Aaron Burr

Aaron Burr was born on February 6, 1756, in Newark, New Jersey . His father, Aaron, was the pastor of the Newark Presbyterian Congregation. His mother, Esther, was the daughter of the well-known theologian Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758).

Before the younger Aaron was a year old, his father took a post as president of the College of New Jersey (later Princeton University), and the family moved to Princeton. His father died a few months later, in September 1757. The deaths of his mother and grandparents followed within the next year. Aaron and his older sister, Sarah, moved to the care of Timothy Edwards, a twenty-year-old uncle.

Burr prepared for college and graduated from Princeton at seventeen. He began to study theology to become a minister, but in 1774 he abandoned those studies. Instead he decided to become a lawyer. That plan, however, was delayed by the American Revolution (1775–83).

Military service

The Battle of Lexington, which opened the war, inspired Burr to join the Revolutionary cause. (See Battle of Lexington and Concord .) He and Benedict Arnold (1741–1801) fought in the expedition to take Quebec. Although the attack was unsuccessful, Burr served with distinction.

In the spring of 1776, Burr joined the staff of General George Washington (1732–1799) as a major. Their personalities conflicted, and Burr was transferred to the staff of General Israel Putnam (1718–1790). Burr served with distinction in the battle of Long Island and in the evacuation of New York .

In July 1777, Burr was appointed lieutenant-colonel in the Continental line. He earned a reputation for discipline and daring as the

leader of a regiment stationed in Orange County, New York. The hardships of his stations, however, took a toll on Burr. His health began to suffer, and in March 1779 he submitted his resignation. After a long period of recovery, Burr returned to the study of law.

Law and politics

In 1780, Burr was well enough to begin his study of law with determination. He eventually relocated to Haverstraw, New York, and was admitted to the New York Bar as an attorney in early 1782. In July, he married Theodosia Bartow Provost, the widow of a British army officer. Over the course of their twelve years together, she gave birth to four children. Only one, a daughter, survived into adulthood, and she disappeared at sea in 1812. Theodosia died in 1794.

In the fall of 1783, the Burrs moved to New York City, where Burr established a law practice. He was a highly respected attorney. With the encouragement of a radical political group, Burr gained election to the New York State Assembly. He served from 1784 to 1785 but refrained from being nominated for another term.

Burr continued to be entangled in the work of the state's political factions. As a result, he earned an appointment as the state attorney general in 1789. In 1791, he began to serve in the U.S. Senate. It was during this time that Burr gained an enemy in Alexander Hamilton (1755–1804), who was secretary of the treasury under President Washington.

During his six years in the Senate, Burr became associated with the politics of Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), President Washington's secretary of state. After James Monroe (1758–1831) left the Senate, Burr became the spokesman for the policies of the Jeffersonians. In 1796, both Burr and Jefferson ran for president, but Vice President John Adams defeated both of them. At that time, representatives from each state voted in the election; the first-place finisher was declared president, while the second-place finisher automatically became vice president. In 1796, that meant that Adams would be president and runner-up Jefferson would be vice president. Failing to gain reelection to the Senate the same year, Burr returned to New York in 1797. There, he was elected to the State Assembly again and served until 1799.

Vice presidency

During Adams's presidency, political parties became clearly defined in the young nation. Jefferson's supporters, including Burr, belonged to the Democratic-Republican Party . In the election of 1800, Jefferson and Burr received the same number of electoral votes, tying for the presidency. The Constitution required that the election be decided by the House of Representatives. In the tie-breaking vote there, Jefferson was elected president, and Burr became vice president, thanks in part to Hamilton's support for Jefferson. As vice president, Burr was not very popular with members of either the Federalist Party or the Democratic-Republican Party. By 1804, the Twelfth Amendment had been passed, which required electors to vote for president and vice president separately. New York governor George Clinton (1739–1812) wound up being elected as Jefferson's second-term vice president.

With Burr's days as vice president numbered, his political friends nominated him for the governorship of New York. Although he gathered some support, Burr's popularity had continued to decline. His political rivals, especially Hamilton, worked against him as well. He was defeated by a heavy majority.

Hamilton's scorn during the New York election infuriated Burr and prompted a duel between them. Burr fatally shot Hamilton on July 11, 1804, at Weehawken, New Jersey, while still serving as vice president.

Declining popularity

Burr's duel with Hamilton, while giving him political revenge, brought many difficulties as well. Although duels were still common, they were not legal in either New Jersey or New York. Hamilton was immensely popular and had many admirers who were angered by the event. Officials in both New York and New Jersey charged Burr with multiple crimes, including murder. He fled first to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , and then to South Carolina . Although he eventually beat the charges and returned to complete his term as vice president, the end of his term in March 1805 effectively marked the end of his political career.

Another incident contributed to the decline of Burr's reputation. It appears that between 1805 and 1807 he was involved in plans either to separate the western states from the Union or to conquer the Spanish possessions of Texas and northern Mexico, or perhaps to accomplish both feats. The facts are so unclear that Burr's intentions remain clouded today. It is clear, however, that Burr was working toward some sort of uprising.

In preparation for his plans, Burr recruited volunteers, gathered supplies, and sought financial assistance. Among those plotting alongside Burr was the commanding general of the U.S. Army, James Wilkinson (1757–1825), who promised to supply Burr with troops. Wilkinson, however, changed his mind and decided to further his own career by revealing Burr's plans to authorities.

Burr was arrested and tried for treason. Fortunately for him, political sparring between President Jefferson and Chief Justice John Marshall (1755–1835) resulted in Burr's acquittal. Upon his release, Burr sought refuge in Europe.

Last years

Burr's reputation both socially and politically had plummeted. He was heavily in debt, and creditors were relentless. Burr retreated and set sail for England in June 1808. Ever hopeful of gathering support for his plans, Burr traveled from England to Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and France. He failed to gain support, however, and decided to return home to his daughter and grandson. Due to an unfortunate string of events, he did not return home until May 1812.

Burr returned to New York, where he had little difficulty reestablishing his legal practice. Within the year, both his grandson and daughter died. Financial difficulties continued to plague him. He suffered a minor stroke in 1830. In July 1833, Burr married a much younger and wealthier woman, Eliza Jumel. After only four months, they separated due to arguments concerning finances. Her request for divorce was granted after a dramatic trial. Burr died on September 14, 1836, the day the divorce was to become effective.