Aaron Burr | vice president of United States | Britannica.com vice president of United States Written By: Alternative Title: Aaron Burr, Jr. Aaron Burr Vice president of United States born John Quincy Adams Aaron Burr, in full Aaron Burr, Jr. (born February 6, 1756, Newark , New Jersey [U.S.]—died September 14, 1836, Port Richmond , New York, U.S.), third vice president of the United States (1801–05), who killed his political rival, Alexander Hamilton , in a duel (1804), and whose turbulent political career ended with his arrest for treason in 1807. Aaron Burr, oil painting by John Vanderlyn, 1809; in the collection of the New-York Historical … Collection of The New-York Historical Society Early years and political career Burr, the son of Aaron Burr, Sr., and Esther Edwards, came from a prominent New Jersey family and was a grandson of the theologian Jonathan Edwards . He studied law and served on the staff of Gen. George Washington during the American Revolution (1775–83) but was transferred after antagonizing him.

In 1782 Burr was admitted to the New York state bar, and his law practice in New York City soon flourished. In 1784 and 1785 he was elected to the state assembly, and in 1789 he was appointed attorney general by Gov. George Clinton . By 1791 he had built a successful political coalition against Gen. Philip Schuyler , father-in-law of Alexander Hamilton (then secretary of the treasury), and won election to the United States Senate , incurring the enmity of Hamilton. Burr failed to win reelection in 1797 and spent the next two years in state politics. In 1800 Burr won the vice presidential nomination on the Jeffersonian Republican ticket. He carried New York state and thus helped bring about a national victory for his party. Under the electoral college procedures then prevailing, the electors had cast their votes for both Thomas Jefferson and Burr without indicating which should be president and which vice president. Both men had an equal number of electoral votes, and the Federalist-controlled House of Representatives had to break the tie.

Although Burr maintained that he would not challenge Jefferson—an assertion that Jefferson did not wholly accept—Hamilton’s determined opposition to Burr was a strong factor in Jefferson’s election after 36 ballots. (In 1804 the Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution was adopted, requiring electors to cast separate ballots for president and vice president.) Results of the American presidential election, 1800… Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. In February 1804 Burr’s friends in the New York legislature nominated him for the governorship. Hamilton contributed to Burr’s defeat by disseminating letters containing derogatory comments about Burr, and shortly thereafter Gov. Clinton replaced him as the Republican vice presidential candidate. Once again Burr felt himself to be the political victim of Hamilton’s animosity , and he challenged him to a duel (July 11, 1804) at Weehawken , New Jersey, in which Hamilton was killed. Arrest and trial Ringling Bros. Folds Its Tent Arrest warrants were issued for Burr, whom many now viewed as a murderer, and he fled to Philadelphia, where he contacted his friend Gen.

James Wilkinson , a United States Army officer secretly in the pay of Spain and the governor of the northern Louisiana territory. Expecting war to break out between the United States and Spain over boundary disputes, Wilkinson and Burr planned an invasion of Mexico in order to establish an independent government there. Possibly—the record is inconclusive—they also discussed a plan to foment a secessionist movement in the West and, joining it to Mexico, to found an empire on the Napoleonic model. In any event, Wilkinson became alarmed and betrayed Burr to President Jefferson. Trying to escape to Spanish territory, Burr was arrested and returned for trial to Richmond, Virginia, the site of the nearest federal court that could hear a trial for treason. Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court John Marshall presided in his capacity as circuit judge for Virginia. (At that time, circuit courts had original jurisdiction to try treason cases; the Supreme Court has never had that power.) Marshall acquitted Burr on the ground that acts of treason against the United States by definition require the existence of a state of war (Article III, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution ) .

Aaron Burr Dueled Alexander Hamilton This Day In 1804 - Business Insider print Douglas Hamilton, left, a fifth-great-grandson of Alexander Hamilton and Antonio Burr, right, a descendant of Aaron Burr's cousin, fire their pistols during the re-enactment marking the 200th anniversary of the Hamilton-Burr duel, in Weehawken, N.J., Sunday, July 11, 2004 AP Photo/Marko Georgiev On July 11, 1804, two leading U.S. politicians overreacted to personal insults between them. That doesn't sound out of the ordinary considering the divisiveness among politicians in today's government, except then-Vice President Aaron Burr and former Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton settled the issue with an armed duel to the death. Since both New Yorkers belonged to opposing political parties, Burr a Republican and Hamilton a Federalist, they developed an adversarial political relationship, according to the Library of Congress . The two were at odds in the controversial presidential election of 1800 , when Hamilton helped secure Thomas Jefferson's victory at the expense of Burr, who became vice president.

(In those days, the runner-up in presidential elections became vice president.) Hamilton wrote then that Burr's "public principles have no other spring or aim than his own aggrandizement," according to David Stewart, writing for the Constitution Daily blog . Over the years Hamilton had also called Burr "embryo-Caesar" and remarked that he was "unprincipled both as a public and private man." In 1804, Burr lost an election for New York governor and blamed Hamilton for more personal insults. By then, Burr was fed up with repeated public attacks on his personal character and demanded that Hamilton retract his comments. His outspoken critic refused but did agree to a duel with Burr based on a code of honor known then as "code duello." There were rumors that Hamilton actually had no intention of shooting at Burr during the duel. "Contemptible, if true," said Burr in response to such rumors, demonstrating his firm commitment to the duel.

Strangely, Hamilton helped pass legislation in New York making it illegal to challenge or accept a challenge for a duel, following the death of Hamilton's 18-year-old son in an 1802 duel, according to historian John Buescher's explanation of the duel on teachinghistory.org . Despite the passage of that law, the public continued to support dueling as a means of defending one's honor, and no one had been prosecuted for a duel in New York when the Hamilton-Burr duel took place. To avoid the law, Hamilton and Burr rowed separately from New York City to an isolated ledge just above the Hudson River in Weehawken, New Jersey, a popular location for duels. "It was a place where duelists from New York City could go to settle their affairs in secret as dueling per se was not illegal in New Jersey," Buescher wrote. Dueling opponents also tended to carefully conduct the affair in a manner that made it difficult to prove their guilt of a crime. That typically involved keeping their intentions quiet, never revealing the gun until the last moment, and having friends look away during the moment the shots were fired.

Burr, surviving unscathed, mortally wounded Hamilton, who died the next day in New York City. He immediately faced legal consequences for his actions. Since Hamilton's death took place in New York, he was charged with both the misdemeanor of challenging to a duel and the felony of murder. He faced the same felony charge in New Jersey. The vice president of the United States found himself a fugitive for murder in two states, and fled to Pennsylvania and then Georgia. "There is a contention of a singular nature between the two States of New York and New Jersey," Burr wrote to his daughter. "The subject in dispute is, which shall have the honor of hanging the Vice-President. You shall have due notice of time and place. Whenever it may be, you may rely on a great concourse of company, much gayety, and many rare sights." But a number of Congressmen sent a letter to the governor of New Jersey pleading that prosecutors drop the case against Burr because it was supposedly a fair duel. Although the murder charges in both states were eventually dropped, Burr was convicted of the misdemeanor offense for challenging Hamilton in the first place. As a consequence, he was banned from voting, practicing law, and serving in public office for 20 years.

Although there was only one winner, both were ruined, Stewart points out in his blog post. "Both lost: Hamilton, the former Secretary of the Treasury, his life; Burr, the sitting Vice President, his future," Stewart writes. Burr later stood trial for treason for allegedly leading efforts to establish an independent country at the Mississippi River from U.S. and Spanish territories, although he was acquitted. Duels in early America among notable public figures were not uncommon, according to Constitution Daily. President Andrew Jackson survived 13 duels, including one in 1806 where the opponent he killed shot him in the ribs. A prominent sailor named James Barron killed the U.S. Navy hero Stephen Decatur in an 1820 duel, and in 1826 Virginia Senator John Randolph and Secretary of State Henry Clay both missed each other in their duel. Burr himself had engaged in one duel before he killed Hamilton. The last duel to take place in the popular Weehawken, New Jersey location occurred as late as 1837, when a police constable thwarted an attempt by two would-be duelists and took them into custody, according to teachinghistory.org.

The American Experience | The Duel | People & Events | Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr's Duel People & Events Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr's Duel On July 11, 1804, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr met on the dueling grounds at Weehawken, New Jersey, to fight the final skirmish of a long-lived political and personal battle. When the duel was over, Hamilton would be mortally wounded, and Burr would be wanted for murder. Hamilton was a Federalist. Burr was a Republican. The men clashed repeatedly in the political arena. The first major skirmish was in 1791, when Burr successfully captured a United States Senate seat from Philip Schuyler, Hamilton's powerful father-in-law. Hamilton, then Treasury secretary, would have counted on Schuyler to support his policies. When Burr won the election, Hamilton fumed. In 1800 Burr obtained and had published "The Public Conduct and Character of John Adams, Esq., President of the United States.," a document highly critical of Adams, a Federalist. Hamilton, its author, had intended it for private circulation. Its publication proved highly embarrassing to Hamilton and helped widen rifts in the Federalist Party.

That same year, when Republicans Aaron Burr and Thomas Jefferson tied in balloting for the presidency, Hamilton lobbied Congress to decide the election in Jefferson's favor. Hamilton's campaign had little effect, but in the end, Jefferson emerged the winner. It was the New York governor's race of 1804, however, that pushed the two men to violence. In that election, Burr turned his back on the Republicans and ran as an independent. Burr believed that if he won, he would regain power. The prospect of Burr leading New York mortified Hamilton, who despised and mistrusted Burr completely. In early 1804, Hamilton tried to convince New York Federalists not to support Burr. Although Hamilton's campaign was probably not the deciding factor, the Burr campaign failed. Burr was crushed in the general election by Morgan Lewis, the Republican candidate, who was supported by George and DeWitt Clinton, powerful New York Republicans. The battle for New York had been a bruising one, but in the end, a relatively minor slight precipitated the Burr-Hamilton duel. In February, 1804, a New York Republican, Dr. Charles D.

Cooper, attended a dinner party at which Alexander Hamilton spoke forcefully and eloquently against Burr. Cooper later wrote a letter to Philip Schuyler in which he made reference to a particularly "despicable opinion" Hamilton expressed about Burr. The letter was published in a New York newspaper the "Albany Register." Hoping that a victory on the dueling ground could revive his flagging political career, Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel. Hamilton wanted to avoid the duel, but politics left him no choice. If he admitted to Burr's charge, which was substantially true, he would lose his honor. If he refused to duel, the result would be the same. Either way, his political career would be over. After Hamilton's and Burr's seconds tried without success to settle the matter amicably, the two political enemies met on the dueling grounds at Weehawken, New Jersey on the morning of July 11. Each fired a shot from a .56 caliber dueling pistol. Burr was unscathed; Hamilton fell to the ground mortally wounded. He died the next day. Instead of reviving Burr's political career, the duel helped to end it. Burr was charged with two counts of murder.

After his term as vice president ended, he would never hold elective office again. And his next plot to gain power would end with charges of treason. Burr slays Hamilton in duel - Jul 11, 1804 - HISTORY.com This Day in History: 07/11/1804 - Burr Slays Hamilton in Duel In a This Day in History video, learn that on July 11, 1804, Aaron Burr fatally wounded Alexander Hamilton in a duel. Burr was Thomas Jefferson's Vice President and Hamilton was a force behind the Constitution. The shooting was the climax of a twenty year grudge; Hamilton, a Federalist, loathed Burr, a Republican. After Hamilton publically insulted Burr and his character, Burr proposed a duel. Hamilton's shot went high, perhaps intentionally, while Burr's bullet hit Hamilton in the stomach. The next day, Hamilton died along with Burr's career in politics. Lead Story Burr slays Hamilton in duel Share this: Burr slays Hamilton in duel Author Burr slays Hamilton in duel URL Publisher A+E Networks In a duel held in Weehawken, New Jersey, Vice President Aaron Burr fatally shoots his long-time political antagonist Alexander Hamilton.

Hamilton, a leading Federalist and the chief architect of America’s political economy, died the following day. Alexander Hamilton, born on the Caribbean island of Nevis, came to the American colonies in 1773 as a poor immigrant. (There is some controversy as to the year of his birth, but it was either 1755 or 1757.) In 1776, he joined the Continental Army in the American Revolution, and his relentless energy and remarkable intelligence brought him to the attention of General George Washington, who took him on as an aid. Ten years later, Hamilton served as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, and he led the fight to win ratification of the final document, which created the kind of strong, centralized government that he favored. In 1789, he was appointed the first secretary of the treasury by President Washington, and during the next six years he crafted a sophisticated monetary policy that saved the young U.S. government from collapse. With the emergence of political parties, Hamilton was regarded as a leader of the Federalists.

Aaron Burr, born into a prestigious New Jersey family in 1756, was also intellectually gifted, and he graduated from the College of New Jersey (later Princeton) at the age of 17. He joined the Continental Army in 1775 and distinguished himself during the Patriot attack on Quebec. A masterful politician, he was elected to the New State Assembly in 1783 and later served as state attorney. In 1790, he defeated Alexander Hamilton’s father-in-law in a race for the U.S. Senate. Hamilton came to detest Burr, whom he regarded as a dangerous opportunist, and he often spoke ill of him. When Burr ran for the vice presidency in 1796 on Thomas Jefferson’s Democratic-Republican ticket (the forerunner of the Democratic Party), Hamilton launched a series of public attacks against Burr, stating, “I feel it is a religious duty to oppose his career.” John Adams won the presidency, and in 1797 Burr left the Senate and returned to the New York Assembly. In 1800, Jefferson chose Burr again as his running mate.

Burr aided the Democratic-Republican ticket by publishing a confidential document that Hamilton had written criticizing his fellow Federalist President John Adams. This caused a rift in the Federalists and helped Jefferson and Burr win the election with 73 electoral votes each. Under the electoral procedure then prevailing, president and vice president were not voted for separately; the candidate who received the most votes was elected president, and the second in line, vice president. The vote then went to the House of Representatives. What at first seemed but an electoral technicality–handing Jefferson victory over his running mate–developed into a major constitutional crisis when Federalists in the lame-duck Congress threw their support behind Burr. After a remarkable 35 tie votes, a small group of Federalists changed sides and voted in Jefferson’s favor. Alexander Hamilton, who had supported Jefferson as the lesser of two evils, was instrumental in breaking the deadlock. Burr became vice president, but Jefferson grew apart from him, and he did not support Burr’s renomination to a second term in 1804.

That year, a faction of New York Federalists, who had found their fortunes drastically diminished after the ascendance of Jefferson, sought to enlist the disgruntled Burr into their party and elect him governor. Hamilton campaigned against Burr with great fervor, and Burr lost the Federalist nomination and then, running as an independent for governor, the election. In the campaign, Burr’s character was savagely attacked by Hamilton and others, and after the election he resolved to restore his reputation by challenging Hamilton to a duel, or an “affair of honor,” as they were known. Affairs of honor were commonplace in America at the time, and the complex rules governing them usually led to an honorable resolution before any actual firing of weapons. In fact, the outspoken Hamilton had been involved in several affairs of honor in his life, and he had resolved most of them peaceably. No such recourse was found with Burr, however, and on July 11, 1804, the enemies met at 7 a.m. at the dueling grounds near Weehawken, New Jersey. It was the same spot where Hamilton’s son had died defending his father’s honor in 1801. There are conflicting accounts of what happened next.

According to Hamilton’s “second”–his assistant and witness in the duel–Hamilton decided the duel was morally wrong and deliberately fired into the air. Burr’s second claimed that Hamilton fired at Burr and missed. What happened next is agreed upon: Burr shot Hamilton in the stomach, and the bullet lodged next to his spine. Hamilton was taken back to New York, and he died the next afternoon. Few affairs of honor actually resulted in deaths, and the nation was outraged by the killing of a man as eminent as Alexander Hamilton. Charged with murder in New York and New Jersey, Burr, still vice president, returned to Washington, D.C., where he finished his term immune from prosecution. In 1805, Burr, thoroughly discredited, concocted a plot with James Wilkinson, commander-in-chief of the U.S. Army, to seize the Louisiana Territory and establish an independent empire, which Burr, presumably, would lead. He contacted the British government and unsuccessfully pleaded for assistance in the scheme. Later, when border trouble with Spanish Mexico heated up, Burr and Wilkinson conspired to seize territory in Spanish America for the same purpose.

In the fall of 1806, Burr led a group of well-armed colonists toward New Orleans, prompting an immediate U.S. investigation. General Wilkinson, in an effort to save himself, turned against Burr and sent dispatches to Washington accusing Burr of treason. In February 1807, Burr was arrested in Louisiana for treason and sent to Virginia to be tried in a U.S. court. In September, he was acquitted on a technicality. Nevertheless, public opinion condemned him as a traitor, and he fled to Europe. He later returned to private life in New York, the murder charges against him forgotten. He died in 1836. Related Videos Vice Presidents | Britannica.com Vice Presidents officer next in rank to the president of the United States, who ascends to the presidency on the event of the president’s death, disability, resignation, or removal. Displaying Featured Vice Presidents Articles Theodore Roosevelt the 26th president of the United States (1901–09) and a writer, naturalist, and soldier.

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After practicing law, he entered politics as an antislavery Jacksonian Democrat and served in the Maine state legislature (1836–40). He was elected... Aaron Burr Aaron Burr (February 6, 1756 – September 14, 1836) was the third Vice President of the United States under President Thomas Jefferson. As President of the Senate he presided over the Senate's first impeachment trial, of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase. In 1804, Vice President, Burr killed his political rival Alexander Hamilton in a duel ending his political career. Pages 1756-1836 Revolutionary War Colonel - Vice President Aaron Burr, (February 6, 1756 – September 14, 1836) was the third Vice President of the United States under President Thomas Jefferson. As President of the Senate he presided over the Senate's first impeachment trial, of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase. In 1804, Vice President, Burr killed his political rival Alexander Hamilton in a duel ending his political career. In person, Burr was small, often being spoken of as " little Burr," but his appearance and manners were fascinating.

In his ease the finest gifts of nature and fortune were spoiled by unsound moral principles and the absence of all genuine convictions. His habits were licentious. He was a master of intrigue, though to little purpose. He was a respectable lawyer and speaker, but lacked the qualities of a statesman. Dauntless resolution and cool self-possession never forsook him. On the morning of his duel with Hamilton he was found by a friend in a sound sleep. Though a skeptic, he was not a scoffer. He was born in Newark, New Jersey, 6 February, 1756; died on Staten Island, New York, 14 September, 1836. His mother was Esther Edwards, the flower of the remarkable family to which she belonged, celebrated for her beauty as well as for her superior intellect and devout piety. In the truest sense, Aaron Burr was well born. Jonathan Edwards, his grandfather, illustrious as divine and meta-physician, had been elected to succeed his son-in-law as president of Princeton, but died of a fever, resulting from inoculation for small-pox, before he had fairly entered upon his work. Mrs.

Burr, his daughter, died of a similar disease sixteen days later. The infant Aaron and his sister Sarah, left doubly orphaned, were placed in charge of their uncle, the Rev. Timothy Edwards, of Elizabethtown (now Elizabeth), New Jersey A handsome fortune having been bequeathed to them by their father, their education was conducted in a liberal manner; a private tutor was provided, Tapping Reeve, who afterward married his pupil, Sarah Burr, and became judge of the Supreme Court of Connecticut. A bright, mischievous boy, and difficult to control Aaron was still sufficiently studious to be prepared to enter Princeton at the age of eleven, though he was not admitted on account of his extreme youth. He was very small, but strikingly handsome, with fine black eyes and the engaging ways that became a fascination in his maturer life. Jonathan Edwards (October 5, 1703 – March 22, 1758) was a Christian preacher, theologian and Burr's grandfather.

Edwards "is widely acknowledged to be America's most important and original philosophical theologian," In 1769 he was allowed as a favor to enter the sophomore class, though only in his thirteenth year. He was a fairly diligent student and an extensive reader, and was graduated with distinction in September, 1772. Stories of wild dissipation during his College course are probably exaggerations. Just before his graduation the College was profoundly stirred by religious excitement, and young Burr, who confessed that he was moved by the revival, resorted to Dr. Witherspoon, the president, for advice. The doctor quieted his anxiety by telling him that the excitement was fanatical. Not entirely satisfied, he went in the autumn of the next year to live for a while in the family of the famous theologian, Dr. Bellamy, of Bethlehem, Connecticut, with the ostensible purpose of settling his mind with regard to the claims of Christianity. The result was a great surprise to his friends, if not to himself; he deliberately rejected the gospel and adopted the infidelity then so rife in Europe and America. The form of unbelief accepted by him was that of Lord Chesterfield, along with his lordship's peculiar views of morality.

Here is probably the key to a comprehension of Burr's entire life. He resolved to be a "perfect man of the world," according to the Chesterfieldian code. Image Courtesy of the Stan Klos Collection Most of the next year (1774) he passed in Litchfield, Connecticut, where he began the study of the law under Tapping Reeve, who had married his sister. At the beginning of the revolution, in 1775, Burr hastened to join the patriot army near Boston. He had a genuine passion for military life, and was singularly qualified to excel as a soldier. Here, fretted by inaction, he resolved to accompany Col. Benedict Arnold in his expedition to Quebec. Against the expostulations of all his friends and the commands of his uncle, Timothy, he persisted in his determination. Out of the memorable hardships and disasters of that expedition young Burr came back with the rank of major and a brilliant reputation for courage and ability. Soon after his return he became a member of General Washington's family. From some cause the place did not please him, and after about six weeks he withdrew from Washington's table and accepted an appointment as aide to General Putnam.

This incident was extremely unfortunate for him. During their brief association Burr contracted prejudices against Washington, which grew into deep dislike, and Washington got impressions of Burr that ripened into settled distrust. In July, 1777, Burr was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel, with the command of his regiment, the colonel preferring to remain at home. In September, while occupying the house near Ramapo Pass, of which a representation is here given, he defeated the enemy near Hackensack and drove them back to Paulus Hook. At Monmouth he distinguished himself at the head of a brigade. While Burr's command lay in Orange County, New York, he became acquainted with Mrs. Theodosia Prevost, an intelligent and accomplished lady living at Paramus, widow of an English officer who had recently died in the West Indies. She was ten years his senior and had two sons. In March, 1779, after four years of service, he resigned his commission on account of broken health.

In the autumn of 1780, his health having improved, Burr resumed the study of law, first with Judge Patterson, of New Jersey, and afterward with Thomas Smith, of Haverstraw, New York On 17 April, 1782, he was admitted to the bar in Albany, the rule that required three years spent in study having been in his ease relaxed on account of his service as a soldier. Now, at the age of twenty-six, he took an office in Albany and almost immediately commanded a large practice. Being at last in a condition to warrant this step, he married Mrs. Prevost, 2 July, 1782, and at once began housekeeping in Albany in handsome style. In the first year of his marriage his daughter, Theodosia, was born, the only child of this union. In the latter part of the next year, just after the British had evacuated the City, he returned to New York and devoted himself to his profession for eight years, having during that period twice served as a member of the New York legislature. He stood among the leaders of the bar, with no rival but Alexander Hamilton.

Obtaining possession of Richmond Hill, a fine New York mansion with ample grounds, he dispensed a liberal hospitality. Talleyrand, Volney, and Louis Philippe were among his guests. In 1788, just after the adoption of the constitution, Burr entered the arena of politics as a candidate of the anti-federal party, though he was not distinctly identified with those who nominated him, and soon afterward he was appointed by Governor Clinton attorney general, an office which he held for two years. In 1791 he was elected to the United States senate over General Philip Schuyler, to the great surprise of the country and the keen disappointment of Hamilton, Schuyler's son-in-law. The federalists had a majority in the legislature, and Schuyler was one of the pillars of the federal party. Hamilton , then Treasury secretary, had counted on Schuyler's election to support his policies. The triumph of Burr under these circumstances was mysterious. For six years he served in the senate with conspicuous ability, acting steadily with the Republican Party thwarting Hamilton's policies. Mrs. Burr died of cancer in 1794.

Among the last words he ever spoke was this testimony to the wife of his youth: "The mother of my Theo was the best woman and finest lady I have ever known." After her death the education of his daughter engrossed a large share of his attention. In 1797 the tables turned, and his defeated antagonist, General Schuyler, was almost unanimously elected to his seat in the senate. Burr was shortly afterward made a member of the New York assembly. In 1800 Burr obtained and had published "The Public Conduct and Character of John Adams, Esq., President of the United States.," a document highly critical of Adams, a Federalist. Alexander Hamilton, its author, had intended the work for private circulation. Its publication proved to be highly embarrassing to Hamilton and helped widen rifts in the Federalist Party and weaken President John Adams bid for a second term. Burr entered the presidential contest of 1800 with all his energy. The republicans triumphed; but between the two highest candidates there was a tie, with Burr and Thomas Jefferson receiving seventy-three votes, which threw the election into the House of Representatives. Hamilton lobbied Congress to decide the election in Jefferson's favor.

Hamilton's campaign had little effect, but in the end, Jefferson emerged the winner. Tally of Electoral Votes for the 1800 Presidential Election, February 11, 1801 By the election of 1800, the nation's first two parties were beginning to take shape. The Presidential race was hotly contested between the Federalist President, John Adams, and the Democratic-Republican candidate, Thomas Jefferson. Because the Constitution did not distinguish between President and Vice-President in the votes cast by each state's electors in the Electoral College, both Jefferson and his running mate Aaron Burr received 73 votes. According to the Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution, if two candidates each received a majority of the electoral votes but are tied, the House of Representatives would determine which one would be President. Therefore, the decision rested with the lame duck, Federalist-controlled House of Representatives. Thirty-five ballots were cast over five days but neither candidate received a majority. Many Federalists saw Jefferson as their principal foe, whose election was to be avoided at all costs. But Alexander Hamilton, a well-respected Federalist party leader, hated Burr and advised Federalists in Congress that Jefferson was the safer choice.

Finally, on February 17, 1801, on the thirty-sixth ballot, the House elected Thomas Jefferson to be President. The tie vote between Jefferson and Burr in the 1801 Electoral College pointed out problems with the electoral system. The framers of the Constitution had not anticipated such a tie nor had they considered the possibility of the election of a President or Vice President from opposing factions - which had been the case in the 1796 election. In 1804, the passage of the 12th Amendment corrected these problems by providing for separate Electoral College votes for President and Vice President. -- Records of the United States Senate In connection with this affair, Burr was charged with intriguing to defeat the public will and have himself chosen to the first office, instead of Jefferson. America's Four Republics: The More or Less United States By: Stanley Yavneh Klos First United American Republic: United Colonies of North America: 13 British Colonies United in Congress was founded by 12 colonies on September 5th, 1774 (Georgia joined in 1775) and governed through a British Colonial Continental Congress .

Peyton Randolph and George Washington served, respectively, as the Republic's first President and Commander-in-Chief; Second United American Republic: The United States of America: 13 Independent States United in Congress was founded by 12 states on July 2nd, 1776 (New York abstained until July 8th), and governed through the United States Continental Congress . John Hancock and George Washington served, respectively, as the Republic's first President and Commander-in-Chief; Third United American Republic: The United States of America: A Perpetual Union was founded by 13 States on March 1st, 1781, with the enactment of the first U.S. Constitution, the Articles of Confederation , and governed through the United States in Congress Assembled . Samuel Huntington and George Washington served, respectively, as the Republic's first President and Commander-in-Chief; Fourth United American Republic: The United States of America: We the People was formed by 11 states on March 4th, 1789 (North Carolina and Rhode Island joined in November 1789 and May 1790, respectively), with the enactment of the U.S.

Constitution of 1787. The fourth and current United States Republic governs through the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate in Congress Assembled, the U.S. President and Commander-in-Chief, and the U.S. Supreme Court. George Washington served as the Republic's first President and Commander-in-Chief. Vice President Burr was now forty-five years old and at the top of his fortune. His daughter had made a highly satisfactory marriage, and his pecuniary prospects were improved. In 1801, just before entering upon his duties as vice-president, he was a member of a convention of the state of New York for revising its constitution, and was made chairman by unanimous vote. But a great change was at hand. Near the close of his term of office as vice-president, Burr, finding himself under a cloud with his party, sought to recover his popularity by being a candidate for the governorship of New York that pushed the Hamilton and Burr to violence. In that election, Burr turned his back on the Republicans and ran as an independent. Burr believed that if he won, he would regain power he lost as Vice President.

The prospect of Burr leading New York mortified Hamilton, who despised and mistrusted Burr completely. In early 1804, Hamilton lobbied New York Federalists not to support Burr. Morgan Lewis, the Republican candidate, rushed Burr in the general election due to the support of George and DeWitt Clinton, two powerful New York Republicans. In this contest Alexander Hamilton had put forth his utmost energies against Burr. Though the relations of these political leaders had remained outwardly friendly, they had long been rivals, and Hamilton had not hesitated to express in private his distrust of Burr, and to balk several of his ambitious projects. Early in the gubernatorial canvass, a New York Republican, Dr. Charles D. Cooper, attended a dinner party at which Alexander Hamilton spoke forcefully and eloquently against Burr. Cooper later wrote a letter to Philip Schuyler in which he made reference to a particularly "despicable opinion" Hamilton expressed about Burr. The letter was published in a New York newspaper the "Albany Register." Burr immediately fastened upon them as ground for a challenge. A long correspondence ensued, in which Hamilton vainly sought to avoid extremities.

Politics left Hamilton no choice as if he admitted to Burr's charge, which was substantially true, he would lose his honor. If he refused to duel, the result would be the same. Either way, his political career would be over. Burr on the other hand, believed that a victory on the dueling ground against Hamilton would revive his flagging political career. After Hamilton's and Burr's seconds tried without success to settle the matter amicably, the challenge was accepted, and the parties met on the bank of the Hudson, at Weehawken, New Jersey, at seven o'clock A. M., 7 July, 1804. Andrew Jackson kills Charles Dickinson in duel - May 30, 1806 - HISTORY.com Andrew Jackson kills Charles Dickinson in duel Share this: Andrew Jackson kills Charles Dickinson in duel Author Andrew Jackson kills Charles Dickinson in duel URL Publisher A+E Networks On this day in 1806, future President Andrew Jackson kills a man who accused him of cheating on a horse race bet and then insulted his wife, Rachel.

Contemporaries described Jackson, who had already served in Tennessee’s Senate and was practicing law at the time of the duel, as argumentative, physically violent and fond of dueling to solve conflicts. Estimates of the number of duels in which Jackson participated ranged from five to 100. Jackson and Dickinson were rival horse breeders and southern plantation owners with a long-standing hatred of each other. Dickinson accused Jackson of reneging on a horse bet, calling Jackson a coward and an equivocator. Dickinson also called Rachel Jackson a bigamist. (Rachel had married Jackson not knowing her first husband had failed to finalize their divorce.) After the insult to Rachel and a statement published in the National Review in which Dickinson called Jackson a worthless scoundrel and, again, a coward, Jackson challenged Dickinson to a duel. On May 30, 1806, Jackson and Dickinson met at Harrison’s Mills on the Red River in Logan, Kentucky. At the first signal from their seconds, Dickinson fired. Jackson received Dickinson’s first bullet in the chest next to his heart. Jackson put his hand over the wound to staunch the flow of blood and stayed standing long enough to fire his gun.

Dickinson’s seconds claimed Jackson’s first shot misfired, which would have meant the duel was over, but, in a breach of etiquette, Jackson re-cocked the gun and shot again, this time killing his opponent. Although Jackson recovered, he suffered chronic pain from the wound for the remainder of his life. Jackson was not prosecuted for murder, and the duel had very little effect on his successful campaign for the presidency in 1829. Many American men in the early 1800s, particularly in the South, viewed dueling as a time-honored tradition. In 1804, Thomas Jefferson’s vice president Aaron Burr had also avoided murder charges after killing former Treasury secretary and founding father Alexander Hamilton in a duel. In fact, Rachel’s divorce raised more of a scandal in the press and in parlors than the killing of Dickinson. Related Videos Aaron Burr - definition of Aaron Burr by The Free Dictionary Aaron Burr - definition of Aaron Burr by The Free Dictionary Related to Aaron Burr: Alexander Hamilton , smegma ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend: Noun 1.

Aaron Burr - United States politician who served as vice president under Jefferson; he mortally wounded his political rival Alexander Hamilton in a duel and fled south (1756-1836) Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us , add a link to this page, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content . Link to this page: RETRO REPORT-JANUARY, 1974:President Nixon is ordered to testify On that night, as Hamilton prepared for a morning duel with Aaron Burr, he made a list of which of the 85 essays in the Federalist Papers he'd written and which ones had been penned by James Madison or John Jay. Digital fingerprints: tiny behavioral differences can reveal your identity online For example, in the chapter about the prosecution of Aaron Burr for treason, the authors trace his contentious relationship with George Washington during the Revolutionary War, his vice presidency under Thomas Jefferson, his duel with Alexander Hamilton, and the preparations for what historians believe was a conspiracy against the United States. Aaron Burr - Biography and the Duel with Hamilton Aaron Burr Political Genius Remembered for Shooting Hamilton Was Nearly President Aaron Burr, who nearly won the deadlocked election of 1800.

Getty Images By Robert McNamara Aaron Burr is mostly remembered for a single violent act, the fatal shooting of Alexander Hamilton in their famous duel in New Jersey on July 11, 1804. But Burr was also involved in a number of other controversial episodes, including one of the most disputed elections in American history and a peculiar expedition to the western territories that resulted in Burr being tried for treason. Burr is a puzzling figure in history. He has often been portrayed as a scoundrel, a political manipulator, and a notorious womanizer. Yet during his long life Burr had many followers who considered him a brilliant thinker and a gifted politician. His considerable skills allowed him to prosper in a law practice, win a seat in the U.S. Senate, and nearly attain the presidency in a startling feat of deft political gamesmanship. After 200 years, Burr’s complicated life remains contradictory. Was he a villain, or simply a misunderstood victim of hardball politics? continue reading below our video Profile of Thomas Jefferson's Presidency Early Life of Aaron Burr Burr was born in Newark, New Jersey, on February 6, 1756.

His grandfather was Jonathan Edwards , a famous theologian of the colonial period, and his father was a minister. Young Aaron was precocious, and entered the College of New Jersey (present day Princeton University) at the age of 13. In the family tradition, Burr studied theology before becoming more interested in the study of law. Aaron Burr in the Revolutionary War When the American Revolution broke out, the young Burr obtained a letter of introduction to George Washington , and requested an officer's commission in the Continental Army. Washington turned him down, but Burr enlisted in the Army anyway, and served with some distinction in a military expedition to Quebec, Canada. And Burr did later serve on Washington’s staff. Burr was charming and intelligent, but clashed with Washington’s more reserved style. In ill health, Burr resigned his commission as a colonel in 1779, before the end of the Revolutionary War. He then turned his full attention to the study of the law. Burr’s Personal Life As a young officer Burr began a romantic affair in 1777 with Theodosia Prevost, who was ten years older than Burr and also married to a British officer. When her husband died in 1781, Burr married Theodosia.

In 1783 they had a daughter, also named Theodosia, to whom Burr was very devoted. Burr’s wife died in 1794. Accusations always swirled that he was involved with a number of other women during his marriage. Early Political Career Burr began his law practice in Albany, New York before moving to New York City to practice law in 1783. He prospered in the city, and established numerous connections that would prove useful in his political career. In the 1790s Burr advanced in New York politics. During this period of tension between the ruling Federalists and the Jeffersonian Republicans, Burr tended not to align himself too much with either side. He was thus able to present himself as something of a compromise candidate. In 1791, Burr had won a seat in the U.S. Senate by defeating Philip Schuyler, a prominent New Yorker who happened to be the father in law of Alexander Hamilton. Burr and Hamilton had already been adversaries, but Burr’s victory in that election caused Hamilton to hate him. As a senator, Burr generally opposed the programs of Hamilton, who was serving as secretary of the treasury.

Burr’s Controversial Role in the Deadlocked Election of 1800 Burr was the running mate of Thomas Jefferson in the presidential election of 1800 . Jefferson’s opponent was the incumbent president, John Adams . When the electoral vote produced a deadlock, the election had to be decided in the House of Representatives. In the prolonged balloting, Burr’s utilized his considerable political skills and nearly pulled off the feat of bypassing Jefferson and gathering enough votes to win the presidency for himself. Jefferson finally won after days of balloting. And in accordance with the Constitution at the time, Jefferson became president and Burr became vice president. Jefferson thus had a vice president he didn’t trust, and he gave Burr virtually nothing to do in the job. Following the crisis, the Constitution was amended so the scenario of the 1800 election could not occur again. Burr was not nominated to run with Jefferson again in 1804. Aaron Burr and the Duel with Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr had been conducting a feud since Burr’s election to the Senate more than ten years earlier, but Hamilton’s attacks on Burr became more intense in early 1804.

The bitterness reached its climax when Burr and Hamilton fought a duel . On the morning of July 11, 1804 the men rowed across the Hudson River from New York City to a dueling ground at Weehawken, New Jersey. Accounts of the actual duel have always differed, but the result was that both men fired their pistols. Hamilton’s shot did not strike Burr. Burr's shot struck Hamilton in the torso, inflicting a fatal wound. Hamilton was brought back to New York City and died the next day. Aaron Burr was portrayed as a villain. He fled and and actually went into hiding for a time, as he feared being charged with murder. Burr’s Expedition to the West The once-promising political career of Aaron Burr had been stalled while he served as vice president, and the duel with Hamilton effectively ended any chance he may have had for political redemption. In 1805 and 1806 Burr plotted with others to create an empire consisting of the Mississippi Valley, Mexico, and much of the American West. The bizarre plan had little chance for success, and Burr was charged with treason against the United States.

At a trial in Richmond, Virginia, which was presided over by Chief Justice John Marshall , Burr was acquitted. While a free man, his career was in ruins, and he moved to Europe for several years. Burr eventually returned to New York City and worked at a modest law practice. His beloved daughter Theodosia was lost in a shipwreck in 1813, which further depressed him. In financial ruin, he died on September 14, 1836, at the age of 80, while living with a relative on Staten Island in New York City.

Question: Which US Vice President killed his political rival Alexander Hamilton in a duel?
Answer: AARON BURR