If you didn’t know much about Alexander Hamilton before the hit show “Hamilton” took Broadway by storm in 2015, odds are good that you are now quite familiar with the Founding Father who helped create our fiduciary system.

An American political philosopher and the author of the majority of the essays that comprise the Federalist Papers (a series of 85 essays urging the citizens of New York to ratify the new US Constitution), Hamilton was also the first secretary of the US Treasury.

What inspired “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda to tell the essential story of the Founding Father, which he began developing into a musical in 2008?

Scroll down for more information about Hamilton, the musical, and more. And be sure to watch our video interview with Liam Strain, a historian and district ranger for a collection of individually legislated units of the National Park System — including Alexander Hamilton’s New York City home.

Here’s to restoring enthusiasm in American history for kids, and adults! — David Bruce Smith, founder, and Hope Katz Gibbs, executive producer, Grateful American™ Foundation