Aaron BURR
Biography

AARON BURR, one of the many brilliant figured on the political stage in the early days of America, was born at Newark, New Jersey, February 6, 1756. He was the son of Aaron and Esther Burr, the former the president of the College of New Jersey, and the latter a daughter of Jonathan Edwards, who had been president of the same educational institution. Young Burr graduated at Princeton in 1772. In 1775 he joined the provincial army at Cambridge, Massachusetts. For a time, he served as a private soldier, but later was made an aide on the staff of the unfortunate General Montgomery, in the Quebec expedition. Subsequently he was on the staffs of Arnold, Putnam and Washington, the latter of whom he disliked. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel and commanded a brigade on Monmouth's bloody field. In 1779, on account of feeble health, Colonel Burr resigned from the army. He took up the practice of law in Albany, New York, but subsequently removed to New York City. In 1789 he became attorney general of that state. In 1791 he was chosen to represent the state of New York in the United States senate and held that position for six years. In 1800 he and Thomas Jefferson were both candidates for the presidency, and there being a tie in the electoral college, each having seventy three votes, the choice was left to congress, who gave the first place to Jefferson and made Aaron Burr vice president, as the method then was. In 1804 Mr. Burr and his great rival, Alexander Hamilton, met in a duel, which resulted in the death of the latter, Burr losing thereby considerable political and social influence. He soon embarked in a wild attempt upon Mexico, and as was asserted, upon the southwestern territories of the United States. He was tried for treason at Richmond, Virginia, in 1807, but acquitted, and to avoid importunate creditors, fled to Europe. After a time, in 1812, he returned to New York, where he practiced law, and where he died, September 14, 1836. A man of great ability, brilliant and popular talents, his influence was destroyed by his unscrupulous political actions and immoral private life.

A Biographical Record Of Schuyler County, New York, S. J. Clarke, 1903

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