Burr's Boats, Part I
Most of Cincinnati’s thousand citizens lined the banks of the Ohio River on April 27, 1801, to watch one of the wonders of the age. A great new sailing ship, St. Clair, was passing downriver from Marietta for its maiden voyage in the Gulf of Mexico. Its journey would fire the imaginations of many men,…
Read MoreMeeting McCullough
Last Tuesday night, I attended a lecture on the Constitution by David McCullough at the Capitol Visitors Center. (He’s the one on the right in the photo.) The event was sponsored by The Constitutional Sources Project, an online site that aims to make available all the relevant information about the drafting and ratification of the…
Read MoreThe Lesson of Aaron Burr to the President: Beware of Nonpartisanship!
On this 175th anniversary of the death of Aaron Burr, I have an item up on Huffington Post questioning whether Americans really want nonpartisanship. That certainly was not Burr’s experience! (Shooting Hamilton also did not help.)
Read MoreNuremburg War Crimes Trials
John Q. Barrett is a law professor at St. John’s in New York and a scholar of Justice Robert Jackson (pictured below). He produces periodic e-mails about Justice Jackson that are often fascinating. His most recent message deals with Jackson’s exchange with Judge Charles Wyzanski over the legitimacy of the Nuremburg trials of Nazi leaders…
Read MoreThe Original Jersey Boys
I have a new article at Smithsonian.com about Aaron Burr and his posse of North Jersey pals from Elizabeth, “The Original Jersey Boys.” The four boyhood friends achieved much — heroes of the Revolution, three became senators, one was Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Burr was vice president. But they also failed greatly. …
Read MoreKirkus Reviews Gives "American Emperor" a Starred Review!
I take the liberty of posting the entire, delightful review! AMERICAN EMPEROR [STARRED REVIEW!] Aaron Burr’s Challenge to Jefferson’s America Author: Stewart, David O. A fresh, vivid exploration of the exploits and trial of Aaron Burr (1756–1836), the most notorious figure of the early American republic. In 1800, Burr came within one electoral vote of…
Read MoreTop 10 Government Showdowns
In honor of the debt-ceiling drama playing out here in Washington, Time Magazine has put together a list of Top 10 Government Showdowns in American history. I was initially delighted that the subjects of all three of my books made the list (indicated below). Then I started wondering about the quality of the list, and…
Read MoreGreat Early Reviews for "American Emperor"
Though the book is still three months away from the bookstores, two early reviews for American Emperor are gratifying. In today’s Kansas City Star, Professor Glenn Altschuler of Cornell University calls the book a “compelling, provocative” portrait of Aaron Burr. He also write: “In American Emperor David O. Stewart, a lawyer practicing in Washington, D.C.,…
Read MoreBurr v. Hamilton: 207 years ago
The New York Times today commemorated the 207th anniversary of the Burr-Hamilton duel with an account of a journey to Weehawken that I took with the Times reporter, James Barron. (Purists will note that the true anniversary of the duel is tomorrow, July 11.) The journey, and Mr. Barron’s excellent account, reflect the extent to…
Read MoreThe Fourth and Thomas Jefferson
What better way to prepare for the Fourth of July, which celebrates Thomas Jefferson’s brilliant Declaration of Independence, than to reflect on the never-ending dispute over whether Jefferson fathered from one to four children borne by his slave, Sally Hemings. The accusation began with a scandal-mongering newsman in 1802. James Callender, a Scot, had been…
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