Several days ago my wife and I watched “Hamilton” in its streaming debut. The music and stage production were, of course, terrific. My wife was more familiar with the songs and dialog, and she finally was able to see the faces and places associated with the words.

As I thought about what I had seen, three basic concepts came to the forefront: freedom , family, and perspective.

Freedom

The musical was a clear reminder of the value and responsibility of freedom to the founding fathers. There was a huge amount of risk involved in breaking from Britain and establishing a new nation, including life and limb, personal reputation, and financial ruin.

What matters is that they took the leap. A new nation founded on the principles of democracy was more important to them and generations to come than was the comfort—and limitations—of the status quo.

As an aside, there has been a fair amount of discussion about what the musical Hamilton got right and what it may have gotten wrong. This recent article in the Deseret News provides an interesting recap of the historical and social points covered in the play, from politics to personal lives to slavery.

Family

One of the important takeaways from Hamilton was the rich and complex fabric of families. Each important decision made by the founding fathers had lasting, personal effects on their family members.

When you examine the structure of a nation more closely, it will reveal itself in families who are trying to to the best for themselves and for generations to come. It should come as no surprise that many of our own ancestors had complex and varied lives, which makes the pursuit of family history all the more intriguing. And the seemingly ordinary lives and people of the past and present still shape our future today.

If you have ancestors who may have participated in the Revolutionary War, you can find records and resources in The Family History Guide. There are also some helpful insights for New England research in the United States page.

Perspective

Speaking of the past, present, and future, they provide the framework for our freedom and families. One of the founding fathers, John Quincy Adams, said it briefly and well: “Think of your forefathers! Think of your posterity!” If that isn’t a call to protect freedom, I don’t know what is. But it’s also a call to engage in family history, to preserve and share family documents so our forefathers and posterity will be linked to us with records, stories, and memorabilia. That’s a cause that is also worth our time, energy, and sacrifice, to keep the fabric of our nation strong for the generations yet to come.