Are tickets to see the play Hamilton too hard to find this summer? Why weren’t Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr better friends? Check out this quick summary of the famous feud:
In the 1800 presidential election, Aaron Burr and Thomas Jefferson ran against each other, but received the same number of electoral votes! At this time in U.S. history, the U.S. House of Representatives had to take 36 ballots to break the tie and decide which man would become president. Alexander Hamilton, who distrusted Burr more than he distrusted Jefferson, supported Jefferson for president. Jefferson won, and Burr became vice president.
Next, Burr decided to run for governor of New York in 1804. Again, Hamilton opposed him, which fueled the fire even further! Burr lost the election and attributed a part of his loss to Hamilton’s efforts. Frustrated, Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel.
On July 11, 1804, the men faced each other with pistols in Weehawken, New Jersey. With one shot, Burr fatally wounded Hamilton cementing both of the men’s fates in history books as mortal enemies.
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