Hamilton Quiz - Think You Know More about Hamilton than Lin-Manuel Miranda?
Written by Jessica Holom
Last updated · 7 min play time
Think you know more about Hamilton than the creator of the titular Broadway hit musical, Lin-Manuel Miranda? Then, show us what you've got by taking this fun Hamilton quiz!
Quiz written by
Jessica HolomJessica Holom is a freelance writer and digital nomad with a background in literature, art, and writing. She believes curiosity never killed a single cat and enjoys learning, world-exploring, and writing about both.
Hamilton Quiz Questions
20 Questions · 4.1K Plays · 1 Comment
Question 1
Home, sweet home. Upon which group of islands was Hamilton born?
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AThree Kings Islands
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BCaribbean Islands
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CMariana Islands
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DChannel Islands
Caribbean Islands
Alexander Hamilton came from the Caribbean. He was born to Rachel Faucette Lavien and James Hamilton, a Scottish trader, on the island of Nevis in the mid-to-late 1750s (the exact date is unknown).
Question 2
Patrons financed Hamilton's education. Who pitched in to send young Alexander to America?
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ALocals in his town
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BThe French
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CHis university
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DGeorge Washington
Locals in his town
At 11 years old, Hamilton worked as a trading company clerk in St. Croix. A hurricane hit the island in 1772, and Hamilton put his writing skills to work, describing the natural disaster in a brilliantly-written letter. The letter was published, and it drove locals to put some money together to send Hamilton to study in America. And so, he was sent to New York later that same year, just as the war of independence was about to erupt.
Question 3
"Get your education, don't forget from whence you came, and the world's gonna know your name" – Hamilton. Where did Hamilton study upon reaching America?
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AJack's College
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BJoker's College
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CKing's College
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DQueen's College
King's College
"I’m-a get a scholarship to King’s College/I probably shouldn’t brag, but dag, I’m amazed, I’m astonished/The problem is I got a lot of brains but no polish," Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote in <i>Hamilton</i>. Hamilton did indeed study at New York's King's College, which later became Columbia University.
Question 4
Everyone needs a wingman. Hamilton was which future president's right hand guy?
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AGeorge Washington
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BThomas Jefferson
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CJohn Adams
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DBarack Obama
George Washington
Hamilton found the family he never had when none other than then-General George Washington took him under his wing as his aide-de-camp. Hamilton had already proven himself in the battles of Trenton and Princeton, after which he received his promotion into Washington's "family," as his immediate staff was called.
Question 5
What nickname was Hamilton given under Washington?
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AThe Maverick
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BThe Rabble-Rouser
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CThe Little Lion
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DThe Hammer
The Little Lion
"Martha Washington named her feral tomcat after him!" Burr sings in <i>Hamilton</i>, which is likely a reference to Hamilton's nickname in Washington's "family". He was known as "The Little Lion".
Question 6
Hamilton was a self-starter and a well-educated man. What did he study after leaving the military?
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AEconomics
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BBanking
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CArt
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DLaw
Law
Hamilton studied law, basically teaching it to himself, passing the bar in 1782 after only six months of study. He'd laid the groundwork at King's College by reading up on law and studying under two future Supreme Court Justices, William Paterson and John Jay.
Question 7
Hamilton had a lot to humblebrag about. What was his major constitutional legacy?
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AHanding out constitutional flyers
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BWriting the constitution
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CSigning his name first
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DAuthoring the Federalist Papers
Authoring the Federalist Papers
The majority of the Federalist Papers were written by Hamilton – 51 out of the 85 essays, to be exact. Joining James Madison and John Jay, the trio wrote the papers anonymously using the pen name "Publius". They appeared in New York newspapers with the intention of pushing for the ratification of the Constitution.
Question 8
What did Hamilton and James Madison butt heads about when writing the Constitution?
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AMadison wanted the division of church and state
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BMadison wanted everything to be settled with duels
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CHamilton wanted the president and senators to have lifelong tenure
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DHamilton wanted the slave trade to end
Hamilton wanted the president and senators to have lifelong tenure
Although James Madison and Hamilton authored the Federalist Papers together, they were not always on the same page. As the Constitution was being written, Hamilton argued for life-long tenure for U.S. senators and the president. Madison saw that as near-monarchy and debated against it. Needless to say, Madison and those like-minded won the argument.
Question 9
Hamilton was a member of Washington's first cabinet. What U.S. department did he run?
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AJustice Department
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BNational Parks Department
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CState Department
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DTreasury Department
Treasury Department
Like the musical, <i>Hamilton</i>, you might ask, "How does the bastard, orphan, immigrant, decorated war vet, Unite the colonies through more debt?" Here's how: Hamilton kept his strong ties to George Washington, and when the latter became president, he was appointed as the nation's first Secretary of the Treasury. And he had his work cut out for him, as the newly-birthed nation faced a serious national debt from the Revolutionary War.
Question 10
What did Hamilton establish as Treasury Secretary?
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ADesign of U.S. bills
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BChecks and balances
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CThe national bank and the U.S. mint
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DA national treasure hunt
The national bank and the U.S. mint
As the Secretary of the Treasury, Hamilton established the U.S. mint and the first national bank. He also laid the groundwork for governmental financial systems at the national level.
Question 11
Hamilton's efforts to pay off the national debt via unpopular taxes led to what?
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AThe Whiskey Rebellion
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BThe Keg Rebellion
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CThe Boston Tea Party
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DThe Gin Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion
In 1791, Hamilton's whiskey tax, applied to all distilled spirits and intended to help cover the war debt, was passed into law. Needless to say, it was very unpopular; so unpopular, that the Whiskey Rebellion arose in the coming years, forcing the President to act, as he didn't want this precedent to be set in the new nation. The resistance was smashed in 1794 at the Battle of Bower Hill.
Question 12
"Someone came along to resist him, Pissed him off until we had a two-party system," – Hamilton. Of this "two-party system," what political party did Hamilton inspire?
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AThe Whigs
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BThe Democratic Republicans
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CThe Green Party
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DThe Federalist Party
The Federalist Party
The very first political party in the U.S. was inspired by Hamilton. His advocacy of a strong central government, along with the strategic moves he made in his cabinet position, formed the Federalist Party in 1791. In response, Hamilton's political opponents, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, created an opposing party, called the Democratic-Republicans.
Question 13
Hamilton had a lot of political enemies. Which one did he help become president?
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AJohn Adams
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BGeorge Washington
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CAaron Burr
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DThomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Hamilton so disliked Aaron Burr that he vied for Thomas Jefferson in the 1800 presidential election, which was neck-and-neck between the two candidates. In a private letter to a House member, Hamilton wrote, “Mr. Burr loves nothing but himself—Thinks of nothing but his own aggrandizement—and will be content with nothing short of permanent power in his own hands...In a choice of Evils, let them take the least—Jefferson is in my view less dangerous than Burr.” Sounds familiar.
Question 14
"We signed a treaty with a King whose head is now in a basket, Would you like to take it out and ask it? 'Should we honor our treaty, King Louis’ head?' 'Uh… do whatever you want, I’m super dead,'” – Hamilton. Which country fought a quasi-war with America when the U.S. failed to pay its debt?
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AFrance
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BBritain
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CSpain
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DMexico
France
The French helped the newly-formed nation fight against their mutual enemy, the British, but they expected some return on that assistance. The United States had bills to pay after becoming independent, and Hamilton wasn't one to shirk that debt. Hamilton attempted to chip away at it during his tenure with help from the taxes he imposed, but when the French monarchy was overthrown, the U.S. looked at this as technically wiped clean, as the former regime didn't exist anymore. However, the French didn't see it that way, and a quasi-war of Atlantic naval battles with its former allies ensued.
Question 15
What present-day law enforcement branch was Hamilton instrumental in conceiving?
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AThe CIA
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BThe U.S. Coast Guard
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CThe U.S. Postal Service
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DThe Navy
The U.S. Coast Guard
"A few armed vessels, judiciously stationed at the entrances of our ports, might at a small expense be made useful sentinels of the laws," Hamilton wrote in Federalist Paper #12 in 1787. As Treasury Secretary, Hamilton took steps to secure all governmental revenue streams, even going so far as to establishing a coast guard to prevent smugglers from pillaging ships along America's shores. The future United States Coast Guard was called the Revenue Cutter Service under Hamilton.
Question 16
Hamilton became a media mogul in his retirement. What newspaper did he launch?
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ADaily Mirror
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BWashington Post
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CNew York Times
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DNew York Post
New York Post
Did you know the <i>New York Post</i> is more than 200-years-old? Did you also know it was founded by none other than Alexander Hamilton? Called the <i>New York Evening Post</i> when it was first launched in 1801, Hamilton became a media mogul after securing $10,000 from investors to fund the daily newspaper in retirement, which is the nation's oldest continuously published daily newspaper. He used it, as most media moguls too, to espouse his political views, particularly to attack Aaron Burr.
Question 17
Alexander loved his first-born son, Philip. Apart from being family, what did the two have in common?
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AThe same middle name
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BBoth were orphans
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CBoth died in a duel
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DBoth wore jeggings
Both died in a duel
When New York lawyer George Eacker attacked Alexander Hamilton, Hamilton's son, Philip, stepped in to defend his dad's honor. He was killed in a duel with Eacker in 1801, which left Alexander devastated. Some believe that it was his son's death that made Hamilton reluctant to fire at Burr three years later.
Question 18
"I'm the damn fool that shot him" – Hamilton. Who killed our good friend in a duel?
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AJohn Madison
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BAaron Burr
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CThomas Jefferson
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DGeorge Stephanopoulos
Aaron Burr
"I'm the damn fool that shot him," Aaron Burr sings in <i>Hamilton</i>. The duel between Hamilton and Burr occurred in July of 1804, as their rivalry escalated after the 1800 election, for which Hamilton worked against Burr's campaign. In Weehawken, New Jersey, Burr's shot was true, and Hamilton died the following day, solidifying his immense legacy. As for Burr, he was charged with murder, but got away with it. Later, he was tried for treason on another matter entirely.
Question 19
As America's first Treasury Secretary, it's only right that Hamilton appears on U.S. currency. On which bill does he appear?
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A$25
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B$5
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C$100
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D$10
$10
Hamilton has appeared on the $10 bill since 1928. As the millennium turned, a debate arose over his removal in favor of a female historical figure fronting the bill, but the hit musical kept his position solid. Instead, Andrew Jackson is being replaced by Harriet Tubman on the $20, although he'll still make an appearance on the back of the bill.
Question 20
What unfortunate circumstance did Alexander Hamilton share with the 7th president of the United States, Andrew Jackson?
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AHe was a prisoner of war during the Revolutionary War
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BHe was an orphan
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CHe was deaf in one ear
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DHe died from a gunshot wound
He was an orphan
In 1766, Alexander's father, James, abandoned the family, when Alexander was around 10 years old. His mother, Rachel, died of yellow fever two years later. This left Alexander virtually an orphan, just like the 7th president of the United States, Andrew Jackson, who was orphaned at the age of 14.
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I liked this quiz and I passed. Mostly from my knowledge found from the musical Hamilton.