It may sound strange to us today, but dueling was once an official way to preserve one’s pride. It was often practiced by politicians and military leaders. Most duels were not fatal, however in some cases they were. In the case of Burr-Hamilton, it certainly was.
The Art of Dueling
Throughout Europe, dueling was primarily carried out with swords. In the United States, however, pistols were favored instead. This meant that American duels were often more dangerous, and more fatal.
Oftentimes, when two men had developed a bitter relationship, they could enact a duel to end the rivalry. Alternatively, if one man was offended by another, he could challenge him to a duel to earn respect and pride among his peers.
If the man who was challenged did not accept the duel, he was seen as a coward. In those days, such a title could negatively affect a political or military career.
Burr and Hamilton
One of the most famous duels in American history is known as the Burr-Hamilton Duel. It spouted from a bitter rivalry between Aaron Burr, Vice President of the United States, and Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury. The duel is a story of how one political genius allowed his pride to get the best of him.
Alexander Hamilton was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was a major influencer and supporter of the U.S. Constitution. His geniusness led him to create the nation’s financial system, pushing the United States into its first steps from thirteen colonies into a world superpower. Regardless of his stature, Hamilton did have several political opponents within the fairly new U.S. government.
Aaron Burr had been one of these opponents. Burr had been elected as Vice President in 1800, with Thomas Jefferson elected as President. Jefferson had very different, and often opposing, views compared to Alexander Hamilton. Both men often had completely opposite ideas for how the United States should be governed. This inevitably put Burr at odds with Hamilton.
Tensions Rise
After the election of 1800, Hamilton began to publicly express his opinions on the Jefferson-Burr presidency. He published letters that spoke negatively about the two executive leaders. Hamilton also stated that he found Burr to be “more dangerous” than Jefferson, in that Burr may abuse his power.
Burr soon replied with his own letters, fueling the rivalry. One letter read:
“Political opposition can never absolve gentlemen from the necessity of a rigid adherence to the laws of honor and the rules of decorum .”
By June 1804, tensions had intensified as both Hamilton and Burr began to verbally attack each other.
Eventually, Burr had enough. He formally challenged Hamilton to a duel, in which his opponent accepted.
The Duel
On 11 July 1804, the duel was held near Weehawken, New Jersey. Hamilton and Burr had both brought a second with them, as well as a few other witnesses. Seconds were in charge of organizing the duel and making sure that both parties had accepted the terms.
Hamilton had accepted the challenge in order to preserve his pride among his peers. Surely he was still needed in the government, as he was a leading member of the Federalist Party. He was also a husband and father. Nevertheless, Hamilton would still engage in this deadly duel with pistols.
When the duel began, Hamilton took the first shot. His shot missed, however, and hit a tree near Burr. Some of the witnesses later reported that Hamilton had done this on purpose. While he had intended to preserve his pride, Hamilton didn’t need to kill the man to accomplish that. After all, dueling with pistols had recently been outlawed in both New York and New Jersey.
Whether Hamilton had missed intentionally or not, it would not matter. Since each participant was allowed only one shot, Hamilton could only stand by while Burr was able to get a deadly aim.
Burr fired his pistol. His bullet ripped through Hamilton’s lower rib cage, severely damaging some of the Founding Father’s internal organs.
Alexander Hamilton was pronounced dead on the following day.
Immediate Effect
Following the duel, the Federalist Party fell apart with the loss of its leader. The Democratic and Republican Parties would then take the center stage of political parties in the United States.
Aaron Burr’s political career was largely ruined. His term as Vice President ended in 1805, and he would never again hold a high political position.
Though dueling had been outlawed, all of the charges against Burr, including murder, had been dropped. The judge ruled that both men were consenting adults who knew well of the risks.
Conclusion
As the 19th century carried on, dueling began to fade away in the United States as it was seen as an outdated practice. Military leaders and politicians that were highly needed, such as Alexander Hamilton, were being killed for senseless reasons. Soon after, dueling was replaced with the modern means of settling scores: lawsuits.
