The Burr-Hamilton Duel

The Burr-Hamilton Duel

The Burr-Hamilton Duel took place on July 11, 1804, in Weehawken, New Jersey. It was a fatal confrontation between Alexander Hamilton, the former Federalist Secretary of the Treasury, and Aaron Burr, the then-sitting Democratic-Republican Vice President of the United States. The two men’s long-running animosity, both personal and political, came to a head with the duel.

The direct cause was a string of insults that they had traded, including some disparaging statements Hamilton had made about Burr at a dinner party that were subsequently made public. Burr vowed to protect his honour by challenging Hamilton to a duel.

Burr shot Hamilton in the abdomen during the duel; he was mortally wounded and died the next day. Following the duel, Burr’s political career took a serious hit as he was publicly demonised and accused of murder, but he was never found guilty. He became widely vilified for his actions.