Hamilton-Burr Duel

The duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr is perhaps the greatest, and most violent political conflict in the history of the United States. The hatred between these two men went all the way back to the Election of 1800. In this election, Burr ran as vice president alongside Thomas Jefferson. The rules of the election stated that if Burr and Jefferson tied, the tie would be broken in the House of Representatives. Sure enough, Burr and Jefferson got 73 votes apiece. The election was turned over to the House. Alexander Hamilton, who was serving as the Secretary of the Treasury, used all his influence to swing the election in favor of Thomas Jefferson. His plan succeeded, and Jefferson was elected president, with Burr becoming vice president. Hamilton defended his actions, by stating that "Burr was a dangerous man, who could not be trusted with the reigns of the government." Hamilton knew of Burr's tendencies, as a drinker, and a womanizer, and he did not want a man like that running the country. Hamilton's actions were not received well by Burr. His anger rose even greater, when he was informed of a letter written by Dr. Charles Cooper, to Philip Schuyler. Schuyler just happened to be Hamilton's father in law. The letter was later published in the Albany Register. These letters contained information about Burr's drinking and womanizing ways. Burr demanded an apology from Dr. Cooper, Schuyler, and Hamilton. Hamilton said that he was not behind the letters, but Burr did not believe him. He eventually challenged Hamilton to a duel. Hamilton had no choice but to accept the challenge, as failure to do so, would signal the end of his political career. One must understand, that during this time period, duels were very common. They were used as a way to defend one's honor. Duels, however, rarely reached the point where guns were used. The duel was set for the morning of July 11, 1804, on the cliffs of Weehawken, New Jersey. The site was chosen due to the fact that dueling was legal in New Jersey. The two men stood ten paces apart. The weapons of choice were .56-caliber dueling pistols. Each man was accompanied by "seconds" or friends that would see that the duel was carried out in a fair manner. It is unknown who fired first, but most believe that Hamilton did, intentionally missing Burr's head high. This was thought to have startled Burr, causing him to fire directly at Hamilton, hitting and killing him instantly. This duel was most likely the second or third duel involving Hamilton and Burr, but the first where shots were fired. Hamilton was taken back to New York and lived for thirty-one hours, before he succumbed to the wound in his abdomen. The New York grand jury brought murder charges against Burr. Burr fearing arrest, fled to Saint Simmons Island, Georgia. When he was notified that the case would not go to trial, Burr went to Washington D.C. and fulfilled his duties as vice president. After he finished his term, he left politics all together, and went west, where we attempted to create his own independent nation. The Hamilton-Burr Duel is one of the United States' more interesting parts of history. The true accounts, and motivations of the duel itself, may never be known.

Alexander Hamilton

Aaron Burr

The Hamilton-Burr Duel has been brought back into the public eye, thanks to the Broadway musical "Hamilton."

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