The Hamilton-Burr Duel
Questions:
• How did they meet?
• How did their feud arise?
• What led them to want the duel?
• What was the outcome of the duel (Who died?)
• How did the outcome of the duel affect the community?
Part one: Exploring the early interactions of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr
• Include their upbringings
From the very start, Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton had very different upbringings. Though they had something in common with both being orphans, how and where they were raised molded them into two very different people.
In 1957, only a year after Burr was born, his father—Aaron Burr sr.—died. His mother, Esther Edwards, passed away just a year later, leaving Aaron and his sister, Sarah, orphans. The siblings
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By age 13, he was admitted to the Sophomore class at the College of New Jersey, and graduated summa cum laude. He then went on to enroll in the Litchfield law school in Connecticut.
Hamilton, on the other hand, was born and raised in Charlestown, the capital of Nevis, which is a tiny island of the British West Indies. Because of this, Hamilton did not have access to the same sorts of resources and education Burr did. Born out of wedlock, Alexander was the first illegitimate child of Rachel Faucett Lavien and James Hamilton. Around the age of ten, his father, James, abandoned Alex, his mother, and his brother (James Jr.), leaving the weight of raising two sons on Rachel. Three years later, Rachel died due to a severe fever, and Alex was left to fend for himself and his brother.
Because they were illegitimate children, the Church of England did not allow Alexander and James Jr. to be a part of the church, and denied them an education in the church school. This, however, did not stop Alexander, and decided to educate himself. In 1772, he finally made it to the mainland, and was able to complete the rest of his education in an American
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Not long after the gubernatorial election, the Albany Register published letters from Dr. Charles D. Cooper that relayed the doctor’s understanding of Hamilton’s opinion of Burr. According to Cooper, Hamilton had, during a dinner party, expressed that he thought the Vice President to be a “dangerous man, and one who ought not be trusted with the reins of government.” Cooper also claimed to know of “a still more despicable opinion” Hamilton had of Burr.
Burr, who took this as an insult to his honor, sent a letter to Hamilton, demanding an apology. Hamilton, however, refused, claiming he had no recollection of insulting Burr. In Hamilton’s eyes, these were only Cooper’s words and Cooper’s interpretation of what Hamilton had said. Burr did not accept this as a good answer, and in the several letters that followed, he demanded that Hamilton withdraw and renounce any of Hamilton’s previous opinions or statements that harmed Burr’s honor and reputation over the previous fifteen years.
Part three: The Duel and its
Judith St. George wrote a book called The Duel about the parallel lives of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. In the book, with 2 different lenses, she talks about them being students. Burr and hamilton had similar experiences but St. George wanted us to see how they are different as well. At only the age of 13, Burr got accepted to the College of New Jersey, now known as Princeton. Hamilton's lens was different.
Paragraph 3: Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr are similar people but both live different lives. They both became orphans at a very young age. Alex was born on January 11, 1755 in Nevis. He was always energetic. Early on when Alex was young, James Hamilton Sr. left them.
This even took place in the year 1790 which occurred before the duel between Hamilton and Burr, which occurred in 1804. Ellis continues his methodology of investigating unique personalities to discover the historical truth throughout this chapter. His research reveals that three separate meetings had been held between Jefferson, Madison, and Hamilton previously to address the issue, but Ellis believes Jefferson was keeping these meetings a secret in order to emphasize his own role. Ellis later suggests that Jefferson did more than just strive to be viewed as important. He also states that the ideas of Hamilton and Madison, without a mediator, had grown to far apart to reach compromise.
[Hamilton] Yes [Burr] Fools who run their mouths off wind up dead”. Not only did Lin Miranda foreshadow Hamilton’s soon-to-come death, but he also made Burr seem like a rude person from the start. He made Hamilton and Burr’s
Hamilton used his influence to persuade enough representatives to vote for Jefferson to make him the president. Burr was furious and never full forgave Hamilton for what he did. Hamilton and Jefferson didn’t get along very well, so it was surprised some that he chose to support him and not Burr, who he had worked alongside on various occasions. Another reason for Burr’s actions would be when he ran for governor of New York. He ultimately lost to Morgan Lewis, a republican.
A person’s true character is exposed in his actions and words in private settings around those he maintains an intimate relationship with. For that reason, the relationships individuals maintain with his or her confidante powerfully reveal who they truly are. In the book The Heartbreak of Aaron Burr, Brands portrays the touching father-daughter relationship Aaron Burr and Theodora Burr maintain. Although Thomas Jefferson argues that Aaron Burr is a horrible villain, Theodosia, Burr’s confidante, disagrees.
After a series of “paper wars” between the political opponents, Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel, which Hamilton accepted. According to Freeman, Hamilton accepted Burr’s challenge for a number of reasons. “In his mind, the duel; was a praiseworthy attempt to serve the common good... yet it was also an intensely personal attempt to preserve his public career. To prove to the world, and to himself, that he was a man of his word, a man of courage and principle, a leader.”
Section 1 – Identification and Evaluation of Sources This investigation will explore the question: What was the effect of the Reynolds Affair on Alexander Hamilton’s political and personal life? The Reynolds Affair, which occurred in 1791 between Alexander Hamilton and Maria Reynolds with her husband’s knowledge, was revealed to the public in 1797 by Hamilton himself to clear his name of speculation. One source that this investigation will be using and evaluating is referred to as “The Reynolds Pamphlet,” and has its origins as a defensive document written by Alexander Hamilton in 1797. Its purpose was to refute a charge of speculation that James Callender had levelled at Hamilton and thus its contents include descriptions of the affair, proof that Hamilton was innocent of speculation, and declarations of blackmail.
This is conveyed by Washington’s correspondence with Hamilton. Hamilton began his decline when Washington died. Freed of the tempered restraining influence of Washington, Hamilton’s judgment faltered. At this point, the book became almost unbearably sad. Hamilton engaged in a number of political feuds with Adams, Jefferson, Madison, and others that clouded his perspective.
Hamilton was self-driven from a young age which in turn made him extremely successful, but also very prideful. Aaron Burr acted out of pure childlike jealousy towards Hamilton, always giving him the cold shoulder and never truly helping him when Hamilton came for advice. Although the behavior was reciprocated on both sides, Aaron Burr was the one who took it
When it comes to Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton the main difference between the two was their political party. The basis of each of their political parties set the boundaries for their beliefs and their views as politicians. Both men were founding fathers of our country, and made a huge impact on history as we know it. Without these men, our country's government might not be what it is today. One of the only similarities of Jefferson and Hamilton was their want to diminish national debt.
Being a good leader does not necessarily mean shining in the spotlight. Some of the most revolutionary and successful leaders are the ones who worked the lights. Self-awareness, self-direction, vision, ability to motivate, and social awareness are the characteristics of a good leader according to SIY Leadership Institute (SIYLI). There have been many accomplished and renowned leaders in America since (and before) the 1770’s, ones whose names are universally known and others who are unfamiliar. Of the latter is Alexander Hamilton, who showed potential since the minute he was put on earth, for no matter what obstacles were thrown in his way he forged ahead and never threw away his shot.
A political figure is someone who has made an impact on our country in a way that no other political figure has. Each political figure is unique in their own way. That may include ending a war, starting a war, influencing the people of our country or just leaving their mark in the political world. Aaron Burr is one of our former political figures of this country. Aaron Burr definitely impacted this country in his own way.
Because of many of his radical views, he gained a lot of opposition in both the Federalist and Democratic-Republican parties, and was forced to resign, yet still remained popular, with a greatly valued opinion (Brookhiser). Hamilton then lost his firstborn son (Phillip) in a duel when Phillip challenged George Eacker to uphold his father’s honor. And yet Hamilton refused to remain quiet and openly opposed Aaron Burr in the election of 1800, and worked against Burr again when the Vice President ran for New York governorship. In an attempt to heal his wounded pride, Aaron Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel, and the discredited Alexander Hamilton died the day after. (Foner).
There was many differences between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson,they both had different ideas of how to run the country. Hamilton was a Federalist; he wanted the nation government to be strong , while Jefferson was a Democratic- Republic, he wanted the states to hold more power.(Competing Visions of Government: The Federalists vs. the Republicans) They both have different views in political issues and ideals for the country. Alexander Hamilton wanted a strong central government because he experienced the results of a weak central authority.(The Differences Between Hamilton & Jefferson's Views on Political Party Beliefs)On the other hand Thomas Jefferson wanted a weak central government because he thought that the threat of cruel