Did you know?: The Burr conspiracy after the infamous duel with Hamilton
This Did You Know segment originally appeared in the Today So far newsletter on July 11, 2022.
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On this day in history, July 11, 1804, Aaron Burr fatally shot Alexander Hamilton in their now famous duel. Burr was charged with murder after Hamilton died from his wound. But since he was vice president at the time, the charge never went too far.
Most of us know that story, either because of "Hamilton" the musical or because of "Drunk History." But what some people don't know is that Burr went on to create even more controversy. He faced multiple charges of treason, but was never ultimately convicted. This all stemmed from allegations that Burr was brewing up an international conspiracy. It's a long story, but the short version is that he allegedly kept attempting to seize land, create a new country, and make himself the monarch. Such plans included stealing land that the United States recently got through the Louisiana Purchase, and also getting into a fight with Spanish Mexico to seize land there. None of these alleged plans worked out. I say "alleged" because he kept dodging convictions due to lack of evidence.
Despite no charges ever sticking, Burr was not popular in the United States after all this. He went to Europe to hide from his bad reputation and debts. He eventually returned to the U.S. where he passed away. And history has since leaned more toward Hamilton's perspective that Burr was a bit of an opportunist who could not be trusted.
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Dyer Oxley
Online Editor/Producer
Dyer Oxley joined KUOW as an Online Editor/Producer in 2020, handling day-to-day upkeep of the station’s website while providing editorial oversight. He also helms KUOW’s Today So Far newsletter, an insightful daily roundup of what KUOW is reporting ... so far.
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