Political trials, by their nature and their name, are not about justice, but about politics. Take the trial for treason of our third vice-president, Aaron Burr. On this day in 1807, Burr was arrested in present day Alabama and held for trial which took place in Richmond, VA later that year.
We know Burr killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel in 1804. Later, he supposedly formed a conspiracy with Spain to form a new country out of part of the southwestern United States. That was what his trial was about. Burr had been Thomas Jefferson's vice-president, but the two did not get along at all.
When Burr realized Jefferson would be dropping him from the ticket in 1804, he ran for governor of New York. Burr blamed his loss in that race on Hamilton's behind the scenes efforts. That's what led to the duel. Dueling was illegal in New York. The punishment, if you weren't killed in the duel, was death. Dueling was illegal in New Jersey too but the punishment was less dire so the duel was held there.
Hamilton missed his target, but Burr did not. Burr went into hiding for awhile, but eventually returned to finish the few months of his term as vice-president. After the election and at loose ends, Burr said he was going to start ranching in Texas, which still belonged to Spain. It was at this time that he got mixed up with General Wilkinson, governor of the new Louisiana Territory. Wilkinson was suspected of being less than a perfect patriot during his lifetime but he had lots of charm and was able to win people over. After his death, proof was found of Wilkinson's skullduggery.
Wilkinson had been working for years as a spy for Spain. He was in it for the money. It is supposed by historians that Burr worked with Wilkinson to form Burr's new country. Spain was interested in the project in hopes that Burr's new country would form a buffer between the growing United states and its own possessions.
When Wilkinson realized Burr's plans were likely to collapse, he feared he might be implicated with Burr, so he turned Burr in to Jefferson. At Burr's trial, Wilkinson proved to be a terrible witness. The judge in the case was John Marshall, chief justice of the Supreme Court. Marshall strictly interpreted the clause in the Constitution regarding treason. Marshall said there was not enough evidence to convict Burr. Despite all of Jefferson's influence, Burr was acquitted. This was the first real test of the separation of the powers of the government.
Burr's political career was over. He moved to Europe to escape his creditors. After four years, England asked him to leave and France would not let him in so he returned to New York and began practicing law again. He married a wealthy widow, but when she noticed he was spending all her money on land speculation, she kicked him out. Alexander Hamilton's son handled the divorce.
He suffered a severe stroke and spent his last two years in a boarding house on Staten Island, NY, where he died at the age of 80. I've left out the positive things Burr did during his career. Let's just say he was a man of mixed parts.
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