Posts Tagged ‘Aaron Burr’
Who's Checking the Facts?
My question is prompted by a recent book out about General James Wilkinson — An Artist in Treason, by Andro Linklater. It just received a respectful review from NPR, which absolutely baffles me. Wilkinson is a worthy subject for a book. He was the general-in-chief of the U.S. Army from 1797 (or so) to about 1808. He…
Read MoreBurr and Jeremy Bentham
After his plans for insurrection in the Mississippi Valley and Mexico came to ashes, and after winning acquittal on treason charges in 1807, Aaron Burr traveled to Britain to secure support for the liberation of Spanish colonies in America. He quickly formed a close friendship of political philosopher Jeremy Bentham, staying at one or another of Bentham’s homes for weeks at…
Read MoreTreason, American Style
Nattering on about Aaron Burr’s 1807 treason trial this week, I was brought up short by a very simple question: How many treason trials have there been in the United States? I resolved to investigate the question, which yielded the following. The Framers of the Constitution mistrusted treason prosecutions, seeing them as an easily abused tool of political…
Read MoreHaiti in Memory
The history of Haiti — which has taken such a terrible turn tis week — is intertwined with the story of Aaron Burr’s western conspiracy. The slave revolt and war for independence in Haiti in the 1790s and early 1800s intersected with Burr in two important ways. First, many French refugees from San Domingo (as…
Read MoreThings Written Remain
A striking feature of Aaron Burr’s life is the paucity of written material he left behind. For a man who spent 20 years in public life during the nation’s founding, the material left is slim indeed. The Political Correspondence and Papers of Aaron Burr were published in 1983 and constitute only two volumes. By way of…
Read MoreAaron Burr and Goethe — 200 years ago
On January 4, 1810, Aaron Burr met with the poet Johan Goethe in Weimar, Germany. They were rough contemporaries: Goethe was 60; Burr 53. But they were at very different stages in their lives. Goethe was a literary giant in 1810, renowned for The Sorrows of Young Werther, and still producing great poetry as he…
Read MoreBurr on James Monroe
Aaron Burr virtually never spoke ill of others. That trait may partly explain the deep anger that drove him to challenge Alexander Hamilton to their famous duel in 1804 after Hamilton had slandered him for more than a decade. Nevertheless, there was one notable exception to Burr’s practice: his explosive denunciation (in private correspondence with his son-in-law) of James Monroe,…
Read MoreBurr's Wisdom
In 1795, Burr advised his daughter Theodosia to retain her serenity at all costs. If only he had followed his own advice nine years later when he challenged Alexander Hamilton to a duel! Receive with calmness ever reproof, whether made kindly or unkindly, whether just or unjust. Consider within yourself whether there has been no cause…
Read MoreThe Wit and Wisdom of Aaron Burr
In my current work on the conspiracy of former Vice President Aaron Burr in 1805-07, I am constantly coming across epigrams that flowed from the pen of Burr. I will cram as many as I can in the book. Until then, I have resolved to share them in this forum. So, for our first entry,…
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