The Reynolds Pamphlet (song)
"The Reynolds Pamphlet" is the fourteenth song from Act 2 of the musical "Hamilton", based on the life of Alexander Hamilton, which premiered on Broadway in 2015. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote both the music and lyrics to the song. Synopsis. The song refers to a 95-page document written by Alexander Hamilton, former Secretary of the Treasury, to defend his name in the wake of a sex scandal. Hamilton does so to protect himself from a major political threat, as Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and Aaron Burr are made aware by Hamilton of his adulterous actions  after they accused him of speculation and misappropriation of Treasury funds. He then publishes the document to the public, proving that he did not abuse his Cabinet position for financial gain, but had been instead victim of blackmail by James Reynolds for his one-year affair with Reynolds's wife Maria Reynolds. The document causes Angelica Schuyler to return from London to support her sister, Hamilton's wife Eliza. She then asks Hamilton angrily if he is satisfied, while Jefferson remarks on how he will never be President as his career has been sullied, which is a boon for the  Democratic-Republican Party ("that's one less thing to worry about"). The song concludes with all of the characters expressing sympathy for Hamilton's wife. Historical differences. Although the musical "Hamilton" is based on true events, Miranda does use some dramatic license in retelling the story. In the case of the song "The Reynolds Pamphlet" the main differences are: Analysis. The song refers to the pamphlet penned by Alexander Hamilton in July 1797 (whose original title was "Observations on Certain Documents"), and the beginning of the song consists of Hamilton's opponents quoting from the document. The song further stands  out from many others in the musical courtesy of its use of auto-tune, leading critics to consider it the most modern song on the album. It also incorporates musical cues that point towards earlier songs in the musical, including "Satisfied". Critical reception. The Young Folks considered the song to be the 34th best in the musical, while a community post on BuzzFeed ranked the song 20th. "Huffington Post" remarked that "the mash-up of previous tunes works well" and complimented the use of auto-tune. In popular culture. During his monologue while hosting "Saturday Night Live", Lin-Manuel Miranda  referenced the song. Miranda also discussed the song and the eponymous document on an episode of "Drunk History".