16 Mar 2026

As the United States of America celebrates its 250^th independence anniversary this year, the US embassy in Gaborone will mark this historic milestone with events that showcase America’s journey, its enduring values, and the remarkable individuals who shaped the country’s destiny.

To kick-start those activities, the embassy screened Hamilton movie to invited guests on Thursday. Hamilton, is a blend of hip-hop, jazz and RnB with Broadway musical theatre style by Lin-Manuel with focus to Alexander Hamilton, one of America’s extraordinary leaders, and it also introduces the audience to other leaders such as George Washington, Aaron Burr, the Marquis de Lafayette and James Madison.

Hamilton is a blending history with artistry, capturing the spirit of ambition, resilience, and hope that defined the founding era. The film centres around one of America’s extraordinary leaders, Alexander Hamilton who was a driving force behind the creation of America’s Constitution and financial system as a lawyer and Secretary of the Treasury and also considered a war hero and brilliant thinker.

The movie covers a wide span of American history, from the Revolution to the first administrations of the new government. It highlights important moments and the role of Alexander Hamilton, who believed in strong government led by capable elites and that government should use its power to develop the economy and maintain order. In the film, his economic plan shows how he supported an urban America with developed manufacturing.

An immigrant to the US, born in British West Indies, Hamilton opposed slavery as shown in the film, and the production shows that later in his career he supported anti-immigration policies.

“Immigration played a significant role in building the colonial population, mostly from Western Europe, and it was only just before the Revolution that people began to identify as Americans rather than by their birth nations,” said US Deputy Public Affairs officer Megan Boccardi about the movie.

The US Deputy Chief of Mission Christopher Gunning appealed for reflection on the enduring principles of liberty, self-governance and unity as well as the sacrifices made, then and now, to advance those principles as America celebrates Freedom 250.

The two-hour original Broadway musical production is available for streaming on YouTube and Disney. It has won multiple awards including a Grammy, Pulitzer Prize for Drama as well as an unprecedented special citation from Kennedy Centre Honors. BOPA