This song is a sequel to “Cabinet Battle #1,” deepening the battle lines between Hamilton’s Federalists and Jefferson’s Democratic-Republicans. In this case, Hamilton supports neutrality in the war between Britain and post-Revolutionary France. Jefferson advocates for the US to hold up its end of the Franco-American Alliance of 1778.

Hamilton’s neutrality starts a minor conflict between the United States and France, known as the Quasi-War.

This isn’t just a sequel, it’s an inversion of the first battle. In the first, Jefferson is quite politic, dismissing Hamilton’s plan and position more than the man while Hamilton targets Jefferson and Madison directly. In the second, the roles are reversed with Jefferson not only calling Hamilton out for his loyalty and station but bringing up Lafayette after. While this gets a rise from Hamilton, Hamilton’s reply stays to the point of the debate.