Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr were never friends, but for over a decade they were something more dangerous to each other: equally brilliant, equally ambitious, and almost always on opposite sides.
Both men trained as lawyers in New York. Both served with distinction in the Revolutionary War. Both wanted influence in the new nation they'd helped build. But where Hamilton built his power through the Treasury, the Federalist Papers, and a tightly-knit political network, Burr built his through personal charisma and a talent for making alliances of convenience — a style Hamilton distrusted and said so, often and publicly.
Their rivalry came to a head in the contested presidential election of 1800, when Burr and Thomas Jefferson tied in the Electoral College, throwing the decision to the House of Representatives. Hamilton, no admirer of Jefferson, nonetheless worked behind the scenes to tip wavering votes toward Jefferson rather than Burr, whom he considered dangerously unprincipled. Burr became Vice President anyway, but the snub was not forgotten.
Four years later, Burr ran for Governor of New York. Hamilton again campaigned against him, and Burr lost badly. Then came the spark: a newspaper printed a letter referencing disparaging remarks Hamilton had allegedly made about Burr's character at a dinner party. Burr demanded either a denial or an explanation. Hamilton, unwilling to lie but also unwilling to specify exactly what he'd said, gave an answer vague enough that Burr considered it no answer at all.
Under the rigid honor code of the era, there was now only one path left open to both men.
Next time: how this rivalry finally came to its end — and what Hamilton left behind that still shapes America 250 years later.
While you wait, catch up on the rest of our America at 250 series on our Facebook page — the story of the painting behind the Declaration, Hamilton's early life, and how he rebuilt the nation's finances are all there.
— Benny
Seniors AI Helper
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