Today in History: Burr Slays Hamilton in Duel
Hamilton is all the rage, and if you are lucky enough to get tickets then let us know! While some win lottery tickets, others are fortunate to get them another way — through a business or personal connection, or outright purchase at hundreds of dollars per seat. With music, lyrics, and book authored by Lin-Manual Miranda, this critically acclaimed, block buster show premiered on Broadway at the Richard Rogers Theatre on July 13, 2015, and officially opened on August 6, 2015 — signifiant dates given the historical timeline. Comes to light a critical history lesson about race, class, loyalty, friendship, politics — the structure and challenges of society, government, and our nation’s founding principles.
Vice President Aaron Burr fatally shot Alexander Hamilton, a Federalist and leader of American political economy, on July 11, 1804. Born in the Caribbean, Hamilton emigrated to the United States and joined the Continental Army, where was recognized by General George Washington who took him on as an aid. In the course of his career, Hamilton and Burr became political rivals, leading to the deadly “affair of honor” at the dueling grounds near Weehawken, New Jersey — the location where Hamilton’s son died defending the honor of his father.
The following articles are selected from Proquest Historical Newspapers, which informs and inspires classroom teaching and learning.
- Day Before the Deadly Duel. (1904, Jul 10). Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922)
- The Burr-Hamilton Duel One Hundred Years Ago. (1904, Jul 10). New York Times (1857-1922)
- This Day in History: The Burr-Hamilton Duel. (1945, Jul 11). Chicago Daily Tribune (1923-1963)
- Butterfield, R. (1948, Mar 06). The American Past: Aaron Burr Kills a Great American. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File)
- Freeman, I. (1954, Jul 02). 1804 Jury’s Report on Burr Exhibited. New York Times (1923-Current File)
- Kirsch, R. R. (1954, Jul 11). The Curious Life of Mr. Aaron Burr. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File)
- Columbia to Show Pistol from Duel Fatal to Hamilton. (1961, Aug 11). New York Times (1923-Current File)
- Hamilton’s Strategy, Shot Seen Going Awry in Duel. (1976, Nov 08). The Hartford Courant (1923-1991)
- Did this Man Cheat? (1976, Nov 08). Boston Globe (1960-1985)
- Ames, A. C. (1979, Sep 16). 2 Founding Fathers Seen as Heroes. Chicago Tribune (1963-Current File)
- Conroy, S.B. (1998, Sep 06). Pistols at Dawn: A Fatal Friendship. The Washington Post (1974-Current File)
- George, J. (2004, Jul 05). A Duel Evokes Dueling Emotions Over a Unique Place in History. New York Times (1923-Current File)
Tip: Check out these e-books:
- Broderick, James F. Paging New Jersey: A Literary Guide to the Garden State.
New Brunswick, N.J. : Rutgers University Press, c2003. - Freeman, Joanne B. Affairs of Honor: National Politics in the New Republic. New Haven: Yale University Press, c2001.
- Kennedy Roger G. Burr, Hamilton, and Jefferson: A Study in Character. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2000.
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