A statue of Thaddeus Kosciuszko (pronounced kos-CHOOS-koh) is enveloped in early-morning fog in Lafayette Park across from the White House in Washington. Kosciuszko, a military engineer from Poland, went to Philadelphia in 1776 to fight against the British. His fortifications secured access to the Hudson River at West Point, N.Y.Jacquelyn Martin, The Associated Press PHILADELPHIA — If the hip-hop Broadway smash “Hamilton” can reignite interest in the first U.S.