#and I guess you could argue maybe that Hamilton is saying hey I won't forget about my War Bros after being married

[revolutionary-demosthenes]

In spite of Schuylers black eyes, I have still a part for the public and another for you; so your impatience to have me married is misplaced; a strange cure by the way, as if after matrimony I was to be less devoted than I am now.

Alexander Hamilton to John Laurens, September 16, 1780

I was just re-reading this quote for the first time in a while, and realized it’s got some unique qualities that point to its integrity as a piece of evidence.

With the Laurens-Hamilton relationship, how many possible meanings a letter has is almost more important than what is said in the first place. This isn’t a quote that can be excused as humor or teasing or “how people wrote back then.” It’s a serious quote from Hamilton that talks about his relationship with Laurens, which we don’t have to many of. It’s not like the beginning of the April 1779 letter, which can be brushed off as “how people wrote.” It’s not innuendo that can be excused as “bawdy humor.” It’s a serious and non-flowery or sentimental sentence which contains many elements that point to a romance between Hamilton and Laurens. There is no other strong explanation for Laurens to be directly compared to Schuyler. (And especially the “black eyes” part-- in spite of something Hamilton is attracted to about his wife, he still has a “part” for Laurens...) The rest of the quote is even more implicating-- why would Laurens want Hamilton to be married so that Hamilton’s affection would wane? Why would their relationship need a cure if it was a socially acceptable friendship? 

tl, dr: Because Hamilton’s writing is so direct and clear, with so few opposing interpretations, (but many implications!) or the ability to be construed as a joke, this letter is a pretty unique piece of evidence, and one of the strongest to suggest a Laurens-Hamilton relationship. (And good for refuting criticism.)

#im sure this has been said before #I was just re-reading it in an old post I was looking at #and I was like #how is this relationship not acknowledged in academia #this is literally such a clear implication #I think if I had to use one quote to convince someone this might be the one honestly #and I guess you could argue maybe that Hamilton is saying hey I won't forget about my War Bros after being married #but its a pretty weak argument and I feel like the obvious reading here is the one I outlined above #Alexander Hamilton #John Laurens #letters #quotes #quote analysis #this is also not to say that letters like April '79 aren't pretty definitive evidence #but if you want to convince someone #there are technically ways people can get around the innuendo in that one #not reasonable ways #but nonetheless