Aaron Burr...

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Aaron Burr...
sorta like Hitler but not!

• Woodrow Wilson said he had genius enough to
  have made him immortal, and unschooled passion
  enough to have made him infamous.

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Historical Context

• Revolutionary War occurred during his prime
• Witnessed rise of Washington in spotlight
• Lived through Articles of Confederation,
  Constitutional signing
• 1804 Napoleon became Emperor of France, just
  generally conquering Europe
• 1804 Lewis and Clark Expedition set off
• War of 1812 during lifetime

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Biography

• Born February 6, 1756 in Newark, NJ to the
  Reverend Aaron and Esther Burr
• His father grandfather were the 2nd 3rd
  president of Princeton respectively
• Burr Jr. was orphaned at the age of 2, his
  parents and grandparents dying within 1 year of
  each other
• He was sent to live with his uncle Timothy
  Edwards, but later ran away and tried to become a
  sailor.
• Excelling in school, Burr studied theology at
  Princeton and later majored in law at Tapping
  Reeve

Tapping Reeve ?
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Biography (cont)

• During the Revolutionary War, Burr served under
  Benedict Arnold, George Washington and Israel
  Putnam
• During the war Burr became a distinguished field
  officer
• After the Brits were defeated Burr moved into
  New York City to begin practicing law
• Admitted to Bar in 1782
• State Assembly (1784-85)
• State Attorney General (1789-91)
• Served as US Senator (1791-97)
• And again in the State Assembly (1797-99)

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Biography (cont again)

• Burr was recruited to run with Thomas Jefferson
  in the 1800 election
• This was only so that the federalists would not
  get the electoral votes of New York, in which
  both Burr Alexander Hamilton lived for numerous
  years
• Burr and Jefferson both got the same amount of
  electoral votes
• Tie broken in House in Jeffersons favor since
  Hamilton considered him the less of two evils
• First prominent American man to enthusiastically
  embrace and publicly endorse some radical
  feminist views on the equal education of women
• He used these principles to give his teenage
  daughter, Theodosia, a "man's education" which
  would equip her for the three roles in life he
  envisioned for her queen, president, or empress

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Family Life

• Burr married friend Tapping Reeves sister Sally
• Daughter Theodosia born June 1783
• Wife became nearly invalid after birth, heavily
  in debt
• Wife dies in 1794, Theodosia was 11 years old
• At 77 years old, marries Madame Jumel
• Recklessly uses wifes money, separate
• Burr commits adultery, fathers 2 illegitimate
  children
• Burr was divorced the day he died by his 2nd wife

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Revolutionary War

• Volunteered for Col. Benedict Arnold in
  expedition against Quebec w/ Matthias Ogden _at_
  Cambridge
• During attack, only Burr his Indian guide
  survived out of his regiment.
• Rose to the rank of distinguished Field Officer
• Became a Lieutenant Colonel and after the Battle
  of Monmouth, he resigned (1779)
• Served under Washington at Valley Forge, no
  complaints
• Almost involved in Conway Cabal
• Plot at Valley Forge to rid Colonial army of
  Washington
• Commanded a regiment that repulsed a raid of
  2500 Tories

8
Law Career

• Passed bar in 1782 despite Alexander Hamiltons
  attempts to thwart him
• Opened a law office in Albany, NY later that
  year

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Political Career

• Elected to State Assembly (1784-85)
• Was then appointed to New York State Attorney
  General from 1789 to 1791
• Served as US Senator (1791-97)
• Won over Hamiltons father-in-law Gen. Schuyler,
  contributing to ongoing feud
• Served again in the State Assembly (1797-99)
• Turned Tammany Hall into a political machine
• Elected to the position of Vice-President in
  1800 under Thomas Jefferson
• Tied in electoral votes, but Jefferson won the
  presidency because Hamilton considered him the
  lesser of 2 evils
• Ran for governor of New York in 1804, but lost
  due to attacks by Hamilton

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Hamiltonian Duel

• A letter written by Hamilton attacking Burr as
  unfit for public office was published Apr. 24,
  1804
• Burr took especially lots of personal offense to
  this
• Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel, pistols at
  dawn
• Duel took place on July 11, 1804 in Weehawken,
  NJ
• Hamilton was mortally wounded, dying several
  days later
• Major contributor to the decline of Federalists

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Northern Conspiracy (1/3)

• During the winter of 1803-1804 Burr joined up
  with some Federalist congressmen in New England
• Plotted to establish a northern confederacy
  consisting of New Jersey, New York, New England,
  and Canada
• Hoped to have help from Britain with idea
• Needed Burr to convince New York to go along
  with plan.
• Northern Federalists pledged support to Burrs
  gubernatorial campaign in return for New York.
• The only reason the federalists turned to Burr
  was because Hamilton himself rejected the plan

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Western Conspiracy (2/3)

• After Vice-Presidency Burr went out west for
  some casual conspiring with his friend James
  Wilkinson
• It is believed that he intended to set up a
  nation, independent from the United States, in
  the Mississippi Valley
• Others thought he wanted to capture then Mexican
  territories in nowadays Texas, New Mexico
  California
• Burr might also have asked the Brits for
  500,000 naval support in order to take over
  the land west of Appalachia and create an empire
  with him as the leader
• Burr meets on Blennerhassetts Island with
  Harman Blennerhasset, talks to Blennerhassett
  about plans, gains his support
• Meets General Wilkinson at Ft. Massac, who
  provides Burr with a barge, sailors, and letter
  of introduction to friends in New Orleans

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The Western Conspiracy Continues...

• Burr meets Daniel Clark promised 50,000 to
  support projects, traveled to Mexico to gauge
  attitudes towards possible insurrection in the US
• Clark comments that he Might be a duke in new
  empire
• Burr leaves New Orleans on July 1805
• Meets with Wilkinson again in St. Louis
• Wilkinson suspects Burr of treason in
  self-serving letter to Jefferson
• Burr then travels to Western Pennsylvania to meet
  with Colonel Morgan and sons
• Attempts to enlist revealed shocking plans
  Morgan sends letter to Jefferson

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More wonderful conspiring

• Burr returns to Blennerhassetts Island to make
  final preparations
• Purchases 15 boats for 500 men and provisions
• Gives 4000 to Andrew AJ Jackson to buy 4 more
  boats
• Burr promises part of his 300,000 acres of land
  on Washita River to volunteers
• Wilkinson abandons Conspiracy and sends troops
  to the Mississippi Valley to be on alert for an
  attack
• Jefferson learns of conspiracy, alerts all
  government officials to be on alert
• Burr caught by militia near Natchez, surrenders
  and put on trial

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The Trial of Aaron Burr

• Grand Jury listened to evidence, declared not
  guilty of any crime or misdemeanor against the
  United States and condemns arrest
• Burr released, disguises self as boatman and
  disappears into wilderness
• New warrant for arrest after new evidence found
• Burr arrested mid-February in Alabama, taken to
  Richmond
• John Marshall judge at trial, District Attorney
  George Hay, Defense Attorney Edmund Randolph
• Hay argues for treason and high misdemeanors
• Randolph argues that no overt act of treason
  committed
• Actual trial begins on May 22, 1807

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The Verdict

• Marshall ruled insufficient evidence for
  treason, set trial for high misdemeanors
• June 15 Wilkinson arrives, testifies
• Grand Jury indicts for treason AND high
  misdemeanors
• Burr pleads not guilty
• Jury finds Burr
• Burr still disgraced

NOT GUILTY
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The French Conspiracy (3/3)

• Shortly after his acquittal for treason and
  while still under indictment for killing
  Hamilton, Burr traveled to Europe
• Burr meets with Napoleon, attempts to persuade
  him to ally with Britain for joint invasion of US
  and Mexico
• Burr unsuccessful in his venture, goes home

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Impact on History

• Contested election of 1800 led to revisal of
  electoral process
• President and Vice President grouped on same
  ticket
• Assisted demise of Federalist Party, killed main
  leader Hamilton
• Case of treason led to definition of treasonous
  acts

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(No Transcript)
20
N. York, 21 June, 1804.     Sir Your letter
of the 20th inst. has been this day received.
Having considered it attentively, I regret to
find in it nothing of that sincerity and delicacy
which you profess to value. Political
opposition can never absolve gentlemen from the
necessity of a rigid adherence to the laws of
honor and the rules of decorum. I neither claim
such privilege nor indulge it in others. The
common sense of mankind affixes to the epithet
adopted by Dr. Cooper the idea of dishonor. It
has been publicly applied to me under the
sanction of your name. The question is not
whether he has understood the meaning of the word
or has used it according to syntax and with
grammatical accuracy, but whether you have
authorized this application either directly or by
uttering expression or opinion derogatory to my
honor. The time when is in your own knowledge
but no way material to me, as the calumny has now
just been disclosed so as to become the subject
of my notice and as the effect is present and
palpable. Your letter has furnished me with new
reasons for requiring a definite reply. I have
the honor to be,     Your Obt. Servt.     A.
BURR    
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Reputation

• Early in life, seen as precocious and striving
• During political career, made enemies with many
  Federalists
• Disgraced after repeated involvement in
  conspiracies, intrigues, and general mishaps
• Seen as conspiratorial and philandering in
  hindsight

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Random Facts

• The word gubernatorial was used 3 times,
  including this use
• Aaron Burr, was not, in fact, related to either
  the Pope OR Hitler
• He was, however, related to Jonathan Edwards,
  who incidentally thinks that God will cast you
  into a pit of flames
• Our group hopes sincerely that Ms. Moses has a
  sense of humor

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FIN