That Time Martha Washington Named Her Cat After Alexander Hamilton

Heyo! I hope you had a wonderful holiday time! I took some time off to do some behind the curtain stuff so 2021 can be the best year for my blog. We're starting strong!

The first "That Time..." post of the year is dedicated to a simple line from Hamilton: An American Musical. Today, we're discussing if Martha Washington did actually name her cat after Alexander Hamilton. Let's get into it.

If you are not American, let me introduce you to Martha Washington and Alexander Hamilton.

Martha Washington was married to George Washington who was a great general of the American Revolutionary and then was the first President of the United States. Which mainly means she was the first First Lady of the United States.

Alexander Hamilton was the first Secretary of Treasurery in the United States. He is also the titular character of Hamilton: The American Musical. He was also an aide to George Washington for some time.

Why do I keep mentioning Hamilton: An American Musical? During the ninth song in the musical - "A Winter's Ball" - Aaron Burr states "Martha Washington named her ferral tomcat after him,". Him being Hamilton. Then Hamilton responds "That's true,". But is it true?

Sadly, it is not. Martha Washington did not have a cat she named Hamilton. Allegedly it was a rumor started by a man claiming to be a British Captain, who said it in a letter almost a century after Hamilton's death.

Another theory of where this rumor came from, is that John Adams, a known nemesis of Hamilton, started it. However, there is little to no evidence supporting that.

As funny as the thought of First Lady Martha Washington naming her cat after Secretary of Treasury to tease his flirtatious ways, it is untrue. It was added to the musical to push the narrative of Hamilton's cockiness.

Let me know what other weird history stories you want me to go over! You can find past "That Time..." posts here!

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