The 12 Letters That Preceded The Burr-Hamilton Duel
On the morning of July 11, 1804, a sitting Vice President of the United States shot and subsequently killed a Founding Father. Imagine the headlines and talk shows if that happened today!?
There are plenty of books and websites — even films and humorous web videos — to browse for background and analysis on the famous duel. Going back in time to a key primary source, the July 25, 1804 Massachusetts Spy printed 12 letters exchanged between Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton and their seconds in the days that preceded the duel. The issue also contains a wealth of other important content related to the event, including Alexander Hamilton’s last will and testament, which he wrote the day before the duel. Click the images below to browse the July 25, 1804 “extra” issue of the Massachusetts Spy.
















5 Comments
raglinen (Historic Newspapers)
January 16, 2010New blog post: The 12 letters that preceded the Burr-Hamilton duel in 1804 — http://tinyurl.com/yjh9ka2
bostonhistory (Ben Edwards)
January 16, 2010RT @RagLinen: New blog post: The 12 letters that preceded the Burr-Hamilton duel in 1804 — http://tinyurl.com/yjh9ka2
historyadv (AdventuresinHistory)
January 17, 2010RT @RagLinen: New blog post: The 12 letters that preceded the Burr-Hamilton duel in 1804 — http://tinyurl.com/yjh9ka2
Site of the Week: Rag Linen « Avi's Cogitations
January 25, 2010[...] above, explanation here). One of the coolest things I’ve found on Rag Linen so far is the original correspondence between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, and the subsequent articles written after [...]
American Civility: Hamilton-Burr Edition « Almost Verbiage
January 23, 2011[...] And if you think what you’re reading today sounds like a load of childish garbage, you should read how these men fought it out in letters they published in newspapers back then. Tit-for-tat journalism is apparently nothing new, either. [...]