Aaron Burr Jr. February 6, — September 14, was an American politician, businessman, lawyer, and Founding Father who served as the third vice president of the United States from to during Thomas Jefferson's first presidential term. He founded the Manhattan Company on September 1, Burr is remembered for his famous personal and political conflict with Alexander Hamilton , which culminated in the Burr—Hamilton duel in Weehawken, New Jersey , on July 11, Burr mortally wounded Hamilton, who died from his wounds the following day.
Burr was born to a prominent family in what was then the Province of New Jersey. After studying theology at Princeton University , he began his career as a lawyer before joining the Continental Army as an officer in the American Revolutionary War in After leaving military service in , Burr practiced law in New York City , where he became a leading politician and helped form the new Jeffersonian Democratic-Republican Party.
As a New York assemblyman in , he supported a bill to end slavery , despite having owned slaves himself. In , Burr was elected to the U. Senate , where he served until He later ran as the Democratic-Republican vice-presidential candidate in the election. House of Representatives voting in Jefferson's favor, with Burr becoming Jefferson's vice president due to receiving the second-highest share of the votes.
Although Burr maintained that he supported Jefferson, the president was somewhat at odds with Burr, who was relegated to the sidelines of the administration during his vice presidency and was not selected as Jefferson's running mate in after the ratification of the 12th Amendment to the U. During his last full year as vice president, Burr engaged in the duel in which he fatally shot Alexander Hamilton , the former Secretary of the Treasury and his political rival, near where Hamilton's son Philip Hamilton had died in a duel three years prior.
Although dueling was illegal, Burr was never tried and all charges against him were eventually dropped. Nevertheless, his killing of Hamilton ended his political career. Burr traveled west to the American frontier , seeking new economic and political opportunities. His secretive activities led to his arrest in Alabama on charges of treason.
