You probably know him as the "villain" who shot Alexander Hamilton in a field in New Jersey. Or maybe you've seen the musical. But the 3rd Vice President of the United States, Aaron Burr, was a lot more than just a guy with a fast trigger finger and a grudge.
Honestly, the guy was a walking contradiction. He was a war hero who almost became a traitor. He was a champion of women's rights in an era when that was basically unheard of. He was also a man who presided over the Senate with "the impartiality of an angel," even while he was technically a wanted man for murder.
History has a funny way of flattening people into caricatures. We like our Founding Fathers to be either saints or monsters. Burr doesn't fit into those boxes. He was brilliant, messy, and deeply ambitious. If you want to understand why the early days of America were so chaotic, you have to look at how the 3rd Vice President of the United States nearly broke the system before it even got off the ground.
The Election of 1800: A Total Mess
The way Burr became the 3rd Vice President of the United States was a complete disaster. It wasn't like today where you pick a running mate and you're a "ticket." Back then, electors just threw two names in a hat. The guy with the most votes became President; the runner-up was the Vice President.
In 1800, Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr were supposed to be on the same side. They were Democratic-Republicans running against the Federalist John Adams. The plan was simple: everyone would vote for Jefferson and Burr, but one person would leave Burr off their ballot so he’d finish second.
Someone forgot the plan.
They tied. 73 votes each.
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Suddenly, the 3rd Vice President of the United States wasn't just a backup—he was a potential President. Instead of stepping aside and saying, "My bad, Jefferson is the guy," Burr stayed quiet. He let the House of Representatives vote 35 times without a winner. It took Alexander Hamilton—who hated Jefferson’s politics but thought Burr had no morals—to convince people to vote for Jefferson.
Burr won the Vice Presidency, but he lost Jefferson’s trust forever. Imagine starting a four-year job knowing your boss thinks you tried to steal his chair. That was the reality for the 3rd Vice President of the United States from day one.
Why the 3rd Vice President of the United States Still Matters
Most people think of the Vice Presidency as a "do-nothing" job. For Burr, it was a weird mix of high-stakes legal work and total social isolation. Jefferson basically ghosted him. He wasn't invited to meetings. He wasn't consulted on policy.
But Burr was still the President of the Senate. And he was actually really good at it.
Saving the Judiciary
In 1805, Burr presided over the impeachment trial of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase. This was a huge deal. Jefferson wanted Chase gone for political reasons. If Burr had leaned into the politics, he could have helped the President destroy a rival.
Instead, Burr insisted on a fair trial. He treated the courtroom like a sacred space. Because he refused to let it become a circus, Chase was acquitted. This set a massive precedent: you can't just fire judges because you don't like their opinions. It’s one of the few times the 3rd Vice President of the United States is credited with actually strengthening American democracy.
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The Duel in Weehawken
We can't talk about Aaron Burr without the duel. It’s July 11, 1804. Burr is still the sitting Vice President. He rows across the Hudson River to Weehawken, New Jersey, to meet Alexander Hamilton.
Hamilton had been trashing Burr’s character for years. He called him "despicable" in the papers. In the "code duello" of the time, that was a direct attack on Burr’s honor.
One shot later, Hamilton is mortally wounded.
The 3rd Vice President of the United States went back to Washington to finish his term, but he was a pariah. New Jersey and New York both indicted him for murder. He literally presided over the Senate while being a fugitive. You can't make this stuff up.
The Weird Aftermath and the Treason Trial
Once his term ended in 1805, things got even weirder. Burr headed west. He started gathering men and boats. Depending on who you ask, he was either planning to invade Mexico or trying to carve out his own empire from the Louisiana Territory.
President Jefferson, who already hated him, had him arrested for treason.
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The trial was the "O.J. Simpson case" of the 19th century. Chief Justice John Marshall presided. In the end, Burr was acquitted because the Constitution defines treason very narrowly—you need two witnesses to an "overt act" of war. The prosecution didn't have it.
Even though he was legally "not guilty," his reputation was done. He spent years in Europe, broke and lonely, before eventually coming back to New York to practice law under a different name for a while.
A Legacy of "What Ifs"
Burr was ahead of his time in some surprising ways. He educated his daughter, Theodosia, as if she were a man, teaching her Latin, Greek, and philosophy. He spoke out against slavery when many of his peers were still silent.
But his ambition always tripped him up. He was a "malleable" politician in a world of ideologues.
What You Should Take Away
If you're looking for lessons from the life of the 3rd Vice President of the United States, here are a few specific insights:
- The 12th Amendment is his fault: The tie in 1800 was so messy that Congress passed the 12th Amendment to make sure Presidents and Vice Presidents were voted for on separate ballots. We use that system to this day.
- Honor was everything: In the 1800s, "character" wasn't just a vibe; it was your currency. Burr’s duel wasn't just about a mean letter—it was about his ability to function in society.
- Judicial Independence: Burr’s fair handling of the Samuel Chase trial is a big reason why our Supreme Court isn't just a tool for whichever President is in power.
To dive deeper into the reality of the 1804 duel, you should check out the primary source letters between Burr and Hamilton hosted by the National Archives. They show a chilling, polite escalation that led to the cliffs of Weehawken. You might also want to look into Nancy Isenberg’s biography, Fallen Founder, which argues that Burr wasn't the villain history made him out to be, but rather a victim of a coordinated smear campaign by the Virginia elite.
Take a look at the actual text of the 12th Amendment. It's a direct response to the chaos of 1800. Understanding how that one election changed the Constitution helps explain why our modern political system looks the way it does.