Aaron Burr (1756-1836) is perhaps best known as the infamous Vice President who took a rather dramatic turn in American history and shot and killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel in 1804.
But before he became a household name for all the wrong reasons, Burr served as New York’s third Attorney General from 1789 to 1791. He was known for his legal savvy and charm, navigating the post-Revolutionary legal landscape as something of a rogue.
Burr studied theology at Princeton University (where he was initially a Whig) and worked as a lawyer in before joining the Continental Army in 1775 after hearing word about Lexington and Concord.
Burr’s regiment suffered devastating losses from British artillery on June 28, 1778 at the Battle of Monmouth, New Jersey, at which he suffered heatstroke and exhaustion. He left leaving military service befog the war ended in 1779, citing poor health.
He returned to the city of New York and practiced law and politics. With Tammany Hall he helped form the new Jeffersonian Democratic-Republican Party and was elected New York Assemblyman in 1785, supporting a bill to end slavery, despite once having owned slaves himself.
In 1789 Governor George Clinton appointed him as New York State Attorney General; he as made Commissioner of Revolutionary War Claims in 1791, the same year he was elected to the U.S. Senate. After leaving the Senate in 1797 he later ran as the Democratic-Republican vice-presidential candidate in the heavily disputed 1800 Election.
Burr was a key player in the early days of American politics, but he often found himself caught in the crossfire of political rivalries. After his tenure as Attorney General, Burr served as Vice President under Thomas Jefferson, proving that he could indeed rise to high office, even if it came with a side of scandal.
His secretive activities on the American frontier led to his 1807 arrest in Alabama on charges of treason. He was tried more than once for the Burr Conspiracy, an alleged plot to create an independent country led by Burr, but was acquitted each time.
Burr moved to Europe, but returned in 1812 and resumed practicing law in New York until his death in 1836 at the age of 80.
Despite his complicated legacy, Burr’s influence on New York’s legal system and his role in early American politics can’t be dismissed.
This essay is one of a series by the Historical Society of the New York Courts on the history of New York’s Attorneys General. You can read them all here.
The Historical Society of the New York Courts brings together judges and lawyers to preserve, protect, and promote the legal history of New York — how it works to promote democracy, ensure justice, and promote the rule of law. Learn more about the Society and support their efforts by becoming a member or donating here.
Read more about Aaron Burr in New York State.
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