The song "The Room Where It Happens" from the musical Hamilton is about a secret dinner meeting in 1790 where Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison make a political compromise. Hamilton gets his financial plan approved by Congress, while Jefferson and Madison secure the location of the nation's capital on the Potomac River, in the South. Aaron Burr, who is excluded from this deal, expresses his frustration about not being "in the room where it happens," meaning he is excluded from the important decision- making moments that shape history. The song explores themes of political power, legacy, and the desire to be part of the crucial conversations that determine the country's future.
