Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr Jr. was an American politician, businessman, and lawyer who served as the third vice president of the United States from 1801 to 1805, during Thomas Jefferson's first presidential term. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, he is primarily remembered for the killing of Alexander Hamilton in a duel, as well as his alleged conspiracy to take parts of the United States or the Spanish Empire to form an independent country.
Burr was born to a prominent family in what was then the Province of New Jersey. After studying theology at Princeton University, he began his career as a lawyer before joining the Continental Army as an officer in the American Revolutionary War in 1775. After leaving military service in 1779, Burr practiced law in New York City, where he became a leading politician and helped form the new Jeffersonian Democratic-Republican Party.
In 1791, Burr was elected to the United States Senate, where he served until 1797. He later ran in the 1800 presidential election. An Electoral College tie between Burr and Thomas Jefferson resulted in the U.S. House of Representatives voting in Jefferson's favor, with Burr becoming Jefferson's vice president due to receiving the second-highest share of the votes. Although Burr maintained that he supported Jefferson, the president was somewhat at odds with Burr, who was relegated to the sidelines of the administration during his vice presidency and was not selected as Jefferson's running mate in 1804 after the ratification of the 12th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Burr traveled west to the American frontier, seeking new economic and political opportunities. His secretive activities led to his 1807 arrest in Alabama on charges of treason. He was brought to trial more than once for what became known as the Burr conspiracy, an alleged plot to create an independent country led by Burr, but was acquitted each time. For a short period of time, Burr left the United States to live in Europe. He returned in 1812 and resumed practicing law in New York City. He died of a stroke on September 14, 1836, at the age of 80.
Early life and education
Aaron Burr Jr. was born on February 6, 1756, in Newark, in what was then the Province of New Jersey, one of the Thirteen Colonies of colonial era British America. He was the second child of the Reverend Aaron Burr Sr., a Presbyterian minister and second president of the College of New Jersey, which later became Princeton University. His mother, Esther Edwards Burr, was the daughter of Jonathan Edwards, a theologian, and his wife Sarah Edwards. He had one older sister, Sarah, who was also known as Sally.In 1757, Burr's father died while serving as president of College of New Jersey, which later became Princeton University. His grandfather, Jonathan Edwards, succeeded his father as the college's president, and lived with Burr and his mother in December 1757. Edwards died in March 1758, and Burr's mother and grandmother died the same year, leaving Burr and his sister orphaned when he was two years old. Young Burr and his sister were then placed with the William Shippen family in the Philadelphia, capital of British America. The following year, in 1759, the children's guardianship was assumed by their 21-year-old maternal uncle, Timothy Edwards. The following year, Edwards married Rhoda Ogden, and moved the family to Elizabeth, New Jersey, where Burr attended the Elizabethtown Academy. Burr had a very strained relationship with his uncle, who was often physically abusive. As a child, he made several attempts to run away from home.
At age 13, Burr was admitted to the College of New Jersey as a sophomore, where he joined the American Whig Society and the Cliosophic Society, the college's literary and debating societies. In 1772, at age 16, he received his Bachelor of Arts degree, but continued studying theology at Princeton for an additional year. He then undertook rigorous theological training with Joseph Bellamy, a Presbyterian, but changed his career path after two years. At age 19, he moved to Litchfield, Connecticut to study law with his brother-in-law Tapping Reeve, founder of the Litchfield Law School. In 1775, news reached Litchfield of the clashes with British troops in the Battles of Lexington and Concord, which launched the American Revolutionary War, and Burr put his studies on hold to enlist in the Continental Army, whose commander-in-chief was George Washington.
Career
Revolutionary War
During the American Revolutionary War, Burr took part in Colonel Benedict Arnold's expedition to Quebec, an arduous trek of more than through the northern frontier of the Province of Massachusetts Bay. Arnold was impressed by Burr's "great spirit and resolution" during the long march. He sent him up the Saint Lawrence River to contact General Richard Montgomery, who had taken Montreal, and escort him to Quebec. Montgomery then promoted Burr to captain and made him an aide-de-camp. Burr distinguished himself during the Battle of Quebec on December 31, 1775, where he attempted to recover Montgomery's corpse after he had been killed. However, his attempts to rescue the body of his general were short-lived, as Burr gave up due to the harsh conditions of the snow and the dead weight of Montgomery's body.In the spring of 1776, Burr's relative Matthias Ogden helped him to secure a position with George Washington's staff in Manhattan, but he quit on June 26 to be on the battlefield. General Israel Putnam took Burr under his wing, and Burr saved an entire brigade from capture after the British landing in Manhattan by his vigilance in the retreat from Lower Manhattan to Harlem. Washington failed to commend his actions in the next day's General Orders, which was the fastest way to obtain a promotion. Burr was already a nationally known hero, but he never received a commendation. According to Ogden, he was infuriated by the incident, which may have led to the eventual estrangement between him and Washington. Nevertheless, Burr defended Washington's decision to evacuate New York as "a necessary consequence". It was not until the 1790s that the two men found themselves on opposite sides in politics.
Burr was briefly posted in Kingsbridge during 1776, at which time he was charged with protecting 14-year-old Margaret Moncrieffe, the daughter of Staten Island-based British Major Thomas Moncrieffe. Miss Moncrieffe was in Manhattan "behind enemy lines", and Major Moncrieffe asked Washington to ensure her safe return there. Burr fell in love with Margaret, and her attempts to remain with Burr were unsuccessful.
In late 1776, Burr attempted to secure Washington's approval to retake fortifications on Staten Island, which were then held by the British, citing his deep familiarity with the area. Washington said he wanted to defer such an action until later in the conflict, and ultimately chose not to pursue it. The British learned of Burr's plans and later took extra precautions.
In July 1777, Burr was promoted to lieutenant colonel and assumed virtual leadership of Malcolm's Additional Continental Regiment. There were approximately 300 men under Colonel William Malcolm's nominal command, but Malcolm was frequently called upon to perform other duties, leaving Burr in charge. The regiment successfully fought off many nighttime raids into central New Jersey by Manhattan-based British troops who arrived by water. Later that year, Burr commanded a small contingent during the harsh winter encampment at Valley Forge, guarding "the Gulph", an isolated pass that controlled one approach to the camp. He imposed discipline and defeated an attempted mutiny by some of the troops.
Burr's regiment was devastated by British artillery on June 28, 1778, at the Battle of Monmouth in New Jersey, and Burr suffered heatstroke and exhaustion. Washington denied Burr's request for medical leave without pay, and instead placed Burr in temporary command of the garrison at West Point, New York, until his recovery.
In January 1779, Burr was assigned to Westchester County, New York, in command of Malcolm's Regiment, a region between the British post at Kingsbridge and that of the Americans about to the north. This district was part of the more significant command of General Alexander McDougall, and there was much turbulence and plundering by lawless bands of civilians and by raiding parties of ill-disciplined soldiers from both armies.
Due to continuing poor health, Burr resigned from the Continental Army in March 1779. During his recovery, Burr carried urgent messages to Washington and various officers at the request of Generals McDougall and Arthur St. Clair. On July 5, 1779, he rallied a group of Yale students at New Haven, Connecticut, along with Captain James Hillhouse and the Second Connecticut Governor's Guards, in a skirmish with the British at the West River. The British advance was repulsed, forcing them to enter New Haven from nearby Hamden.
In 1783, Burr became an Original Member of the New York Society of the Cincinnati, an organization of officers who had served in the Continental Army and Navy during the Revolution.
Marriage to Theodosia Bartow Prevost
Burr met Theodosia Bartow Prevost in August 1778 while she was married to Jacques Marcus Prevost, a Swiss-born British officer in the Royal American Regiment. In Prevost's absence, Burr began regularly visiting Theodosia at The Hermitage, her home in New Jersey. Theodosia would go on to visit Burr many times throughout his stay at West Point New York in June through July 1778. Although she was ten years older than Burr, the constant visits provoked gossip, and by 1780 the two were openly lovers. In December 1781, Burr learned that Jacques Prevost had died of yellow fever while serving in Jamaica.Burr and Theodosia were married in 1782, and they moved to a house on Wall Street in Lower Manhattan. After several years of severe illness, Theodosia died in 1794 from stomach or uterine cancer. Their only child to survive to adulthood was Theodosia Burr Alston, born in 1783.