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An Day in History: Death in a Duel

Discussion in '"Today in History", Literature & Media Review' started by Martin Antonenko, Jul 10, 2020.

  1. Martin Antonenko A Fixture

    Country:
    Germany
    On the morning of July 11, 1804, on the banks of the Hudson River in the forest of Weehawken in the state of New Jersey, two top US politicians face each other with loaded pistols:

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    One is Aaron Burr, the former third vice president (under Thomas Jefferson) of the United States.

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    In the controversial presidential election in 1800, which had to decide the House of Representatives due to the tie of the candidates, a political rival assumed that he had intrigued the federal opposition to seize the presidency - after which he soon isolated himself in his own party saw.

    In the 1804 election, he was no longer nominated and then ran with the support of the federalists in the governor election in New York, but lost it significantly.

    Here, too, Burr suspected - not without reason - the same political rivals behind the scenes as the mastermind behind a suicide campaign, which he saw as the reason for his defeat.


    The other man who now faces Burr on the banks of the Hudson is that political rival: Alexander Hamilton ...

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    ... from 1789 to 1793 Secretary of the Treasury under George Washington, creator of the US banking system, and in 1792 Founder of the Federalist Party.

    Burr had challenged him to a duel when he became aware that Hamilton had often and clearly made derogatory comments about him.

    Both politicians came to New Jersey via the Hudson River - on the other side of the river is New York (where they both live), but duels are prohibited there!

    When the referee's "Fire" command is given, the two opponents fire on each other almost simultaneously!

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    Hamilton deliberately shoots past!

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    We know that from himself: in the days leading up to the duel, Hamilton had not only drawn up his will, but also written down in a few personal comments his decision not to aim at the opponent, at least with the first of his duel balls, but to waste the first shot - to appease Burr, but also because a duel is fundamentally against his religious beliefs.

    Although - this is not to be postponed - witnesses to the Dulls and Burr later said that Hamilton shot quite well, but did not hit.

    Burr meanwhile, who hates Hamilton from the bottom of his heart, shoots specifically and injures Hamilton with his ball heavily on the abdomen.

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    A day later, Hamilton dies of his serious wound in New York.

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    Curious but historical: Three years earlier (1801), Hamilton's eldest son Philip had been killed in a duel at exactly the same place on the Hudson River...:

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    An examination of the two - preserved - duel pistols...

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    ... by experts of the Smithsonian Institute in 1976 showed that Hailton was probably not as honorable as he claimed:

    He was allowed to choose the weapon as a challenger, and the pistol he used to fight Burr was demonstrably manipulated:

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    While the Burr handed weapon had a conventional trigger that required a trigger weight of more than 5 kilograms, Hamilton's weapon was set to a much lower resistance, which had given Hamilton an unfair advantage because he was able to fire faster and more easily!

    The original weapons are now in the Chase Manhattan Bank ...:

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    Anyway - while duel winner Aaron Burr is almost forgotten today, Hamilton's portrait is still emblazoned on the $ 10 banknote ...

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    T-34/85, Blind Pew, Old Pete and 2 others like this.
  2. Nap Moderator

    Country:
    England
    Another thing I never knew about

    Thanks Martin

    Nap
  3. Blind Pew A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Fascinating stuff, thanks again Martin

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