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1804

Duel Between Alexander Hamilton & Aaron Burr

Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr had a famous duel in Weehawken. Hamilton and Burr had a bitter rivalry, politically and personally, and on July 11, they decided to duel it out. They decided to meet in Weehawken, New Jersey because New Jersey was known for being a "lawless" state, where many duels took place. In other northern states, dueling was being outlawed. New Jersey used to be a place where people who wanted to have a duel would challenge each other in secret, most of the duelists were people from New York.  


In the early morning of July 11, Hamilton and Burr left Manhattan by separate boats. They arrived on opposing sides of the Heights of Weehawken. Hamilton fired his shot at a tree above and behind Burr’s head, Burr fired back at Hamilton and fatally wounded him. Hamilton died a day later after being rowed back the Hudson River. While Burr’s intention was to shoot to kill. Hamilton did not condone the concept of dueling. Therefore, he missed purposely.

The Duel: Intro
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This image shows how Hamilton wanted to avoid killing Burr. Although he missed on purpose, Aaron had other plans for the duel.

The Duel: Image
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Guns Used

The pistols that were used by Hamilton and Burr, may have been supplied by Hamilton's brother-in-law, John Barker Church. The pistols had a "hair-trigger" that enables the pistol to be fired when a tiny amount of pressure is applied. When asked about the use of "hair-trigger", Hamilton replied, "Not this time"

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The Duel: Other Projects
The Duel: My Work
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