The Life and Times of Aaron Burr, Hamilton's Nemesis

Soldier, attorney, Vice President, Aaron Burr is often seen as a villain of early American history. But historians have revisited his legacy in the last twenty years. The life and forgotten history of Aaron Burr deserves to be remembered.
This is original content based on research by The History Guy. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. As images of actual events are sometimes not available, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration.
All events are portrayed in historical context and for educational purposes. No images or content are primarily intended to shock and disgust. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Non censuram.
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Script by Tracy Douglas
#ushistory #thehistoryguy #AaronBurr

[@Shalalacls]

"She chose Alexander Hamilton Jr. as her lawyer" Such pettiness. I love it.

[@rowanmakesmemes7301]

I couldn't stop laughing when he said that.

[@redjirachi1]

Hamilton Jr would be smiling from Heaven

[@ottohesslein3230]

Here's some irony...Hamilton had an affair with a Maria Reynolds. It was a total set up by Reynolds' husband, who was pimping her out! (TRUE!) Hamilton was shaken down for money, and got out of it crying on the shoulder of James Monroe and Thomas Jefferson. A few years later, Maria Reynolds divorced her husband. Her lawyer: Aaron Burr. (TRUE!!!)

[@buttflunky2100]

@@ottohesslein3230 Hamilton wasn't "crying on the shoulder of Monroe and Jefferson", he was investigated by Monroe for embezzling public funds. Hamilton and Jefferson hated each other

[@amatt2116]

Legend has it this man was reliable with the ladies.

[@RonStarr215]

Adam Matthews so many to deflower

[@alexavieralagao3343]

Ladies! Look proximity to power

[@PhilipHami]

Ladies! They delighted and distracted him.

[@AmyHoward13]

It’s okay. He’s a trust fund baby.

[@thelasthandbook6704]

IIRC the ending of Gore Vidal's novel, titled simply Burr, heavily implies Martin Van Buren was his illegitimate son. Doubtless complete invention on Vidal's part, but I guess he got the idea from somewhere.

[@patriciagarrison3182]

I grew up next to Theodosia’s home in Hohokus, NJ, and started studying Aston Burr when I was young. I have always felt that he got such a raw deal from history. He was intelligent, savvy, independent, and really ahead of his time. He was no traitor, and even in the face of Thomas Jefferson’s sharp tongue, Alexander Hamilton’s jealousy, and Callender’s libel, Burr maintained his love of country. He loved his wife and daughter and lost them both. He lost his parents and grandparents and grandson. I have visited Burr’s grave in Princeton, NJ, and his daughter’s married home in Charleston, SC. I guess one could say I am a fan of Aaron Burr’s and feel slightly protective of him!

[@unsexynstupid]

Aaron Burr was the most misunderstood and unappreciated man in our history. As a member of the State Legislature, Burr passed the first law emancipating slaves in the late 1700's. Burr also secured a test pattern for women's suffrage in the late 1700's (aka NY City and State women were given the right to vote). Burr was feared by his contemporaries because he was so much more likable than they were - and thus they feared him. And slandered Burr.

[@eileenhalliwell1019]

Totally agree

[@rmhouser19861]

Amen. So much misinformation here. For instance, Burr didn't run for president. He ran as VP to Jefferson. It wasn't his fault they ended up with a draw initially. The truth is Burr was a man like Jeremy Bentham and not an ideologue like Hamilton or Jefferson. Thus, Burr made enemies of both Hamilton and Jefferson allies. Burr threatened Hamilton's political power in NY because many Federalists were partial to Burr. He threatened Jefferson because he was a northerner and popular with some Federalists.

[@meganthomas4768]

What exactly is the source for the second claim?

[@ninline2000]

I remember a quote of John Adams when he was running for reelection. A proposal from Alexander Hamilton to assist him which would have assured his victory was offered to him which he rejected. He stated that he would rather lose than be beholding to Mr. Hamilton. I had never realized that a lot of the founding father's didn't like each other. I don't know why I was so naive. They were flawed men who did great deeds.

[@tacoheadmakenzie9311]

Ninline2000, a lot of people are "naive " about the early days of the U.S., due in great part to the whitewashed history they were taught in high school. People have always had the same personality flaws, petty jealousies, and dishonesty that they do today.

[@jamingrythm584]

A lot of the founding fathers didn't like Hamilton due to his personality I think.

[@ryand.3858]

@@jamingrythm584 from everything I’ve read he was known to be a petulant spoiled brat. He wasn’t hated, just not well liked by a lot of people.

[@theoutlook55]

What was the proposal by Hamilton anyway? It seems like a stretch for someone to say that getting would have guaranteed a victory, when the election that year was a landslide for the Democratic Republicans of Thomas Jefferson, unless I'm mistaken.

[@bigjake2061]

@@tacoheadmakenzie9311 "whitewash of history", sorry there's no such thing. It's all there in it's complete beauty and ugliness. You just have to crack open a book and stop believing everything you learned in public school.

[@Dark_Daedalus]

We need more teachers like you. It was stories like these that made me want to be a historian when I was young. Seeing how much attention your videos garner, shows there are still people in my generation and younger that are hungry to learn about our history

[@danhillman4523]

I resent the implication that you think am younger than you. : )

[@timtripp4222]

This is what school was, back in my day. My favorite Teacher was Mr. Vandermore! I had the privilege to be in His Michigan History class! Also, a great coach & athlete as well.

[@robisonbarnes1922]

Dark Daedalus I’m currently working on my master’s thesis to complete my MA in American history. Needless to say, I’ve spent years studying history, and I am a huge fan of this channel. It is quality.

[@gtbkts]

tim tripp . Mine was Mr. Burowski. He made history interesting and come alive in my mind.

[@ianclarke3627]

I was asked recently , " who won WW2 " by a 25 year old qualified nurse .

[@LittleMissLeared]

Little known historical fact: Hamilton used to refer to Aaron Burr as "Ay Ay Ron".

[@sleepysmoke7581]

Really? Imao😂😂😂

[@kimsim8750]

That is what my husband calls our son, Aaron. He is not a villain, but tends to tell half the story😬

[@arwyss]

See... now the duel makes way more sense. Imagine a guy calling you A-A-Ron for decades.

[@kimmychan1967]

Lol

[@qtpiballer]

I hollered 😂😂😂

[@drew25music]

Burr's first words were when he was in his mother's womb, and those were: "I want to be in the womb where it happens"

[@brycerutledge4396]

Gold

[@skesiskeeper7961]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@jeaddhist]

Liked

[@awesome_slayer3426]

Yaaaaaaaaaaaassssss

[@niasaraeeee]

I have the honor to be your 100th like. N. James

[@hymanocohann2698]

If Hamelton is a musical, then Burr is an Opera ...

[@josephdestaubin7426]

Nice.

[@jimmiles9144]

Well said. Well said, indeed.

[@MM-vv8mt]

While somewhat speculative, Gore Vidal's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, "Burr", is a terrific read, and it does a wonderful job of recasting the golden halos of Jefferson and Hamilton somewhat as painted brass. Burr deserves his own musical!

[@michael7324]

Just a side note: He also graduated from Princeton at age 16.

[@kenycharles8600]

He was probably reading Plato at 5 years of age.

[@kurtgreaser8439]

Actually it was not uncommon for people to graduate from college in there teens. There was no formal education system like today where students go to College after age of 18 when they finish High School.

[@rabbi120348]

Maybe he had the help of one of those "admissions consultants" that you pay $500,000 to and they grease the right palms?

[@rabbi120348]

@Karen Stevens They were really into the occult back then. Board meetings were basically seances where they would communicate with his spirit.

[@rabbi120348]

@Karen Stevens Wasn't intended seriously...

[@jessicamizuwasa2259]

I actually feel like the Hamilton musical paints a fair image of Aaron Burr. He seems like a complicated character that did certain things differently than everyone else and still ended up with success because of it. I also feel like Lin-Manuel Miranda captured Burr's love for his wife and daughter. It seemed like a lot of men at that time were disappointed by a daughter, but Aaron Burr just had the one daughter with Theodosia and she was enough. The duels were just a way of life for that time period so Burr definitely didn't come off evil for doing it. It was just a huge mistake that affected his legacy and had it not happened, both Burr and Hamilton might have achieved more in their careers. I actually think that had Theodosia, his wife, not died, the duel might not had happened at all. Burr relied on his wife a lot so I feel like he would have told her about it and she would have helped him come up with another option (specifically in the public image of their happy marriage vs Hamilton's affair.) Unfortunately it wasn't meant to be that way...

[@Adrian-vd8rm]

Lol

[@meganthomas4768]

It was his reasons for challenging Hamilton to a duel, more than the actual fact of duelling (though that was an aspect of it) that ruined him. Also while Burr did love his wife, his marriage with Theodosia was not totally idyllic. He, like Hamilton, also cheated on his wife (look up Mary Emmons)

[@bdh3949]

While digging into historical accounts can often result in little factual knowledge about specific incidents one can draw certain "conclusions" ref the normal activities of the time. For example, it is known that dueling among influential people was often just a release of tensions as when the two duelers actually faced each other there was a custom among some to simply turn and fire into the ground simultaneously thereby completing the duel but without harm. In fact the Hamilton family had seen a number of duels over the years and to them this was the custom plus this was NOT Alexander's first duel. Alexander's father had also participated in a duel and Alexander himself was George Washington's personal assassin during the war so he was an excellent shot and accustomed to killing when serious about it. Burr's "mistake" was in either not knowing any of this or not caring about it as he was much more serious about the incident. The end result would certainly have looked more like a murder than a duel to a bystander even though the rules of duels had been followed.

[@josephdestaubin7426]

I just wanted to say that I was a history major at University, it takes sometimes years of study just a master one contextualized factoid. I have to assume therefore that you have an insanely strong work ethic to be able to make the number of videos that you make. The fact is that no one, by studying original documentation and proving one's assertions to one's own satisfaction, can master more than a half dozen or so topics of history in the short span of a lifetime. From this I have to imagine you're using a lot of secondary sources, but that comes with its own perils as well as having to extract material from multiple secondary sources. In any event, as someone who recognizes the amount of labor and time put into these videos, I just wanted to thank you for that. So thank you.

[@rogeranderson5546]

This was terrific, my senior thesis at Princeton was about Burr and his role as a political advisor in the NY gubernatorial election in 1800. A lot of his papers are in the NY Historical Society which I had the great pleasure of reading and enjoying. I had thought of converting my thesis into a book and then Gore Vidal wrote a brilliant book Burr. A fascinating character much misunderstood and this podcast cast light on the real Burr.

[@RoaroftheTiger]

Agreed, Gore Vidal's 'Burr', is brilliant. As I still have roots in the Washington Heights section of NYC … my Apartment is within a few blocks of the old Morris -'Jumel' Mansion. So frankly, the Book is very dear to my heart. Burr, will always remain a Man of Mystery. Even if He didn't "father" Martin Van Buren; as suggested by Vidal.

[@thomaspick4123]

Anything from Princeton is shit. Princeton, New Jersey = east coast assholes. They gave the Nobel prize winner in Economics in recent years, the retired little runt now sucking off his pension. All his economic ideas are so far left and are all wrong. The President of Princeton was Woodrow Wilson. That cock sucker got America wrongfully into WW I. Wilson signed into law the Federal Reserve Banking System. This ruined our country, and he regretted it. Why? For money from Jews, so he could get elected as President of the United States. In poor health, Wilson should have been removed from office, Wilson was nuts and not functioning in the last years of his presidency. See? Not one damn good thing ever comes out of shit hole Princeton!

[@lissa4750]

@@thomaspick4123 u ok mate?

[@NeptuneHamster]

@@thomaspick4123 damn I live in Princeton lmao guess I’m a shithole

[@jimbo5635]

Who else has learned more here than in High School?

[@charlesbaldo]

Jim Bo i am getting old. I learned more in high school. It was easy, you just needed to pay attention. I wanted to be a history teacher myself, but decided it didn't pay so i bacame an engineer. Where i live the city school district just decided to create a curriculum called " Black lives Matter" it would be fantastic if it was going to teach about people like Frederick Douglass, George Washington Carver or other contributions by such great Americans, but its not. It is about social justice.

[@patricks_music]

Definitely me. There is so much data here

[@CalvinCrack]

Seriously ... high school history is so stodgy. It’s like they’re padding out time. History class should be a few videos like this and then the teacher should lead a discussion about the topic. Have the kids take a test every week to make sure they’re keeping up. Write a paper once a week in class analyzing the topics. No homework.

[@MrMinewarp]

How old are you that you are still using the basic information you learned in high-school and not moving past it to seek higher knowledge?

[@vivianblakely8573]

🙋🏿‍♀️🙋🏿‍♀️🙋🏿‍♀️

[@bigblue6917]

I think the term 'A colourful character' is rather apt here. His life may not have been blameless but it certainly was very interesting.

[@pizzaguy1086]

Anyone: Aaron Burr Me: Sir?

[@MrHawaiiboy510]

You punched the Bursir?

[@KaixoDenek]

@@MrHawaiiboy510 YES

[@niasaraeeee]

He called me stupid. _im not stupid_

[@KaixoDenek]

@@niasaraeeee *few years later* WELL HE'S NEVER GONNA BE PRESIDENT NOW ...... Are you sure about that?

[@turnoutjim]

There's a story called "A Man Without A Country" supposedly, it's a "true" story of a young lieutenant that was part of Burr's plot. It's a great little story with a great message.

[@fireballxl-5748]

I heard of that many years ago. He ended up on a ship off the coast of the U.S. forced to live there at sea for the rest of his life. He was allowed newspapers but any reference to the U.S. in any way was redacted. A man without a country.

[@jackpavlik563]

Not a true story, but inspired by Aaron Burr’s life.

[@fireballxl-5748]

@@jackpavlik563 I must have read the story in literature class in H.S. Thank you for the correction. Was a great story and lesson and I now have it correct. God bless and thanks again!

[@meganthomas4768]

@@fireballxl-5748The main character in the story was a real person but I believe he was killed by the Spanish in 1801 and was not actually involved in Burr’s plot. Strong message nonetheless!

[@kokopellispritjourney]

I have been an admirer of Burr since reading Gore Vidal's take on him years ago. It remains one of my favorite books and Burr remains one of the only statesmen in American history worthy of the title. From one history guy to another, thanks for your informative and appreciative take on this wonderful, defiant gentleman rascal.

[@TheRobbex]

"Who are these that cry of Liberty that are all slave owners?" - Dr. Samuel Johnson.

[@fortusvictus8297]

Interesting how American popular history is not at all kind to founding fathers who were not slave owners. As shown by Hamilton there were just as many founders that didn't own slaves as those who did, and the ONLY founder to free his slaves after the Declaration of Independence was the one who didn't sign it, Dickenson, and he was maligned in the 1970s play '1776'.

[@ShawnVanden]

Fascinating what a dichotomy of noble & not so noble traits Aaron Burr displayed over his 90 years! Thanks for another wonderful episode History Guy !

[@darthstanley166]

You are the best thing history has going for it! And THAT deserves to be said as well as remembered!

[@skydiverclassc2031]

And, with that, I believe I will have a glass of milk before the contest comes up on the radio.

[@lightningdemolition1964]

Awon buuuh, it's awon buuuh. I always think of that when I hear his name.

[@dewitthobson2279]

The fact that I remember a commercial that is over a quarter century old is vaguely unsettling.

[@patdthomas]

Got milk?

[@ringo1692]

@@lightningdemolition1964 I just commented that, lol

[@kandyappleview]

😆😆😆😆 that commercial had me thinking his name was raymond burr for years!

[@johnkelley9877]

A fascinating story! Most of history tends to end at the duel between Burr and Hamilton and this answered a lot of my questions about his life after that event. Thanks for sharing this.

[@UnknownUzer]

Have you ever considered doing a video on the history of the "Santa Train" that delivers toys and candy to poor children in the Appalachians? It has been a yearly tradition for almost 80 years. It is a fantastic and heartwarming charity that involves massives amounts of logistics and planning every year.

[@walterkersting1362]

UnknownUzer good one!

[@slipper409]

Bringing Satans love to the hillbillies

[@walterkersting1362]

slipper409 hope you meant Santa, right? Unless your referring to the sons of cluxxers...

[@JamesThomas-pj2lx]

... he does now, what a tell.

[@dfwai7589]

The what train? How have never heard of this?!

[@HM2SGT]

A member of the Hamilton family has already disliked this less than 25 minutes after it was posted.

[@Erin-Thor]

Billy Sargent - Now 10, those dogs! Wait... I have some Hamilton blood in me... how dare you!

[@HM2SGT]

Erin Thor So be it. Have at thee, sir! (Wait… am I getting it wrong? Is that the pirate thing?)

[@onesmoothstone5680]

Burr - not so bad Hamilton - not so good. kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3mpfnl6Z7mVj68

[@boringopr4369]

@@Erin-Thor Hamilton was an immigrant he was born in Charlestown Saint Kitts & Nevis he push down our throats the central banks if there ever was a traitor it was Hamilton 😱😋

[@Erin-Thor]

Billy Sargent - Shall we duel? 🤪

[@kennyhagan5781]

You never disappoint. I've learned more incidental history from your KZbin channel than in all the years I attended public schools. Even in these times of ZOOM meetings and hours spent online, I feel that your videos should be more widely viewed, especially by the young people of school age. Please continue with this good work, I believe that teaching is the highest calling anyone could aspire to.

[@travistolbert2647]

Seems like the old saying, “No good deed goes unpunished.”, partially applies to Aaron Burr. Though he seemed to be the consummate unscrupulous politician. Some of his ideas like abolition, women’s rights, and Native American rights should have been welcome much earlier in our history.

[@fortusvictus8297]

They were always popular in concept, it was in practical application those movements tended to fall apart. Thomas Jefferson felt it would be cruel to free all the slaves and leave them in the USA as they would be impressed right back into 'alternate forms of servitude' and George Washington could not legally free his because of financial debt and laws that forbade giving away property while in debt. Women's rights were extremely complex and involved property rights first and foremost (owning property was considered a moral pre-requisite for someone being able to vote) and differed to States for a century, and Native American issues were complicated by the simple facts of overt power imbalance and that not all tribes were equal...most had no concept of 'honoring treaties' and continued to raid/kidnap/enslave settlers nearby and there would be immediate backlash...Native American history is not at all as 'good guy' and 'bad guy' as we'd want to believe now. Many tried on both sides but the cultures were just too different, and the system applied to address that were the boarding schools in some tribes that all but erased Native cultures but worked.

[@connor_obrady]

@@fortusvictus8297 On the native american massacre, I honestly have to feel heart broken that the fight in an of itself resulted in near genocide and hostile takeover. It's one of those butterfly effect moments that no one can tell how America would be had such a vicious "manifestation of destiny" didn't occur... It's a pure clash of cultures but at that same time the outliers that POSSIBLY could work out some kind of coexistence, but we're talking about a generation that would take risk taking a bullet for slander against his father's affair (Philip Hamilton's "Hamilton" interpretation). As it stands though, the native population none the less have lost their home to invaders, despite who kept swinging first.

[@jaystrickland4151]

The contemporaries of Burr that hated him were slave traders (Hamilton), Slave Owners (Jefferson), and people who wanted to commit genocide against the native Americans. I can assure when people like that have a negative opinion of you are doing the right thing.

[@akumamakima2280]

Imagine if he had become president

[@akumamakima2280]

@@fortusvictus8297 so in other words it was more complicated than creating a government and laws? The excuses they gave are similar to what bullshit grifters like ben shapiro says. If you're freeing slaves they are no longer property. Of he really cared about freeing them he wouldn't have been so adamant about catching the ones that tried to escape. Thomas Jefferson wrote that slavery was unconscionable and the last wrong britain has inflicted on americans. Slave owners refused to sign the declaration until he had taken taken that part out. So he was against it but it was politically inconvenient to do anything about it... It couldn't have been more difficult than creating a government from scratch. At least be fucking honest about it

[@danniepedigo9638]

Excellent presentation, it is heartbreaking that history isn’t taught in many of today’s schools. On a recent episode of”Jeopardy”, three very intelligent college students were quoted a familiar passage from the Gettysburg address, and asked to identify the author for the final. They could not. Keep up the good work.

[@tonicastel2390]

As an immigrant to the US, I appreciate this video. Most informative!

[@salazarpayne3784]

Welcome to our amazing country. Make the most of it!

[@MicrowavedBurrito1]

Where are you from

[@johngrant5388]

Thank you Mr. History Guy and Family! This one was a home run out of the park! Aron Burr was a great individual in our country’s history and his story has been lost and misrepresented by his enemies. What a truly unique and progressive individual who accomplished so much and was so progressive in a wide variety of fields in America. Truly unique, progressive, innovative and knowledgeable in showing America and Americans some of what could be done and helpful to the public in unique and innovative ways. Kind of reminds me of The History Guy, Mrs History Guy, Family and Cat.

[@AzaJabar]

Fun fact about Burr: he really wanted to be in the room where it happens

[@gregparrott]

Did it happen with any orange haired politicians?

[@siisii9434]

But they just assumed that it happend in the room were it happend 😔

[@VeracityLH]

I will say that the musical, while making me curious to know more of Alexander Hamilton, really gave me a desire to hear from Aaron Burr. It's too bad we don't have his papers; I'm sure they would make interesting reading. But in line with the idea that every villain thinks they are the hero of their own story, I'm sure Burr felt the same and I would love to hear his side.

[@peterstoddard6225]

I am a Burr cousin and indeed believe Hamilton to have been a genius but a but of a weasel who could have avoided his fate had he not verbally stabbed Burr in the back so relentlessly. Love this and all of your content!

[@Kyra823]

Another Burr cousin here. I enjoyed this.

[@T2theY]

So nice to finally find somebody willing to take a second look at the life of Aaron Burr & admit that maybe history has been unfair to him & his legacy.

[@michaeleasterwood6558]

History is correct about Burr

[@T2theY]

@@michaeleasterwood6558 whatever you say.

[@cruzdirector8637]

Once again, a highly informative and enjoyable peek into our past. My era of history education in school was a deluge of names and dates to be memorized for passing tests, most quickly forgotten afterwards. You and your channel open doors to real people, their lives and their stories. If I had this kind of history teaching in high school or college, I think I might have pursued being a “history girl”! Thank you so much, your channel rocks!

[@webstercat]

History is the most entertaining source.

[@cuddlesandkafka]

The best teachers love their subject and I think you're one of them, sir.

[@theskeptic2010]

I view Burr as a man ahead of his time, someone who would actually go door to door, shake hands, and ask people for their support. A man who served honorably in the army, and said enough is enough when wrongly defamed. It's too bad he's only remembered for his duel and later events. Treated women and Native Americans as equals when it wasn't kosher to do that. Like I said, a man ahead of his time. To me he will always be the most "real" Founding Father. The rest of them are mostly legend and myth built up over the years. Hamilton IMO was a scoundrel, sorry Hamilton fans. Read the novel "Burr" by Gore Vidal to get a good sense of all of this. Ranks up there with his book "Lincoln" which is a good read also.

[@hlynnkeith9334]

I know not if this is an attempt to rehabilitate the memory of Aaron Burr or merely to give a defense of the man after we have all heard the prosecution. Either way, well done. And this from an ardent fan of Alexander Hamilton.

[@adrikrotten880]

Here's an interesting historic event. I live near a fort (now camp) known as fort Caswell, NC. It is (was-ish) a confederate civil war fort, but because of the capture of the nearby Fort Fisher by the Union, the Confederate soldiers took all of the black powder in the fort, put it in the center, and blew it all up. The explosion was massive, breaking windows from far away and leaving very little fort left. It was then rebuilt as a naval base for WWI and WWII and was even a beach resort for a while. Today Fort Caswell is a camp site.

[@barrywray6869]

Just another great episode.Aaron Burr was a complex figure in American History. Thank you for this new episode.

[@randycrocker9459]

I can only guess that you have a lot of hours upon hours of finding facts and information that is used in your commendable story telling. Putting it all together has always fascinated me and kept my interest in history, a strong one. Would have enjoyed being in one of your classes. As usual, well done sir.....

[@DavidHBurkart]

...as the late great orator Paul Harvey would say; "...and now, the rest of the story!". Thank you for bringing to light otherwise forgotten history.

[@johnmcnulty4425]

As a Lewis and Clark reenactor, I was pleasantly surprised to see views of Ft. Massac and reflected on my time spent there. It's a great place to visit during the annual grand encampment every mid October. Btw, many of us in the L&C world believe that Wilkinson staged the apparent suicide of Meriwether Lewis in 1809.

[@yondie491]

Most of your videos are of impressively high quality. This one was even better! Well done, and thank you so much for your video series. It's definitely on the short list of my favorites. Plus, if you go back and watch some of the older videos, you can definitely see how much you've improved over the past few years. Great video!

[@charlesmany9948]

Genuinely well thought out presentation of a complex man ahead of his time. Thank you for the first openly unbiased analysis of this gentleman, whom history, until now, has painted as a villain unwarrantedly.

[@86thsamurai]

Sounded like he was a progressive leftist.

[@bigblue6917]

@@86thsamurai No a bad thing.

[@morganb6717]

@@86thsamurai he was, as stated, a Democrat Republican in a time in history when those two words worked in concert for the betterment of the country. history... that deserves to be remembered.

[@86thsamurai]

@@morganb6717 Couldn't some of his views expressed be interpreted as such however? The primary comparisson I'm drawing is from the attempt at taking over western territories in the U.S. Progressive leftists seem intent on changing most all of the founding principles this country was built upon. I can't help but feel he seemed to share that same viewpoint.

[@Mrhalligan39]

Charles Many I don’t see Burr’s bad reputation as being at all unwarranted. Too cowardly for the military, too nakedly ambitious for politics, too incompetent for treason. But he was into women’s lib and Indian rights, so ignore all that other stuff.

[@carlingtonme]

The disappearance of Burr's papers cuts both ways. Excellent post THG as always

[@keithschuebel1653]

Hello all my name is Theresa (keith is my hubby), I knew a descendant of Arron Burr, his name was Scott and he looked a lot like Arron in his older years. Scott passed away very recently and his lost is great. He was only 57 or 58 years old and he and I shared a niece and nephew, he because he married their dads older sister and I because their mom is my own sister. Scott talked very fondly of him, told me many a family story about him passed down through the family. He grieved very much form the loss of Thea as Scott called her and his grandson he never really got over it. I saw a mysteries at the museum recently were they talked of a painting of her being salvaged from the wreck of her ship and it was something that made me think of Scott and how he would have loved to have known about it. Thank you for posting this and making him known as a man with a heart Scott would have liked that.

[@FrittierterElch]

Well, if it isn't Aaron Burr!

[@Fs3i]

Sir!

[@jackpavlik563]

Talk less; smile more.

[@meiju1563]

I didn't think that you would make it To be sure Burr I came to say congratulations Spit a verse, Burr I see the whole gang is here *_you are the worst burr_*

[@ammaleslie509]

@@meiju1563 ignore them!

[@gregg.9420]

If you stand for nothing Burr, what'll you fall for??

[@michaelfitzgerald434]

Very well done. I am an arm chair historian and know a great deal about Burr, Hamilton, Jefferson, Wilkerson and Marshall. Very well done, indeed!

[@noneofurbusiness5223]

Marshall's house is in Richmond VA. The docents are well informed.

[@dorothythyer4336]

Being English and having little American history education I am amazed how much I have missed, a fascinating and informative lesson on how much the US and English combined history can teach us about todays politics and social history , thank you a wonderful site which I will happily keep coming back to . The History Guy is now top of my viewing list .

[@DrBunnyMedicinal]

A fascinating insight into a side of US history that is not heard often enough.

[@randycrocker9459]

Very well put sir.

[@lolaice8959]

Perhaps you might read "Burr" by Gore Vidal.

[@juliestevens6931]

Thank you so much. The way you focus on a single aspect of something really makes it come alive. It seems to me (remembering WAY back when I was in high school- 45 years ago), that themes/ideas were more often broken down by the year in which they occurred and seldom followed from beginning to end. It always made history so confusing. Your concise presentation (and enthusiasm) makes so much sense!

[@Destruct-cf3zi]

Thank you. I'm so glad there is an actual channel on KZbin teaching history

[@colleerachelle8702]

My family lineage trails back to Aaron Burr. My grandmothers middle name is actually Burr as this was tradition. Thank you for making this video.

[@charlieburr9327]

As a cousin of Aaron Burr, thank you for your commentary. I am passing it on to my kids.

[@markscott9622]

That was fantastic! Thank you. As a Treasury professional I have long been a fan of Alexander Hamilton, founder of the US Treasury, NY Post, Bank of New York, and Ten Dollar Bill. I even managed to coerce my Mom to drive a ten-year-old me over to Weehawken so I could pace off the steps from that fateful morning. It was great fun that JP Morgan Chase and BONY still keep that chatter alive. While I had an undergrad history professor who loved both Burr and Van Buren and that that history has been unkind to them. Based on your clip, I agree and need to read some more. Thanks!

[@oceanexploration]

The Aaron Burr House in New Hope PA is a great place to stay. It's where he fled to and hid for a while after shooting Hamilton. Great B&B

[@Samtzu]

Thank you.... The vindication of Aaron Burr has been a long time coming, and still has a long way to go.

[@leonarddavis5175]

I really appreciate the way you present these items. I would not care if you did longer stories. I showed your videos to a teacher who teaches history and he really enjoyed. Keep up the great work!!!!

[@aaronsiemienkiewicz6872]

You got to remember to take most history with a grain of salt because there are so many different stories of the same event so we probably would never know what exactly happened.

[@HM2SGT]

I love listening to these as I drive to work! THG is consistently informative, educational and entertaining. Yet another excellent presentation on the subject we knew nothing about, something that in another’s hands would not have been nearly so interesting. Bravo Zulu! I’d enjoy seeing something from home; New Hampshire. Perhaps the Willey family, their history up in the notches. The Old Notch House disaster of 1826; local legend says it’s the origin of the phrase “gives me the willies quote. Of course we also like to lay claim to the origin of the song “the old grey mare". Then there is the time George Washington‘s favorite slave girl fled to New Hampshire … The abandoned towns, the cellar holes and streets that can still be made out in the forest, places that ceased to exist when the women went away is mail order bride‘s taking husbands out west after so many of the men folk were killed in the war between the states.

[@WCL31986]

So much history that we were never taught in school. Thank you for continuing our education, sir.

[@CaptainAmaziiing]

Last time I was this early, Hamilton was still a Captain.

[@bigblue6917]

Your looking good for your age.😄

[@isaacschmitt4803]

My Mom and Grandpa are the family historians, and among a few other notable figures, Aaron Burr is one of the people I'm related to.

[@jenniferhudson6145]

I am a direct descendant of Henry Clay who was speaker of the house and he represented Burr in a legal matter..

[@danjams]

As always, I learned more today than I did in high school or college about Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton which is a shame for present-day students of history

[@salazarpayne3784]

History is intentionally subdued by the federal indoctrination institution. Otherwise known as public schools.

[@RoaroftheTiger]

@@salazarpayne3784 - I had some contact with Young Interns College Students (many Engineering Majors) working, a couple of years ago, for Kristin Gilibrand, U.S. Senator (D) NY … None were even familiar with Richard Nixon's Watergate scandal. They NEVER heard of the " Saturday Night Massacre" !

[@salazarpayne3784]

@@RoaroftheTiger - the dumbing-down of the American population is going swimmingly for the elite.

[@RoaroftheTiger]

@@salazarpayne3784I - Salazar, If I may; add the Text Book Industry. Even as a "boomer", ( I was then in a prestigious Catholic Prep School in NYC- in the mid - 60's) We were instructed on the following Question : "What was the reason for the 'Civil War' ?" To respond - State's Rights ! This was the knee jerk response, We all knew was false. (Mind you the added irony - the School was in Harlem !) But, It was also true; That was the Only Answer accepted as Fact on all of our History Tests, to include the (state - wide) NY State Regent's Test ! What a Crock ! ! !

[@cc9z]

you should make a calendar of forgotten history where we could get daily reminders of forgotten history

[@johne7100]

Oh, that we might expunge unseemliness from the current political theatre. There'd be precious few left, though.

[@baldeagle5297]

That would be a good thing. Both sides need a good pruning.

[@ribbitgoesthedoglastnamehe4681]

And the danger is, that you would be pruning also the ones who are honest, but who dont fear getting their hands dirty, and keeping those who distance themselves from every trouble... leaving the teflon coated schemers in power. You might get your dream, and pay the price with your freedom and your country, something happened many times in history.

[@ribbitgoesthedoglastnamehe4681]

@@baldeagle5297 I believe that was the exact term I used. Pruning.

[@baldeagle5297]

@@ribbitgoesthedoglastnamehe4681 But pruning is selective, the wholesale removal of them all would cause chaos. If we just removed the worst of the worst perhaps we could get them replaced with better people. But let's not argue in Lance's house. He deserves better.

[@ribbitgoesthedoglastnamehe4681]

@@baldeagle5297 Yes, I was talking about pruning. Not wholesale removal. And why do you started arguing if you dont like arguing? Besides, wholesale removal is automatic after every term, and does not cause chaos. Continuing political career is only possible by specific approval of the people and no politician can return to office without it.

[@joshuawaltz9484]

Great episode History Guy. As always. Keep up the good work.

[@thelightbearer8050]

Very interesting! I love the way you do history, keep up the good work.

[@valsblackcatsrule8740]

How interesting! You always find unique ways to share what could be left forgotten in the ages. Thank you for sharing a part of your day with us!

[@therenumerator9198]

I have always enjoyed history, but I must say that I learned more from this 'short snippet of history' video on Mr. Burr and his role in the founding and development of our country than in all of my schooling. You sir have made my morning coffee even more enjoyable, thank you.

[@thexalon]

Some of Aaron Burr's descendants are part of my family tree these days, and one of them, Ty Burr, is a quite successful movie critic writing mostly for the Boston Globe.

[@mobiusstripper7279]

Would you consider covering Andrew Jackson in the future? I know his history is well-known and presumably well covered, but I would love to hear it from THG himself. You have such an obviously brilliant knack for storytelling. I find myself captivated by the same stories I've read many times and found no great interest in. You have a way of breathing new life into history for me. I suspect many of your hearty mob of subscribers feel the same. One thing I know for sure is you deserve to, and will be, remembered by me as the guy who revived my love of history. (And hopefully the guy who best told the story of Andrew Jackson!)

[@sanewfield1]

Learned a lot more about Burr than I ever knew. Thank you

[@harryschaefer8563]

Up until I was 3 years old I lived at 26 49th Street in Weehawken a quarter of a block from the palisades and dueling grounds, which has a breathtaking view of New York City (especially at night). I named my third son Aaron. Weehawken has a special place in my heart.

[@michaelsorey7386]

I'd like to see a video about the Second National Bank of the United States and Jackson's efforts to destroy it.

[@salazarpayne3784]

"I killed the bank"

[@annebeavers3002]

Good, your research thought provoking.

[@jeffwilliams6534]

I enjoy all of your episodes. They are always informative and interesting. Thank you

[@1239rol]

Ever one of the best storytellers of our history. Thank you.

[@jad67jd]

Truly a man to remember.

[@scottlemley]

After watching this I would recommend a episode about Harman Blennerhassett who was connected with Burr and has a fascinating story.

[@apophisxo4480]

I really love this channel! Thank you!!!!

[@demelicious]

This is really great; thank you so much for sharing this freely. Unbiased, informational and just sticking to facts as was recorded. Keep up the good work.

[@DTavona]

I may be misremembering, but my understanding is that the dueling pistols used by Burr and Hamilton were presented by Hamilton and that it was Hamilton's intention to set the hair-trigger so that Burr, not knowing it was active, would use too much pressure, and thus miss his shot by firing too early. Hamilton on his deathbed denied setting it, but the fact that he was so bitter to Burr by that time that the duel even took place makes his "deathbed confession" suspect. Wilkinson was quite the character. An active army general in the pay of the Spanish government, and he did his best to lure people into making attacks on Spanish lands so as to earn his Spanish gold. As mentioned elsewhere, the Compte de Grasse was instrumental in helping Washington win at Yorktown, by defeating the British at the Battle of Chesapeake Bay. The Compte had three sons and four daughters. Because of the Revolution, the family fortunes took a turn. I include this because the admiral's third son, George, knew and worked with Burr in New York, and Burr liked him so much that he gifted him with farmland (paragraph 6 below). ---------------------- His oldest son, Alexandre Francois Auguste de Grasse (Auguste), joined the navy and was assigned to Saint-Domingue (Haiti) in 1789. Shortly after, his late father's third wife and his four sisters arrived, fleeing the disruptions and the danger of the French Revolution. While there, Auguste married the daughter of a wealthy plantation owner, Jean-Baptiste Le Hogue, and the young couple soon had their first child, a daughter. In 1793, however, the slaves revolted. The British, desiring to get a foothold there, attacked the French Navy and defeated them. The British let Auguste and his family leave on condition that he resign his naval commission, which he did. They boarded a ship and fled to Charleston, South Carolina. Accompanying Auguste were his family, his wife's parents, as well as several other French refugees and former plantation owners. The four sisters traveled to Washington, D.C. in 1794, pleading for a pension, citing their father's assistance in the American Revolution and their family's subsequent impoverishment due to both the French Revolution and the slave revolt of Saint-Domingue wiping out the last of their family's fortunes. Congress voted the four sisters an annual pension of $1,000 each "in gratitude of their father's service to the American cause." The oldest of De Grasse's four daughters, Amélie Rosalie Maxime De Grasse, never married and remained in Charleston for the rest of her life. Melanie Veronique Maxime and Adélaide both caught Yellow Fever and died in the summer of 1799 (August and September respectively). All three were buried at St. Mary's Church. Silvie, the youngest, married Francis de Pau, a French refugee from Saint Domingue; they moved to New York City where they lived comfortably and had many children. Auguste, also desiring a pension, wrote to Washington but never received a reply. Auguste became a US citizen, but in 1798, he returned to Haiti, offering his services to the French general on the island. The orders the French Directorate were to divide the two leaders, Toussaint Louverture and André Rigaud, who together controlled the island. However, Auguste was soon caught and imprisoned. The US Consul intervened and proved De Grasse's American citizenship. De Grasse was freed and put on the next ship back to Charleston. Auguste and his father-in-law Le Hogue set up a military school in Charleston in 1800, where both men taught classes to make a living. Both De Grasse and his father-in-law were also founding members of the Free Mason chapter in South Carolina. After Napoleon assumed power in 1804, Auguste took his wife and children back to France, where he joined the army, eventually rising to the rank of major. An avid Free Mason, he set up many chapters across France, Italy, and Spain. With Napoleon's defeat in 1816, he was forced to retire from the army at age 51. His efforts with the Free Masons paid off; he earned a living working for the organization for the remainder of his life, holding some lucrative positions through 1821. In 1840, he published a biography of his famous father and included his own experiences living in Haiti and the US. In 1845, at age 80, he died from complications from pneumonia. The Admiral's second son, Maxim, died at a young age, but he also had a third son. Born born in Calcutta (now Kolkata) as Azar Le Guen while the Admiral was stationed in India, the child was recognized by De Grasse, and accompanied his father back to France. The Admiral formally adopted him, giving him the name George. The Admiral had him educated and enrolled in higher education. In 1799, at age 19, out of school and no family around, George emigrated to the United States, moving to New York City. Through contacts by way of his late father, George worked for Aaron Burr for a while, and apparently, they got along well. Burr gave him two lots of land in Manhattan. George became a US citizen in 1804. While in New York, he met and married the mulatto woman, Maria van Salee, the daughter of Abraham van Salee by way of his black mistress. Maria was a mulatto but classified legally as a free black woman with Dutch, German, and Moroccan ancestry; yes, there were slaves in New York at the time; during a recession, the slaves were treated poorly by their neighbors because they undercut the labor costs of free men. In 1799, all children of slaves were declared free under a plan of gradual emancipation, but were required to be indentured for a time to their mother's owner until they were in their late twenties; those in bondage, however, remained slaves. It wasn't until 1827 that New York freed all remaining slaves within the state. George and Maria had three children, all of whom were well educated. The oldest, Isaac, became locally well-known as a preacher. The next child, John van Salee De Grasse, became the first black American to become a licensed doctor, and he practiced in Boston (later serving as a surgeon in the Civil War with the famous 54th Massachusetts). The youngest, Serena, married restauranteur and civil rights activist George Downing.

[@ralikdiver]

Thank you for fleshing out the villain into a man.

[@michaeleasterwood6558]

still a villain

[@yusufgazi7]

@@michaeleasterwood6558 He’s not a villain

[@michaelwebber9036]

Great episode as always. Do love some of the comments talk about a political divide such hatred apparently normal people have for each other, a very strange country

[@fire304]

This is why I watch you! Keep up the good work!

[@jbrhel]

I watched this not 15 minutes after reading a book excerpt detailing the Hamilton-Burr duel of 1804.

[@robtolley1647]

@vibratingstring lol alot of truth to that

[@jacksonraulerson6538]

I was watching Daniel Boone,,Lief Eriksson was playing Aaron burr ! Got curious lol ! Now I can watch the rest of Danel YA!

[@k.c1126]

Wow ... After reading through the comments, I admit I never realized how divisive Burr and Hamilton are in modern politics! 😱

[@rogerhwerner6997]

I first learned about the Burr-Hamilton Duel a half-century ago, but shortly afterward, at University, I learned that history is anything but simplistic. It's unfortunate that Burr's papers have been lost to history. I've been working on a biography of a man reticent to record anything about himself; meaning that he left his legacy for others to record. Unfortunately, that didn't occur, and so he's mostly forgotten in spite of being as important to the founding of the state of California as John Sutter. I'd be interested in seeing more details about Burr, a most interesting fellow.

[@edwingomez9308]

Excellent!! Love your clips

[@michaelcerkez3895]

Well spoken and very interesting Sir. I have a weak spot in my heart for all U.S. history. If this were music it would be considered a "Deep Cut". Hardly ever heard but well worth the listen.

[@jonathanschulz4823]

Great video! Can you do a video on President Franklin Pierce? I find him to be quite fascinating. Pierce’s father was good friends with Andrew Jackson and he went to college with Nathaniel Hawthorne. Apparently, Pierce was one of the smartest U.S. Presidents too. If you should do research on him, I’m curious to see what you put in one of your videos. Be well!

[@chrisdickerson124]

I really do appreciate your very interesting and informative history clips.

[@miked602]

After commenting I realized I forgot to mention- I absolutely love these videos. Keep up the good work.

[@jaystrickland4151]

Aaron Burr deserves a play more than Hamilton.

[@KeithDec25]

I remember Aaron Burr's influence on the anti-hero's actions in MAN WITHOUT A COUNTRY...Perhaps there is time for a reassessment of Burr...

[@markgatz6127]

That’s all I have ever known about Burr was the dual between he and Hamilton. Thanks.

[@TheBestNameEver36]

Great episode. Thank you.