[WASHINGTON] The issue on the table: a petition from a Quaker delegation in Philadelphia calling on Congress to end the African slave trade and abolish slavery, in all its forms. If this comes to a vote in Congress, what is the White House's position? Secretary Jefferson, you first. Tread lightly. [JEFFERSON] The constitution clearly states That the states have to wait Until eighteen-oh-eight to debate [HAMILTON] Sir— [JEFFERSON] Wait! That's the price we paid For the southern states to participate In our little independence escapade We made concessions to the south to make them less afraid You take away our property? Secession talk will escalate But for a second, let us say that we can legislate Unanimous emancipation. Freedom reigns, and yes, it's great. We cannot cure prejudice or righteous, desperate hate So back to Africa or do they get a separate state? It's a sin. It's growing like a cancer But we can't address the question if we do not have an answer. [HAMILTON] Is it my turn? Good. Plantation states are packed with promise makers Do you realize the precious time these legislators wasted? Institutionalizing slavery only multiplied our troubles Wait till the 1800s, and their population doubles You all know This is the stain on our soul and democracy A land of the free? No, it's not. It's hypocrisy To subjugate, dehumanize a race, call 'em property And say that we are powerless to stop it. Can you not foresee? Sir, even you, you have hundreds of slaves Whose descendants will curse our names when we're safe in our graves How will the south find labor for its businesses? How will Thomas Jefferson find his next mistresses? [JEFFERSON] How dare you. [HAMILTON] Yet still, people follow like lemmings All your hemming and hawing While you're hee-hawing with Sally Hemings [WASHINGTON] That's enough. [MADISON] Hamilton, if we support emancipation Every single slave owner will demand compensation And as for slandering Jefferson with talk of mistresses. Do you really wanna— [MADISON/JEFFERSON] Do you really wanna have that conversation? [HAMILTON] No. [WASHINGTON] I've heard enough, gentlemen. You can go. Slavery's too volatile an issue. We won't get through it. [MADISON] Sir, we'll keep it off your desk. [WASHINGTON] Good. Do it. ("Room Where It Happens" reprise possibly.)
Read the complete lyrics to "Cabinet Battle #3" by Lin-Manuel Miranda from the album "Hamilton Apocrypha" in 2016. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under In English, Musicals, Rap.
"Cabinet Battle #3" is performed by Lin-Manuel Miranda. from the album "Hamilton Apocrypha" in 2016 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL.
Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data.
If you enjoy "Cabinet Battle #3", explore more songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.
"Cabinet Battle #3" is credited to Lin-Manuel Miranda. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.
"Cabinet Battle #3" appears on "Hamilton Apocrypha" in 2016.
Visit the Lin-Manuel Miranda artist page at /artist/lin-manuel-miranda for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.
