Drama critic and theatermaker McCarter, who wrote the essays in the book, met Miranda in 2008. He wasn’t sure if Miranda was joking when he mentioned his hip-hop album about Hamilton. As a critic for New York Magazine, McCarter advocated for the dramatic potential of hip-hop in musical theater, despite his dismissive colleagues. When Miranda’s first musical, In the Heights (2007), included some rap songs, it caught McCarter’s interest. Miranda’s employment of hip-hop was groundbreaking because he used the style to tell a story that wasn’t about hip-hop. Later, on staff at the Public Theater, McCarter mentioned Miranda’s Hamilton idea to artistic director Oskar Eustis as a potential project. On opening night, Miranda asked McCarter to write Hamilton: The Revolution, documenting the revolution depicted in the musical and the revolution that was the musical itself. The book demonstrates the connection between the show’s themes and its creation story and highlights the essential collaborations in what has been touted as Miranda’s single-handed achievement.

In 2009, Miranda was invited to the White House as the closing act in a celebration of American artists. Miranda was slated to perform a song from his Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights, which represented themes of immigration and multiculturalism that reflected the recently elected President Obama’s priorities.