jul 11, 1804 - Burr-Hamilton Duel
Description:
A duel in which Vice President Aaron Burr shot and killed former Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton.
Hamilton, a Federalist, and Burr, a Democratic-Republican, were never on the best terms. Their relationship turned especially sour when Hamilton cast his support for Thomas Jefferson instead of Burr for president in the 1800 election. Hamilton viewed Jefferson as the lesser of two evils, and called Burr a "mischievous enemy." His support was the deciding factor in Jefferson's win, with Burr only scoring vice president. Hamilton struck Burr down again in 1804, where he greatly assisted Morgan Lewis in winning the election as Governor of New York, a position for which Burr was also running.
Their hostilities culminated with a letter published by Charles D. Cooper of the Albany Press showing Hamilton's hostilities toward Burr. The vice president demanded an apology from Hamilton and challenged him to a duel when he received none. Both participants, placing their honor in high regard, would not back down. It was confirmed that both Hamilton and Burr fired, with the former missing (allegedly on purpose) and the latter hitting. The shot mortally wounded Hamilton, who died the next day.
The duel heavily damaged Burr's political career. He did not run with Jefferson in the 1804 election, instead being replaced by George Clinton. He was charged with murder, as the practice of dueling was in the process of being outlawed in the North, but he was never brought to court. He fled to South Carolina but soon returned to the capital to continue to serve as vice president for the remainder of his term.
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