Miranda has apologized for not speaking earlier and more forcefully about the issue of slavery during America's earliest days.
The smash Broadway musical "Hamilton" is facing backlash over its depictions of slavery. The hashtag #CancelHamilton started trending over the weekend, just after a film version of the show aired on Disney+.
Some people on social media argued that the founding father was a slave trader and shouldn't have gotten such a positive depiction in the musical. A debate ensued, with many depicting the acclaimed musical as a victim of "cancel culture."
"To those of you using #CancelHamilton, you need to learn to separate fact from fiction," said one tweet in defense of the musical.
"I keep seeing stuff about #CancelHamilton just stop," said another.
The musical's creator and star Lin Manuel Miranda said on Instagram, "Hamilton is an amazing piece of art, it does glorify some problematic things. It is okay to love and support the show but also please remember that it is not an accurate depiction of history and you should educate yourself on the events!"
Thomas Jefferson is also a major character in the musical, but history says he was an enslaver who fathered six children with Sally Hemings, one of the women he enslaved.
"For many, many years I've given Jefferson a pass because he was a founding father," said Shannon Lanier, a ninth generation direct descendent of Jefferson and Hemings. "And said you know what, he's a founding father, we're not celebrating him being a slave-owner. But the truth of the matter is, he founded this country on the backs of slaves, the blood, sweat and tears of slaves."
Miranda has apologized for not speaking earlier and more forcefully about the issue of slavery during America's earliest days.
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