Aaron Burr

Aaron Burr (February 6, 1756 – September 14, 1836) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the third Vice President of the United States under President Thomas Jefferson from 1801 to 1805. Born in Newark, New Jersey, into a prominent Presbyterian ministerial family, Burr studied at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) and became a successful lawyer and military officer during the American Revolutionary War. His political career was marked by ambition and controversy. As Vice President, he presided over the Senate during the impeachment trial of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase. However, Burr is most remembered for his bitter personal and political rivalry with Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury under George Washington. This feud culminated in their famous duel on July 11, 1804, in Weehawken, New Jersey, where Burr mortally wounded Hamilton. The duel effectively ended Burr's political career. After leaving office, he was accused of treason for his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to create an independent nation in the western territories, though he was acquitted. Burr spent his final years in relative obscurity, practicing law in New York.