page_title: Aaron Burr
hierarchical_section_title: Aaron Burr
caption_attribution_description: English: Portrait of Aaron Burr (1756-1836)
context_page_description: Aaron Burr Jr. was an American politician and lawyer. A Founding Father, he served as the third vice president of the United States during President Thomas Jefferson's first term from 1801 to 1805. His role in helping form the nation, however, would be overshadowed when he killed fellow Founding Father Alexander Hamilton in an 1804 duel and when charges of treason were brought against him in 1807.
  Burr was born to a prominent family in New Jersey, he served as a Continental Army officer in the American Revolutionary War from 1775 until his resignation in 1779. Burr then returned to his law career in New York City and became a leading politician who helped form the new Jeffersonian Republican Party. He served in the U.S. Senate and was Jefferson's vice-presidential candidate on the 1800 Jeffersonian Republican ticket. An electoral college tie between Jefferson and Burr resulted in the House of Representatives deciding in Jefferson's favor. Although Burr maintained that he supported Jefferson, the president was highly suspicious of Burr. Vice President Burr was sidelined by Jefferson.
context_section_description: Aaron Burr Jr. (February 6, 1756 – September 14, 1836) was an American politician and lawyer. A Founding Father, he served as the third vice president of the United States during President Thomas Jefferson's first term from 1801 to 1805. His role in helping form the nation, however, would be overshadowed when he killed fellow Founding Father Alexander Hamilton in an 1804 duel and when charges of treason were brought against him in 1807.
  Burr was born to a prominent family in New Jersey, he served as a Continental Army officer in the American Revolutionary War from 1775 until his resignation in 1779. Burr then returned to his law career in New York City and became a leading politician who helped form the new Jeffersonian Republican Party.  He served in the U.S. Senate (1791–1797) and was Jefferson's vice-presidential candidate on the 1800 Jeffersonian Republican ticket. An electoral college tie between Jefferson and Burr resulted in the House of Representatives deciding in Jefferson's favor. Although Burr maintained that he supported Jefferson, the president was highly suspicious of Burr. Vice President Burr was sidelined by Jefferson. Burr fatally shot his political rival Hamilton in an 1804 duel, during the last full year of his single term as vice president. Although the duel was illegal, he was never tried, and all charges against him eventually were dropped. Nevertheless, Hamilton's death ended Burr's political career.
  Burr traveled west, seeking new opportunities, both economic and political. His secretive activities led to his arrest in Alabama on charges of treason in 1807. He was tried multiple times, but acquitted; nevertheless, the fallout left him with large debts and few influential friends. Burr left the United States for Europe. He remained overseas until 1812 when he returned to the United States to practice law in New York City. He spent the remainder of his life there, dying in relative obscurity in 1836.
caption: Portrait by John Vanderlyn, 1802
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