeout.
Dave Anthony
This is a mess. Pull back up to the hill and we'll get sure information and start over.
Gareth Reynolds
Now, look, it's not a treat.
Dave Anthony
That's how I would do it.
Gareth Reynolds
That's you.
Dave Anthony
No, you always be retreating and regrouping.
Gareth Reynolds
You would be like, let's go. No, I think you would.
Dave Anthony
When Alexander saw this, he was upset, even though it was an ordinary orderly retreat. So then Washington rides up and he scolds Lee and takes away his command.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay.
Dave Anthony
And then does exactly what Lee was doing.
Gareth Reynolds
What? He's like, all right, what are we gonna do? Let's go back. Let's figure this out.
Dave Anthony
So Alexander's in the middle of the battle. He makes a very strong impression. Several people recalled his bravery, only withdrawing when his horse was shot from under him.
Gareth Reynolds
Hmm.
Dave Anthony
Evenly. Who really disliked him, admitted that he had fought in a, quote, frenzy of valor.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay. All right. There's something.
Dave Anthony
So you like this shit?
Gareth Reynolds
Well, I feel like for the British here, yeah. It's really. In retrospect, who the fuck knows? I don't know. Just save us the headache. We probably. At least we wouldn't have to stand up for the anthem at games. How much longer can that go on?
Dave Anthony
I don't know, but I. I just can't stand watching these guys flip out about the scripture on their hat. And then if anybody did that with the military.
Gareth Reynolds
Wait, what do you mean?
Dave Anthony
You know, the. The giants who put the scripture on their head.
Gareth Reynolds
Oh, yeah, yeah, right. Yeah, right. Yeah, right.
Dave Anthony
If you did that with. If you wouldn't wear a military hat.
Gareth Reynolds
Well, sometimes it does feel like there is a double standard for what kind of outspeak is. Okay. Yes. And what is not. Y. Are we doing freedom of speech or Kaepernick? Yeah.
Dave Anthony
So as the soldiers are suffering in cold huts at the camp, Alexander was partying with officers.
Gareth Reynolds
God, they look cold, huh? More soup, anyone? More soup?
Dave Anthony
Maybe we should. I don't know, since they're so cold and freezing out there.
Gareth Reynolds
Have put another log on our fire.
Dave Anthony
What's it called? The Russian soup thing? Borsch.
Gareth Reynolds
Borsch. Yes.
Dave Anthony
Should we borsch?
Gareth Reynolds
We should borsch. So he's covering up your hangover the next morning after you ate. Well, they're all like, I thought so. Oh, yeah. So cold. I still can't feel my.
Dave Anthony
Oh, my head hurts.
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah, your head hurts.
Dave Anthony
I get it.
Gareth Reynolds
What did you Mean, I can't even feel my head.
Dave Anthony
Do you know where the Gatorade is?
Gareth Reynolds
What?
Dave Anthony
I need like a nice greasy breakfast.
Gareth Reynolds
Where would we get a breakfast? We ate the horse. We ate a cold. We ate a cold horse's penis. Oh, you know, we ate the cold horse's penis last night.
Dave Anthony
Little tail of a dog. You know what I mean?
Gareth Reynolds
Bloody Mary's Bloody Perry.
Dave Anthony
Good idea.
Gareth Reynolds
I'm bloody right now. Okay, let's just.
Dave Anthony
I'll see you later.
Gareth Reynolds
My finger just popped off.
Dave Anthony
Oh, no. I'm gonna go get a nice Bloody Mary.
Gareth Reynolds
Why the hell is wrong with you? Boy, they're really going through it out there.
Dave Anthony
You're ruining the morning party. So he wasn't just partying with officers, but their. The officers, sisters and daughters would visit. So they're like, just giddy up.
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah. They're just having full on, like, me orgies while these guys are outside.
Dave Anthony
Like, it's not uncommon during fighting LS for families to visit and for the officers to put on balls and plays.
Gareth Reynolds
What the.
Dave Anthony
I mean, just everybody.
Gareth Reynolds
So. So wait, the officers, meaning the. The. The upper crust of the.
Dave Anthony
Yeah.
Gareth Reynolds
So these guys are just on a break. Like, hang in there. We. We will see through.
Dave Anthony
We just watched Death of a Salesman.
Gareth Reynolds
What are you doing?
Dave Anthony
Oh, my God.
Gareth Reynolds
It was incredible. Unbelievable. You have to see George tomorrow.
Dave Anthony
Shakespeare. We don't know which one. Don't tell us.
Gareth Reynolds
What are you humming? Aladdin. Have you seen it? Oh, you're not one of us. It's phenomenal. It is phenomenal,
Dave Anthony
Gareth. The Guardian newspaper. Or is it a newspaper anymore?
Gareth Reynolds
Whatever, the Guardian news already nailing this.
Dave Anthony
It's not owned by a billionaire, which is, I guess, unusual these days. Like, it's.
Gareth Reynolds
Well, the, The.
Dave Anthony
The.
Gareth Reynolds
The idea here is why you bring it up, Dave, is because there's a way to keep journalistic integrity rather than, you know, just kind of being like one guy's little fantasy letter.
Dave Anthony
That's right. So that's why we're excited to tell you about the Guardians new podcast, Stateside with Kai and Carter.
Gareth Reynolds
That's right, Dave. Kai Wright and Carter Sherman want to slow the news down.
Dave Anthony
Yeah. So they're going to wrestle with questions that we all have about what is going on in the world.
Gareth Reynolds
I don't have a lot of questions personally, but they seem to be into it. So Stateside with Kyan Carter airs three times per week because there's always something to discuss. Discuss.
Dave Anthony
Yeah. Kai and Carter, they get access to the Guardians resources in the US and then reporters around the world and they deliver you, deliver you the most relevant information.
Gareth Reynolds
Think global content across news, international coverage, climate, culture, sports culture, cultures on there twice. Climate, lifestyle, fashion, wellness.
Dave Anthony
As a media outlet. The Guardian isn't billionaire owned, meaning they're free to report the facts.
Gareth Reynolds
Listen wherever you get your podcasts or watch on YouTube.
Dave Anthony
Gareth the summer changes how I dress. I just, I start dressing differently. I want, I want lighter clothes. I want breathable, easy looks good, right? Look, you know I like to look good.
Gareth Reynolds
I know what you're talking about. I've never been someone who is like, hey, you need different clothes for this time. With Quints, it actually makes sense the items they're offering. I don't know if it's that I'm getting older or Quint is getting better. I got some shorts and a shirt from Quince for the spring summer season and I was like, this is right.
Dave Anthony
Yeah, I got, I got linen pants and shirts. I've kind of got the linen guy. I have a lean in a linen now.
Gareth Reynolds
I'm a lean into linen.
Dave Anthony
I'm a lean in a lean and linen summer linen quince, European linen pants and shirts are perfect for the, the hot summer weather. And they start at just $34.
Gareth Reynolds
Can't say enough about how much I love quints. I pretty much only wear quince.
Dave Anthony
Yeah, my wife went crazy when she saw that. I was, oh yeah, Quincy. Because she's a big quincer. Tees very soft, lightweight cotton sw perfect for cool summer nights. Everything. At Quints, it's going to be priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands.
Gareth Reynolds
They're aware of the environment, they work with local people. It's all cheaper than it would be with with other companies. The quality's high. They're having a moment and I don't mind. I don't mind having them all over my body.
Dave Anthony
So we're Quint, we're quincers. As we said. Elevate your summer wardrobe. Go to quints.com stop for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Listen to the quintuplet, now available in Canada too. That's q u I n c.com dollop for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com dollop we're going to need a
Gareth Reynolds
bigger cake with room for 250 candles. I'm Josh Spiegel, host of the podcast Lunatic in the newsroom. Join me and my guest BJ Shea as we celebrate America's big birthday. What are the best and worst American inventions?
Dave Anthony
How would the Founding Fathers feel about today's America?
Gareth Reynolds
What's the most American thing? And what will America look like at 500? Join our celebration this week on Lunatic.
Dave Anthony
In the newsroom, charismatic and handsome wives tried to play matchmaker between Alexander and eligible young ladies. He was always surrounded by women. He was a huge flirt, but his supposed obsession with women is probably overblown. Like today, we think he's obsessed, but it's probably overblown. One lie is that Martha Washington was so struck by his promiscuity that she named her tomcat after him. So that's not true.
Gareth Reynolds
Her tomcat?
Dave Anthony
Yeah.
Gareth Reynolds
What's a tomcat?
Dave Anthony
It's a dude cat.
Gareth Reynolds
Oh, a male cat.
Dave Anthony
It's a. It's a. It's a rascally.
Gareth Reynolds
Rascally.
Dave Anthony
He's out there looking for business. Tomcat. Sure.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay.
Dave Anthony
As a gifted writer, his flowery letters probably didn't mean much other than he was a good writer.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay.
Dave Anthony
So he's super close with another aide, John Lawrence. And when Lawrence went to fight in South Carolina, Alexander really missed him.
Gareth Reynolds
Are you.
Dave Anthony
Unlike his letters to women.
Gareth Reynolds
Really.
Dave Anthony
When he wrote John, he discussed intimate emotional feelings and longing.
Gareth Reynolds
I. Are. Are we framing this as gay?
Dave Anthony
Yes, we are.
Gareth Reynolds
Because I'll tell you what. I think there is also. I'm not saying it's not true, but there is something to the idea of, like, a woman wouldn't understand emotion, only another man.
Dave Anthony
Oh, I think. Yeah. I think that was actually part of this at the time.
Gareth Reynolds
Right. They were like, the woman's brain is only able to stir and fuck. She will otherwise be overwhelmed and get theories of government that are impermissible.
Dave Anthony
She understands cooking carrots.
Gareth Reynolds
She's good at stirring, cutting, fucking and lying. We must be careful.
Dave Anthony
Slap that money out of our hands.
Gareth Reynolds
Look, imagine if someone put a vagina on a Roomba. That's a woman. Boys.
Dave Anthony
He called John, my dear.
Gareth Reynolds
But you and I call each other honey.
Dave Anthony
Yeah. Quote, I am disgusted with everything in this world but yourself.
Gareth Reynolds
I mean, I. Look, I'm very. Listen, yeah, we're allies. I'm pro. I'm pro him being gay back then. But I also feel like they were very. They were. They felt they had nobody else. But maybe you're right.
Dave Anthony
He called himself. I mean, he is a musical, a quote, jealous lover. And told John, quote, my heart is set upon you. I wish, my dear Lawrence, that it might be in my power by action rather than words, to convince you that I love you. Now, where.
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah, yeah, he's gay. I don't know about Lawrence. I don't know about Lawrence, but Hamilton's definitely into him.
Dave Anthony
Yeah, and you should not have taken advantage of my sensibility to steal into my affections without my consent.
Gareth Reynolds
Interesting.
Dave Anthony
So he's not gay. He's bi.
Gareth Reynolds
Right. Interesting.
Dave Anthony
But he sounds very bi.
Gareth Reynolds
Sure.
Dave Anthony
Yeah. Alexander asked Washington if he could go be with Lawrence in South Carolina. And Washington refused.
Gareth Reynolds
For what purpose?
Dave Anthony
I've grown an attachment.
Gareth Reynolds
I just need to help him with his plans.
Dave Anthony
Every day I need to touch his skin.
Gareth Reynolds
For what? For what purpose?
Dave Anthony
To start the fight against the what fight.
Gareth Reynolds
But if he's out there fighting, what is.
Dave Anthony
Hey, do you know what the. Do you know what the Wonder Twins are?
Gareth Reynolds
The water twins?
Dave Anthony
Wonder Twins?
Gareth Reynolds
The Wonder Twins.
Dave Anthony
They touch and then they form of ice cannon.
Gareth Reynolds
You'll stay here and I'll just stay here. You'll stay here because I don't understand. There's no purpose for you to go there with him, so you will stay here with us.
Dave Anthony
I want to fucking.
Gareth Reynolds
What? Him? Yeah.
Dave Anthony
What are you talking about? Like his bros. Do you want to bro him? Yeah. Not like.
Gareth Reynolds
But you're always surrounded by women. You're a big lutario.
Dave Anthony
Not like in a gay way.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay.
Dave Anthony
Like way soldiers. Each other.
Gareth Reynolds
What are you talking.
Dave Anthony
When they're in a tent.
Gareth Reynolds
What?
Dave Anthony
Accidentally?
Gareth Reynolds
What do you mean?
Dave Anthony
Did you never.
Gareth Reynolds
What else?
Dave Anthony
With another dude? No, it's just Martha and I. Washington, come on.
Gareth Reynolds
Martha and I have. Martha and I have a very.
Dave Anthony
I mean, look, you take those teeth out.
Gareth Reynolds
Yes. And that's the only thing I'll do.
Dave Anthony
It wasn't uncomic uncommon for platonic male friends to write each other with more romantic language than bros. You today. Which I think is what the point you're making is that. That they're not going to open up to women. Because women aren't.
Gareth Reynolds
Yes, because it's like. Look, you can't tell a mollusk. You love it. Yeah.
Dave Anthony
But his writings to John has led some historians to believe there was more to it.
Gareth Reynolds
Right. Okay. So we don't know, but it seems like potentially there was something.
Dave Anthony
Years later, his son called it, quote, a deep fondness of friendship which approached the tenderness of feminine attachment.
Gareth Reynolds
You know what it is? It's a goose Maverick. It's a goose maverick.
Dave Anthony
Never seen it.
Gareth Reynolds
It's a goose maverick. They are there for each other. They work together. But you know what? They're also going to go out there and respect each other's bodies when they're doing the shirtless volleyball stuff.
Dave Anthony
Much like a deep fried mozzarella stick. I Have never seen that film.
Gareth Reynolds
You've never seen a deep fried mozzarella snack?
Dave Anthony
No, I've never seen that movie.
Gareth Reynolds
You've never eaten a deep fried mozzarella stick?
Dave Anthony
Hot. Hot buns.
Gareth Reynolds
You know, it would be great.
Dave Anthony
I had my. My grand uncle's Is a hot. Was a Top Gun. So I.
Gareth Reynolds
Maybe. Maybe we do this. Yeah, maybe one afternoon. We can do it for Patreon. We don't have to. I'm gonna come over with 40 mozzarella sticks with pop tough gun on, and we just do this.
Dave Anthony
Come over where?
Gareth Reynolds
Your house. Here.
Dave Anthony
We're out. You're out.
Gareth Reynolds
We'll do it here.
Dave Anthony
No, there's nothing. There's no we can't.
Gareth Reynolds
There's no we can't.
Dave Anthony
No. There's a.
Gareth Reynolds
What do you mean?
Dave Anthony
There's a rule against it here.
Gareth Reynolds
There's not.
Dave Anthony
No. When we signed the lease, they were like, no fried mozzarella.
Gareth Reynolds
We'll. You know what we'll do? I'll start giving you a nickname. Cheese Stick. Hey, Cheese Stick.
Dave Anthony
It's too close to Cheese Dick.
Gareth Reynolds
That's my name. Cheese Stick and Cheese Dick. Hey, Cheese Stick. Me? No, him, you idiot.
Dave Anthony
The two men were also very close with French general Marquis de Lafayette. I gotta put up the Pastimes podcast.
Gareth Reynolds
By the way, anytime I hear the alarm, it's bad. Whatever PTSD is with an alarm, it does something to me, and I just. I'm like, nah, I hate it. I remember back when you used to have more ringtone stuff, and my alarm would sometimes be someone's ringtone, and you just be like, in a store, and someone's phone would ring, and I'd be like, my line. That's your ringtone, you fool.
Dave Anthony
You can still do that.
Gareth Reynolds
I know you can, but we don't.
Dave Anthony
Yeah, we don't. Nobody, everybody.
Gareth Reynolds
We're all done. It's over.
Dave Anthony
We're done that.
Gareth Reynolds
We're done not doing cute little things anymore. It's over. We're all gonna die real soon. It's gonna be real bad.
Dave Anthony
In a biography of his grandfather, Alexander's grandson mentions a note of romance between Alexander and Lafayette. So some people in the family clearly think that there's something there. Anyway.
Gareth Reynolds
Well, it also seems very specified to, you know, a limited amount of people. So maybe I tell my friends I love him.
Dave Anthony
Yeah, it's upsetting.
Gareth Reynolds
Steve Berg and I call each other babe. Maybe love each other at the end of every phone call. What?
Dave Anthony
The flirtatious. The flirtatious language to John slowed when Alexander, at 25, met 22 year old Elizabeth Schuler. She was a daughter of New York's extremely wealthy and connected. Philip Schuler when she. So she visited the camp in 1780. So she's one of the people that just came to the war to catch your hang. Catch a play.
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah, just. What's going on here? Move past this. The walk to the theater can be quite treacherous.
Dave Anthony
So he fell for, quote, tenderness, black eyes and lovely form.
Gareth Reynolds
Black eyes?
Dave Anthony
Yeah, it's coraling.
Gareth Reynolds
I'm undead. You are everything. You understand? I am here to eat the flesh of man. Oh, gosh. I could just listen to you blather all day.
Dave Anthony
I love the way she has no soul.
Gareth Reynolds
Brain is where you shall give me juice from.
Dave Anthony
They were engaged.
Gareth Reynolds
Aren't you a goofy little woman?
Dave Anthony
They were engaged before. Before she even left camp.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay.
Dave Anthony
So. Which is kind of not out of the realm of possibility back.
Gareth Reynolds
So you.
Dave Anthony
Yeah, they did it fast.
Gareth Reynolds
So camps like Vegas.
Dave Anthony
It sounds like it was a place where ladies were going to meet. Such a weird.
Gareth Reynolds
It's weird. But again, there was nothing to do or nothing.
Dave Anthony
500 guys died in three months.
Gareth Reynolds
Look, I got a fetish too.
Dave Anthony
It's just.
Gareth Reynolds
I love being around the dead.
Dave Anthony
I'll pull up a picture.
Gareth Reynolds
All of them walking to the place where they're staying. Past the guys who are freezing. Intense.
Dave Anthony
I mean, right? Excuse me. It's really.
Gareth Reynolds
Your perfume is beautiful. Don't look at me. I'm gonna go blow Hamilton.
Dave Anthony
I mean, honestly, that. One of the problems with Hamilton is now when you try to look it up, it's just all the Hamilton and actors. Oh, yeah, yeah.
Gareth Reynolds
It's over.
Dave Anthony
Yeah. Like, you guys, we.
Gareth Reynolds
You know, we should do. We should just start making more musicals for the. The evil people, you know, Evils. Yeah, we should just like. Oh, like the bad. The bad people from America's history. We should just do Kissinger the musical. That is why we will not tell them the way it was. And the real Kissinger. Whoa. What are you. She had black eyes. What the. Let me see that. What is going on here? Oh, my God. Jesus Christ. It's like banging a mitten. That is really wild that she is so wrapped up.
Dave Anthony
She must have been cold at that point.
Gareth Reynolds
I think she looked you. I mean, we've all had.
Dave Anthony
I don't know why you'd wear like the bonnet thing for a painting, but.
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah, it's weird. Well, yeah, but I mean, we've all. You've had cold sex, right?
Dave Anthony
What do you mean? It's cold out.
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah, like you're having.
Dave Anthony
Vagina's cold.
Gareth Reynolds
All right, so if there's any officers of the law or investigators listening, it's time to obviously open something up here to Mr. Anthony, who seems to be treating this podcast as a confession hole. No, like, yeah, outside, you know, it's cold and you're. It's. Yeah, it's. It's very strange.
Dave Anthony
Yeah, it is. I agree.
Gareth Reynolds
It's like a weird. You're both blue.
Dave Anthony
Yeah.
Gareth Reynolds
Steam's coming off.
Dave Anthony
Where were you, huh? Antarctica.
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah.
Dave Anthony
You banging penguins?
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah. Yeah.
Dave Anthony
Okay. So.
Gareth Reynolds
Largest shame.
Dave Anthony
So they're immediately. They're immediately into each other. They were engaged before she left camp a few weeks later. His letters to Eliza were emotional and tender in a way his letters were not to women before.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay.
Dave Anthony
He did not tell John he was engaged for months.
Gareth Reynolds
Interesting.
Dave Anthony
Interesting. So that. To me, that's the one. That's the one that puts it over the edge for me, because you just tell a bro, yeah, I met a lady.
Gareth Reynolds
Met a lady. Awesome.
Dave Anthony
You wouldn't.
Gareth Reynolds
She's covered in fabric and wool.
Dave Anthony
You wouldn't tell your other piece, though. No, that's the one you delay.
Gareth Reynolds
No. Yeah, yeah.
Dave Anthony
And when he did tell him, he called her, quote, not a genius. But that's great. That's.
Gareth Reynolds
That's also a tell to me. See? Really? No, nothing. But you know what I mean. I don't know, dude. It's all good.
Dave Anthony
But having sense enough to be agreeable and someone he didn't think would nag, but quote, not a beauty.
Gareth Reynolds
Look, dude. Wow, honey, what's this letter?
Dave Anthony
Don't read that.
Gareth Reynolds
Not a beauty.
Dave Anthony
You know, she's not gonna crawl up my ass, like, not going to nag these other broads.
Gareth Reynolds
Speaking of crawling up my ass, how are you, Jen?
Dave Anthony
They continued exchanging letters, but John never once mentioned Eliza.
Gareth Reynolds
Eliza or Eliza. She goes.
Dave Anthony
She. He calls her Eliza. So they're banging. Okay, John. Him and John, they had to been.
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah, great.
Dave Anthony
That part right there puts it over the top for me. All right. All this stuff, you could be like, okay, it's a weird time, dudes. He writes flowery letters, but this is like, not talking about her.
Gareth Reynolds
All it really does is highlight again the irrational hypocrisy that this country is not only founded on, but continues to double down on all the time. I mean, watching Mike Johnson go up there and be like, here's what we're gonna do, and here's how we're. It's like, bro, just say it.
Dave Anthony
Just say it.
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah, take the load off.
Dave Anthony
Take the load Off. Eliza returns to Albany. Albany.
Gareth Reynolds
All bunny.
Dave Anthony
All Bunny. When he could get away after seven months, Alexander rode to Albany and married her on December 14, 1780.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay.
Dave Anthony
He had hit the marriage jackpot. She was devoted to him, and he joined a powerful political family in New York. The Schulers were not above doing whatever it took to remain on top up. For example, when her brother John sexually assaulted a woman to stop her from testifying, they paid her off and banished her to Quebec.
Gareth Reynolds
Now that's called a civil suit.
Dave Anthony
Now that's called a trumper.
Gareth Reynolds
It's the egg.
Dave Anthony
There's evidence. He just has to pay him off. And then. Yeah, I like the woman that he keeps having to pay off because he keeps talking about her.
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah, that.
Dave Anthony
That's amazing.
Gareth Reynolds
Well, the good news is he's got endless amounts of money because it's good to go. Yeah.
Dave Anthony
Alexander was warming.
Gareth Reynolds
Amazing. He won.
Dave Anthony
Yeah. How bad you have to be to not beat that guy?
Gareth Reynolds
It's like the whole time we were like, everyone's like, trust this.
Dave Anthony
He's the most beatable guy.
Gareth Reynolds
It ain't happening. Don't worry. And now everyone's like, well, it's a shame that ended pretty bad, huh?
Dave Anthony
Oops. Alexander was warmly welcomed by her family. His charm, intelligence, and accomplishments made up for his low birth and lack of money.
Gareth Reynolds
His low birth.
Dave Anthony
That's what I say about you.
Gareth Reynolds
I am definitely a low birth. Eliza was one of my brother's a bastard.
Dave Anthony
Elizabeth. One of eight kids, including five sisters. Alexander was especially drawn to Elijah.
Gareth Reynolds
I think back then, if you kind of wanted to break up with a woman, you're like, I'm gonna keep getting her pregnant because eventually she won't make it. Eventually she's not gonna make it through one of these things. Every time she's like, that was close. I lost a lot of blood. He's like, let's run it back. Let's run it back. What? Run it back.
Dave Anthony
He. He genuinely seemed like he loved her. Like, it wasn't.
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah, yeah.
Dave Anthony
So Alexander's especially drawn to Eliza's sister Angelica, who was married, beautiful and witty. She was also very opinionated and direct, unlike Eliza, who was very quiet. We just go along.
Gareth Reynolds
Don't love that. By the way. Opinionated back then was like, it is a bit cold or woman enough.
Dave Anthony
I like blue enough. No, you don't.
Gareth Reynolds
That's it. Go to the chair. Sit in the chair. If you got all these thoughts, go to the chair.
Dave Anthony
Some believe Alexander and Angelica had an affair, but there's no evidence Angelica was attracted to him once jokingly asking her sister if she would, quote, lend him to me for a little while.
Gareth Reynolds
I'm just kidding. Could I? So, hey, Eliza. Hey. Why don't you let him sleep in my bed tonight? What do you think of something like that? I'm kidding, you fool.
Dave Anthony
Have you heard of swinging Sisters?
Gareth Reynolds
You know what could be funny? Let him sleep in my bed and then I'll just make love to him all night. I'm having a goof with you. I'm having a goofy. And I will let him do it doggy and missionary, and then we're gonna do a wheelbarrow. We don't do that, baby sister. I'm having a laugh. He's yours, obviously. But before he finishes, I'm gonna take it out and say, finish on my chest, you dirty dog.
Dave Anthony
That's the lie.
Gareth Reynolds
Allow that to happen. I dare you.
Dave Anthony
It's a lot to hear from me, your sister, about your husband. It's a lot.
Gareth Reynolds
Oh. But right before he finishes, I'll stop him and I'll say, you owe me one more. Not yet. And I'll dominate him. And I'll say, you wait, wait a second. Cuz when it happens, it's going to feel incredible. It's going to feel unbelievable. And I'll hold the shaft. And then once I. Once I. Once I let go, I'll put him back in one more time and I'll just tell him to go as fast as possible. And then I'll feel. I'll feel it when it's over. And it'll just be tonight. I'm having a giggle now.
Dave Anthony
A message from our sponsors.
Gareth Reynolds
And now it's Squarespace.
Dave Anthony
It's got hot in here. He returned to Washington. Not the place, the guy. But he was losing faith in America's ability to win the war. Washington had no money to feed his man, so he can't attack. His forces are sitting there and starving as the Brits are just ringing up victories in the South.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay.
Dave Anthony
He was disgusted that states weren't pulling their weight and that Congress couldn't make them. And America's governing charter, the Articles of Confederation, didn't allow Congress to tax sales to fund the military or anything else.
Gareth Reynolds
So bugger.
Dave Anthony
The Continental army was, quote, a mob rather than an army, without clothing, without pay, without provisions, without morals, and. And without discipline. So it's a bunch of.
Gareth Reynolds
Sounds like a bunch of naked guys without anything.
Dave Anthony
It's like. It's like they took a bunch of guys out into the woods to have them die. Yeah, they're all right, now sit down and perish.
Gareth Reynolds
Are we an army? We're not sure.
Dave Anthony
Yeah.
Gareth Reynolds
Hey, we're going to go in the house right now.
Dave Anthony
You could be.
Gareth Reynolds
We're doing Spider Man.
Dave Anthony
Also. The state of the US currency was dire. Congress had printed so much that it was nearly worthless.
Gareth Reynolds
Come on.
Dave Anthony
At one point, half of the value of the continental dollar, wiped out. Was wiped away in a month. That's good. That's now.
Gareth Reynolds
Any day now.
Dave Anthony
He wanted a strong central government with a national bank and a powerful Congress that could tax citizens. He also believed in a national debt. Quote, a national debt, if not excessive, will be to us a national blessing. It will be a powerful cement of our nation.
Gareth Reynolds
I mean, look, not wrong.
Dave Anthony
It's good to have a credit card.
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah. Not wrong to fund things that will eventually, you know, it's investing, explode. It's. Well, you could do it as an investment in ways. And then at this point it is.
Dave Anthony
I mean, I have it. So my one thing is like, what about not spending it all on stupid it?
Gareth Reynolds
I guess I'm a little H. I don't know. You're starting to sound like Dave Hughes.
Dave Anthony
He wrote a 31 page letter to a powerful man in Philadelphia.
Gareth Reynolds
Jesus, bro.
Dave Anthony
I know, right?
Gareth Reynolds
I mean he just needs someone to be like, God love you.
Dave Anthony
Yeah.
Gareth Reynolds
Hey, can we do this in six pages? We can do this in six pages.
Dave Anthony
Yeah. Imagine getting letter. You're like, I got another. Hey, I'll see you in a month. I got another letter from Alex. He's saying the same sheep she must be letters like, I get it honestly. So he said this to Congress's Superintendent of Finance, Robert Morris. Now Morris had financed much of the war. He's also an arms dealer. So he's profiting. He was the wealthiest man in the colonies and his theory on the role of government was called the money connection. Basically, how the government could, could be used to enrich oneself. A look on your face.
Gareth Reynolds
Well, I, I'm used to the wind being kicked out of the sales, but it's just, you know, you just grow up with such propaganda and you're like, we got away from what we were meant to do.
Dave Anthony
And you're like, no, this is what we were meant to do.
Gareth Reynolds
From the very fucking beginning. It was rich pricks lying to poor people and trying to make them not know as much as possible.
Dave Anthony
That's right. So the, the letter that, that, the 31 page letter that he wrote to Morris was about having a national bank modeled after the bank of a England. So just a fun Letter, Right. Just a fun. Historian William Hogland said the bank of England, quote, integrated the public force of imperial government with the private wealth of the country's richest investors and depositors. So Morris now becomes a mentor to Alexander and everything financially.
Gareth Reynolds
Good.
Dave Anthony
This is his guy.
Gareth Reynolds
Good.
Dave Anthony
Alexander's still worried for his chance for glory. He hasn't had it on the battlefield and he's worried it's gonna slip away, get us the war.
Gareth Reynolds
Sure.
Dave Anthony
It could be over soon. And the odds, by the way, this
Gareth Reynolds
would be a good musical. This would be a great, real musical. Honestly, writing, like letters to his bi lover as he's in a relationship with a. A woman who's dressed like a serviette.
Dave Anthony
Why wouldn't you do that in that musical?
Gareth Reynolds
But we said that about all the stuff on this show.
Dave Anthony
For the most part, it's based on Cherno. And Cherno like jerks off Hamilton. So it's not.
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah, but. But with everything, you're like, wait, not the interesting part. Like, no, that's the part that keeps you quiet so you go to work.
Dave Anthony
So the war's probably gonna be over soon. The odds of winning aren't seeing and seeming great. At this point, Alexander is depressed, writing, quote, I hate Congress, I hate the army, I hate the world, I hate myself.
Gareth Reynolds
Oh, gosh. Good Lord.
Dave Anthony
He was also feeling some animosity towards Washington.
Gareth Reynolds
Oh.
Dave Anthony
Quote, I have felt no friendship for him and have professed none. I discovered he was neither remarkable for delicacy nor good temper. Now this could be because he kept turning down Alexander.
Gareth Reynolds
I was gonna say for a field command. Right, right.
Dave Anthony
He keeps being like, no, because he wants Alexander's. He thinks he's smart, so he wants him close to him. He doesn't want to lose him on the battlefield.
Gareth Reynolds
Alexander wants to go to the battlefield to carve out a name for himself.
Dave Anthony
Yes.
Gareth Reynolds
Right.
Dave Anthony
Alexander's resentment boils.
Gareth Reynolds
He wants him to be an on set writer. He wants to be in front of the camera.
Dave Anthony
That's right, Alexander. His resentment boils over. They're in a building and they pass each other on a stairway. What did you say?
Gareth Reynolds
Good morning.
Dave Anthony
Sorry, mister.
Gareth Reynolds
Sorry. How are you? Your teeth look good.
Dave Anthony
So Alexander. So Washington says, I want to speak with you. And he. He's walking up and he assumes Washington is going to go to his office and wait. But when he heads up, Washington standing at the top of the stairs, furious. Quote, colonel Hamilton, you have kept me waiting at the head of the stairs these 10 minutes. I must tell you, sir, you treat me with disrespect Alexander quote. I am not conscious of it, sir. But since you have thought it necessary to tell me so we part. Oh, Washington quote Very well. It be your choice. And Alexander left.
Gareth Reynolds
That's it.
Dave Anthony
The boys broke up.
Gareth Reynolds
Wow.
Dave Anthony
Now after a little while, Alexander, I'm sorry. Washington apologizes first.
Gareth Reynolds
So this was okay?
Dave Anthony
Yeah.
Gareth Reynolds
And squabble.
Dave Anthony
Yeah. And he asked Alexander to return and have a talk. Talk it out. Will you have a little talky talk with me. I told I was staircase.
Gareth Reynolds
Matt. I'm sorry.
Dave Anthony
So Alexander agrees to come back, but said he didn't want want to or see the point.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay, so he's mad.
Dave Anthony
He's mad.
Gareth Reynolds
He's mad.
Dave Anthony
He's mad.
Gareth Reynolds
By the way, that's what you do when someone makes a concession like Washington got hang it. I don't know. You don't deserve you. Once you know, you got a little bit of the upper hand. Maybe a prick about it.
Dave Anthony
You don't deserve me.
Gareth Reynolds
You don't deserve. Nah, I think I'm still gonna piece up.
Dave Anthony
Washington at the meeting asked him to reconsider resigning. And Alexander refuses.
Gareth Reynolds
But you want me to design.
Dave Anthony
He agrees to stay on as an aid until a new one could be found.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay. Right.
Dave Anthony
This way he'd be able. Two weeks, basically he'd be able to leave if an artillery command opens up. And so. And with no official position, he feels he can go and visit Eliza whenever he wants.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay. Kind of great.
Dave Anthony
She's pregnant at this point, Right?
Gareth Reynolds
Of course.
Dave Anthony
But when Alexander heard the French army was marching to meet Washington's forces in New York, he returns and was given a light infantry command.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay. So now his dream.
Dave Anthony
What's happening? They could sense this battle would be decisive. This is the one. And in Yorktown, Virginia, he reunites with John Lawrence. Hi, baby.
Gareth Reynolds
Not now. They're watching. So where's that kissing with tongue? We should take that.
Dave Anthony
And also Lafayette, who's. You were just doing. So fighting begins and they trap British General Cornwallis. And there were two British small military fortifications in the way and they couldn't advance because of them.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay.
Dave Anthony
So Washington named Lafayette to lead the assault on one. And he said, you pick who's going to lead the assault on the other. And Alexander.
Gareth Reynolds
Alexander Hamilton.
Dave Anthony
Now Alexander has men dig a trench and then he celebrates. And he celebrates in an area that's exposed to British fire.
Gareth Reynolds
What the fuck?
Dave Anthony
And he's having them run parade drills.
Gareth Reynolds
Dave, wait.
Dave Anthony
I'm insane.
Gareth Reynolds
Wait. During an active war.
Dave Anthony
I mean, they're not. It's probably. It's a Battle. They're all about their positions.
Gareth Reynolds
Look, he's been thinking about the glory and all that the whole time. And then his men dig a trench, and he's, like, doing a touchdown celebration.
Dave Anthony
Can I just say, every once in a while, it's time to dance.
Gareth Reynolds
Just like, it's really strange.
Dave Anthony
You gotta celebrate. He was happy.
Gareth Reynolds
All right. Sir, the church is stuck. We should be okay. A zip, a zip. Come on, everybody, do the zip.
Dave Anthony
Three. One, two, three, four.
Gareth Reynolds
He's perfect for a musical. My name is Alexander Hamilton Trench.
Dave Anthony
No one could believe how he'd endangered his men for something so idiotic. But luckily, no one got shot. Still, like, they could have just picked him off.
Gareth Reynolds
It would have been the best.
Dave Anthony
So after that, Lafayette chose a French aide to lead the other assault vault on the fortification.
Gareth Reynolds
Why?
Dave Anthony
I don't know.
Gareth Reynolds
What did I do?
Dave Anthony
Alexander begs Lafayette, but he refuses to give him the command. Yeah, so Alexander, like, when you win
Gareth Reynolds
a battle, he's like, what are you gonna do when you win a battle? I mean, we can't possibly. I'm thinking streamers, confetti. It's a whole thing.
Dave Anthony
Fireworks.
Gareth Reynolds
I have a guy with drums. It's gonna be awesome.
Dave Anthony
What kind of drums?
Gareth Reynolds
Well, Blue Man Group ones. Show them the marshmallow stuff.
Dave Anthony
Well, I am from the Caribbean, so a steel drum.
Gareth Reynolds
He'll be doing steel drums. Okay. It's actually going to turn into trench town.
Dave Anthony
Rock bongos.
Gareth Reynolds
Hello.
Dave Anthony
So Alexander goes over Lafayette's head, straight to Washington, who gives him command of the assault.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay.
Dave Anthony
Three infantry battalions to lead.
Gareth Reynolds
All right, so now he's rolling.
Dave Anthony
He races after being told that, he races back to his tent shouting, we have it. We have it.
Gareth Reynolds
That is so annoying. Like, if you saw the person in charge of your battalions doing a celebration after a trench, then going to the big bad boss and being like, please, give me it. And then you get more. And then the whole way back being like, huzzah, Hooray. I did it today. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Jesus Christ.
Dave Anthony
Yeah, he's awful.
Gareth Reynolds
All right, now, how does war work? Anyone know? What do we do now? What do we do? More trenches. Let's keep digging.
Dave Anthony
Now, they were going to be fighting with bayonets in close quarters. That's. That's what it was.
Gareth Reynolds
Nightmare.
Dave Anthony
Yeah, it's the worst.
Gareth Reynolds
All right, so here's what we're gonna do. We're all gonna clump and stab.
Dave Anthony
The night before the assault, Alexander wrote to Eliza about how excited he was to see her and the baby due in weeks. He told her that she needed to give him a boy rather than a girl. Because with her mother's charms and her father's nature, a girl would, quote, enslave, tantalize, and plague one half the sex.
Gareth Reynolds
Very weird.
Dave Anthony
Very Trumpian.
Gareth Reynolds
Everyone's gonna. Yes.
Dave Anthony
My daughter's gotta be.
Gareth Reynolds
We need to do another boy. Otherwise everyone's gonna try to her.
Dave Anthony
I made a new sex ex girl. Yeah.
Gareth Reynolds
Unlike that pool of slime. Eric the de. Why did I do wrong?
Dave Anthony
As Al Alexander and his men approached the fortification under the COVID of darkness, some fell into holes, alerting the British, who fired, killing several. But it didn't stop his men from breaching. Alexander was one of the first through. For 10 minutes, they fought a vicious, bloody battle in cramped quarters, stabbing, choking, and clubbing. In a few moments, it was over. After.
Gareth Reynolds
While we're in the room where it happened. That's a song.
Dave Anthony
After. While walking around the fortification with a very fat general named Henry Knox, a soldier screamed a shell, and Alexander leapt behind big boy Knox to use him as a shield.
Gareth Reynolds
Oh, yes.
Dave Anthony
Knox wrestled them off and yelled to never use him as a defense wall again.
Gareth Reynolds
Oh, my God, that's so awkward. That is so awkward. To use the fattest guy as a human shield. You don't need to. And then he's like, how dare you use me as a shield. Get off of me, you fool. What do you think I'm so fat that I could be I'm a wall for you? No, I was just. I was trying to move. I was trying to move you out of the way, Knox. I was trying to move you out of the way a little bit, Knox. You understand? I jumped behind you to move you a little. Yes, I did. I was trying to move you, get you out of the way.
Dave Anthony
You yelled, big boy.
Gareth Reynolds
I yelled, big boy.
Dave Anthony
I hide behind big boy.
Gareth Reynolds
Said I hide. I said I hide behind big boy in the sense that I'm gonna hide and move you so that you're out of. I honestly.
Dave Anthony
Can I be.
Gareth Reynolds
I'm trying to get in front of you a little bit to protect you, but there's a lot of surface area because of all your muscles. So I was trying to. I was trying to hide behind you, big boy, and get you. Get you moving a little bit. So I just. That was great. Hey, can we just be thankful the thing didn't go off? So you know what I mean?
Dave Anthony
You.
Gareth Reynolds
You.
Dave Anthony
You never forget that. If you're a big boy.
Gareth Reynolds
If you're that guy, you're like, never forget that. What if there's a Bomb coming. Don't be next to Hamilton. He tries to use everybody as a shield. So the everyone get behind this big fat. Why did you say that?
Dave Anthony
I want to go into battle with the fatty. The other fortification was get behind the skin tank. The other fortification was taken by Lafayette. On October 19, 1781, General Cornwallis surrendered. Now the war is not over yet, but Alexander is done. He made it back to Albany in time for the birth of his first son, Philip. A few weeks later, he wrote Washington a sulky letter complaining about how long it took him to get a field command and ending their military partnership, saying he planned on retaining his rank as colonel unless there was an objection.
Gareth Reynolds
So he is the American dream.
Dave Anthony
He is a. He's smart, but he's a whiny.
Gareth Reynolds
But he is a little bit know what he is? He's the guy at the airport who goes up, complains non stop. Everyone's so sick of him that they just give him the.
Dave Anthony
Yes, that's exactly what he is.
Gareth Reynolds
And he's just that. And that is how it works here.
Dave Anthony
Yeah. He needed a way to provide for his family and began studying law, or as he joked, quote, studying the art of fleecing my neighbors.
Gareth Reynolds
But seriously, we charge for an email.
Dave Anthony
If he was going to go into politics, the law was the best profession.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay.
Dave Anthony
He's living in the Schuler mansion and he takes advantage of a loophole that a guy named Aaron Schuler's loop. Aaron Burr created.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay.
Dave Anthony
Which lessened apprenticeship requirements for veterans. He really took advantage of it all.
Gareth Reynolds
Well, and it's like him and Burr had multiple.
Dave Anthony
Oh yeah, he takes a job collecting state taxes.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay.
Dave Anthony
But only after he was promised a cut of the money that was owed instead of what he collected. He wanted tax collectors that time. As a profession, you would take a percentage of the money collected.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay, so almost like a bounty hunter's commission.
Dave Anthony
Yes.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay.
Dave Anthony
He is demanding that he get a cut of the money that is owed.
Gareth Reynolds
Right. He wants to tax the gross.
Dave Anthony
He wants to. Over his own state.
Gareth Reynolds
Right.
Dave Anthony
For his personal gain.
Gareth Reynolds
Right.
Dave Anthony
An angry Alexander learned that the state was keeping funds that should go to the national treasury. Do you remember when I said a while back that he was keeping funds that should go to the state?
Gareth Reynolds
Yes.
Dave Anthony
As an individual.
Gareth Reynolds
Yes.
Dave Anthony
Now he's mad the. That the state is keeping funds as you go. I hate him. With a burning passion that will never die.
Gareth Reynolds
It's weird. It seems like he's based on his. His ideology is based on personal interest.
Dave Anthony
I mean, that doesn't that sum up the conservative mind right there.
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah. Well, to be honest, yes. And then also that's obviously bled into the governmental society. Yeah, it's at this point.
Dave Anthony
And yeah, he and Morris wrote to one another complaining about petty states that only cared about their own interests.
Gareth Reynolds
Oh, my God. I know. It's the worst. Anyway, I have to go. I'm. I'm going to go fight city hall. It's really ridiculous what they're trying to do also. I'm doing what they're trying to do also. Yeah.
Dave Anthony
They believe Congress needed the power to tax, and without that, the nation was doomed. In 1792, at 27, he was elected by the New York assembly to be in the delegation going to Congress in Philadelphia. His big goal was to convince members that Congress needed a federal tax. And he and Morris figured if they could get states to agree on one federal tax, it would be a gateway for many federal taxes. Okay, so precedent, basically. Alexander teamed up with James Madison from Virginia to argue for a 5% federal tax on all imports. Now, they're opposites. Alexander is vivacious and charming. He wears colorful clothing. Madison shy, quiet, wears all black. He's a goth.
Gareth Reynolds
Sure. Do you want a cloth?
Dave Anthony
They campaigned hard for a federal tax. Alexander. Alexander then pushes a conspiracy to encourage a mutiny in the army over unpaid wages.
Gareth Reynolds
The first person who came up with a conspiracy had to be great. What if we just tell them to believe a thing that makes their personal interests shift?
Dave Anthony
Most officers went without steady pay, if any pay at all, for years. And it's partly Morris's doing because he's the guy who funded most of the war. And he insists on prioritizing paying rich bondholders first before soldiers.
Gareth Reynolds
Sure, as it should be.
Dave Anthony
They should make payments. Yet if the angry officers threatened the government with a mutiny, this is Alexander's thinking, Congress would have to approve the import tax to raise funds to pay them. So he's trying to put a gun to the government's head.
Gareth Reynolds
It's also just giving the game away of don't do shit unless we're scared. Yes. Yes.
Dave Anthony
Yeah, he and Madison wrote that, quote, the army's patience may have fatal effects. So this is called the Newburgh conspiracy. And they use the threat of a mutiny to scare states into giving Congress greater powers of taxation.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay.
Dave Anthony
Thousands of officers and soldiers had reasons to be furious with Congress for not paying wages, but also for leaving them to starve and die of disease.
Gareth Reynolds
Honestly hoping that they die and starve. Really? I mean, that's helpful to the business model.
Dave Anthony
On March 15, 1780, 3. A meeting of officers was held to actually discuss a mutiny. And Washington made a surprise appearance.
Gareth Reynolds
Hello. What are we chatting about?
Dave Anthony
Has to speak.
Gareth Reynolds
How are we.
Dave Anthony
He gave.
Gareth Reynolds
How you guys doing?
Dave Anthony
He gave like a. I gave so much. And. And they all started crying. Like, it was like a total. He worked him. He'd been friends.
Gareth Reynolds
I'm gonna tell you.
Dave Anthony
He was alerted, of course, by Alexander.
Gareth Reynolds
Yeah.
Dave Anthony
Who told him to go there.
Gareth Reynolds
We need you to come do some.
Dave Anthony
Because Alexander didn't actually want a coup. He just wanted the threat of a couple poop and of a coup. Sorry. Of a coup. And now he's getting worried about how angry the officers are actually getting. So he created it, but now he's getting a little freaked out. He's like, I just can get real.
Gareth Reynolds
I wanted to warm my hands by the fire.
Dave Anthony
I just want to tax. I want to tax.
Gareth Reynolds
All right, I think we've made our point.
Dave Anthony
So Washington ends up talking them out of a mutiny, and his speech stops it. And Alexander's plan is foiled because Congress pays the officers some of their pay.
Gareth Reynolds
Now, we call that neoliberalism.
Dave Anthony
Without passing a tax.
Gareth Reynolds
Okay. All right.
Dave Anthony
The deal added millions to the federal debt. So he likes that. So it's not a complete waste of time.
Gareth Reynolds
God even really love government.
Dave Anthony
Later, Washington, who felt Alexander's hand in the conspiracy, warned him that the army was a, quote, dangerous instrument to play with. So he's like, buddy, that's fucking crazy
Gareth Reynolds
what you did, by the way. Pretty awesome, if I'm being honest. Also kind of a business model, but cool.
Dave Anthony
But Alexander is now emerging as a leader. He's good at networking. He has limitless ambition, and he drafts a resolution.
Gareth Reynolds
Those are two very negative things.
Dave Anthony
I agree. He drafts a resolution for a Constitutional convention and proposed a national government with three the three branches of government we have today. And that is the end of part one.
Gareth Reynolds
God damn it. Yeah, just already. Not into it already. You could just tell he sucks. Obviously. Yeah.
Dave Anthony
He gets.
Gareth Reynolds
What is he gonna do over a constant. A Constitutional Convention. If he danced for a trench, he's gonna be lowered down like Lady Gaga.
Dave Anthony
He turns into a little crying little baby.
Gareth Reynolds
He's gonna be like a little butterfly.
Dave Anthony
The research and written by Brittany Cohen Brown sources. Jefferson and Hamilton. The Rivalry that forged Nation by John Furling. Radical Hamilton. Economic Lessons from a Misunderstood Founder by Christian Parenti. The Price of Greatness. Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and the Creation of America by American Oligarchy by Jay Cost. The Whiskey Rebellion. George Washington Alexand and the Frontier Rebels who challenged America's New who Found Sovereignty by William Hogland Not a Nation of Immigrants Settler Colonialism White Supremacy in the History of Erasure and Exclusion by Roxanne Dunbar Ortiz Hamilton's Curse How Jefferson's Ark Enemy Arch Enemy Betrayed the American Revolution by Thomas Di Lorenzo Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow your Boy the Hamilton Scheme an epic Tale of Money and Power in the American Founding of by William Hogland Follow th the Life of Aaron Burr by Nancy Eisenberg One Nation Under Dad Hamilton, Jefferson and the History of what We Owe by Robert Wright Duel? God damn that one yet the Odious and Immoral Thing by Jesse Sir Philippe Schuler Mansion State Historic Schuler Mansion State Historic Site what time? That time when Alexander Hamilton almost dueled James Monroe Smithsonian Magazine Online Fine Alexander HAMILTON IN SLAVER? New research says yes the New York Times the Pistol that Killed the Founding Father by the New York Historical Society and various primary sources available on founders archives.gov Wow.
Gareth Reynolds
A lot of stuff.
Dave Anthony
A lot of oh, he gets. He gets worse.
Gareth Reynolds
Nah, not my boy.
Episode 740: Alexander Hamilton - Part One
Release Date: June 30, 2026
Host Network: All Things Comedy
In this episode, comedians Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds take on the first half of Alexander Hamilton’s life. As always, Dave reads from history while Gareth reacts in real time, riffing irreverently on the colorful and often contradictory details of the story. This part—before Hamilton’s full immersion in politics and founding banking schemes—traces his tumultuous childhood, his rise from Caribbean obscurity, his social climbing in colonial America, and his outsized ego in both love and war. The tone is raucous, skeptical, and cheerfully profane—skewering “musical” versions of Hamilton’s legacy while digging into the messier historical reality.
Birth & Family Background ([04:31])
Prejudices of the Era ([05:15])
Series of Family Tragedies ([10:47])
Early Responsibility & Class Consciousness ([14:04])
Community Sponsors His Future ([13:31])
Arrival in America ([14:10])
Obstacles & Networking ([16:08-16:22])
Personal Reinvention ([16:38])
Habits & Social Impression ([18:31])
Entry into Revolutionary Politics ([18:56])
Written Combat with Loyalists ([20:16])
Striving for Battlefield Glory ([22:05])
Close Shaves & Relationship with Washington ([28:06])
Disparity in Suffering ([34:31])
Hamilton’s Love Life: Myth vs Fact ([45:16])
Engagement to Eliza Schuyler ([53:24–56:00])
Schuyler Family Intrigue ([59:07])
Continued Ambition, Frustration, and Self-Interest ([63:20])
Hypocrisy in Tax Collection ([80:06])
Setup for Mutiny – The Newburgh Conspiracy ([83:09])
This episode thoroughly subverts the sanitized Alexander Hamilton legend, revealing a deeply ambitious, often unscrupulous, and very flawed man whose rise was as much about exploiting social, economic, and personal connections as about talent. The Dollop duo, with their trademark blend of biting skepticism and slapstick banter, promise Hamilton only gets “worse” in part two—a less-than-flattering but deeply entertaining preview for listeners.