One of Hamilton's most notable scenes depicts the moment that Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel - but what exactly happened to Burr following the death of his political rival? Much of the two Founding Fathers' rocky acquaintanceship is on display in the Broadway musical created by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The playwright also starred in the titular role for popular Broadway run while Leslie Odom Jr. tackled the role of Burr.
The first act of Hamilton focuses on Hamilton's arrival in New York City in 1776, the year he met Burr. Both men had a lot in common, serving in the American Revolutionary War and rising the political ranks at a young age. The tension continued to grow as shown in Hamilton's second act. Unhappy with Hamilton's emergence, Burr switched political parties and the two officially became rivals. During the third year of his term as the vice president, Burr challenged Hamilton, the treasury secretary at the time, to a duel.
The encounter occurred on July 11, 1804, in what would become the most famous duel in U.S. history. It's still unclear what truly happened that day in Weehawken, New Jersey, but Burr ended up shooting Hamilton, who died 36 hours after the incident. When Burr returned to New York City, he expected to receive a hero's welcome but instead, he was viewed as a cold-blooded killer. Due to the fact that the duel took place in New Jersey (where duels had been outlawed), Burr faced potential murder charges, forcing him to flee to the South. The charges were later dropped so he returned to finish his term as vice president under Thomas Jefferson. The former Attorney General of New York and U.S. State Senator would soon say goodbye to his political career.
The 1804 Duel Ruined Aaron Burr's Reputation
Burr never recovered from killing Hamilton in 1804 on a professional level. His reputation and career took a major hit, especially when his term as vice president came to an end in 1805. Two years later, Burr was arrested on charges of treason after the plan of the secession of a few western states. He was later acquitted but Burr fled to Europe to avoid separate charges as well as execution by vigilantes. At this point, Burr found himself in debt and most of his influential friends wanted nothing to do with him.
In 1812, Burr returned to New York City and went back to practicing law. He still experienced financial struggles but the former political figure was able to live in peace. He remarried at the age of 77 to a woman named Eliza Jumel. She separated from him after just four months of marriage. In 1834, Burr suffered a major stroke and he died two years later on the same day that Jumel finalized their divorce. Her divorce lawyer was Alexander Hamilton Jr., the second son of Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler. Hamilton only scratches the surface of Burr's complicated legacy as his life went downhill after pulling that trigger. Most of his notable achievements are forgotten or overshadowed by the 1804 duel.