1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:03,760 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class from how 2 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 1: Stuff Works dot com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:14,040 --> 00:00:19,239 Speaker 1: I'm editor Kamis Keenior, joined by fellow editor Katie Lambert. Candice, Hi, there, Katie. 4 00:00:19,400 --> 00:00:22,040 Speaker 1: Today we're going to take a leaders suggestion from Alan, 5 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:24,520 Speaker 1: who wrote to Candice to say, I know you really 6 00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:26,960 Speaker 1: like Thomas Jefferson, but I read an article in American 7 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:31,240 Speaker 1: History about him versus Hamilton's on banking. It's stated essentially 8 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:33,920 Speaker 1: that our current economic woes can be attributed to Jefferson's 9 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:37,680 Speaker 1: opposition and Jackson's later support for that position. I would 10 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:40,360 Speaker 1: enjoy hearing a podcast on Hamilton Versus Jefferson and the 11 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:43,800 Speaker 1: national bank issue. We'll do a little bit on Hamilton's, 12 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:46,920 Speaker 1: although not necessarily the national banking issue, because today I 13 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:49,159 Speaker 1: think we're going to focus more on his duel with 14 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:53,000 Speaker 1: Aaron Burr, and part of the story leading up to 15 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 1: the duel is who Alexander Hamilton was as a person, 16 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:02,200 Speaker 1: and so we will touch on his points of view. 17 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 1: We should call them on the National Treasury because they 18 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:10,320 Speaker 1: made him quite unpopular and eventually led to his demise, 19 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:15,280 Speaker 1: and according to Ron cheer Now's biography of Alexander Hamilton's. 20 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:20,440 Speaker 1: Jefferson's followers believed that Hamilton's was and I quote, they 21 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:23,240 Speaker 1: demonized him as a slavish pawn of the British crown, 22 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 1: a closet monarchist, a Machiavellian intriguer, a would be Caesar. 23 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:33,360 Speaker 1: And these assessments are really unfair. Actually, um, Jefferson in 24 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:39,240 Speaker 1: Hamilton's were horrible political opponents. They ran smear campaigns and 25 00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:42,400 Speaker 1: newspapers against each other after they had hired journalists to 26 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 1: deliberately cast characters versions on the other. At one point 27 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:50,600 Speaker 1: this gossip wore back and forth culminated in one printing 28 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 1: that the other one had died, and because news didn't 29 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:56,120 Speaker 1: travel that fast, it took a little while to get 30 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 1: the word out that no, there was no death. I mean, 31 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 1: it was just asked you between the two of them. 32 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:07,520 Speaker 1: And this is all rooted in the argument between federalists 33 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:11,840 Speaker 1: and republican something that both jefferson in Hamilton's felt very 34 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:17,079 Speaker 1: strongly about their national identities. So to begin with, uh, 35 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:23,640 Speaker 1: the beginning, really. Alexander Hamilton's was born in se On Nevas, 36 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:26,840 Speaker 1: which is a Caribbean island famous for being the place 37 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:30,000 Speaker 1: where Alexander Hamilton was born, and note of that much else, 38 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:34,680 Speaker 1: and his birth was illegitimate, which is something he called 39 00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:37,800 Speaker 1: humiliating in his later years, And his beginnings were very 40 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:40,480 Speaker 1: much shrouded in a bit of mystery. He was really 41 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:43,400 Speaker 1: ashamed that that was his birth. When he was ten 42 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 1: years old, his family moved to Saint Croix, and shortly 43 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:51,520 Speaker 1: thereafter his father left, and then his mother died, and 44 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:53,640 Speaker 1: then he went to live with a first cousin who 45 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:56,360 Speaker 1: killed himself. I know, it's not funny, it's just a 46 00:02:56,400 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 1: string of catastrophes. It was. And I was watching the 47 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:05,040 Speaker 1: PPS American Experienced documentary about Hamilton's and the historians kept 48 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:08,080 Speaker 1: likening him to a tragic Greek figure, which is true. 49 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:10,200 Speaker 1: I mean, he really was. Here's a man who wants 50 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 1: nothing but honor, and everything keeps standing in his way 51 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: to keep him from attaining that position that he he's 52 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:20,799 Speaker 1: read about and all the great Greek works, he's read, 53 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:23,040 Speaker 1: all the great statesman and he wants nothing more than 54 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:27,639 Speaker 1: to be esteemed alongside them. But he has no family 55 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 1: named speak of, He has no money, he has no education. 56 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 1: His aunt, uncle and grandmother died also in short succession. 57 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:38,640 Speaker 1: And I mean, seriously, talk about humble beginnings. There was 58 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 1: really nowhere to go from here. And he was only 59 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:43,720 Speaker 1: sixteen by the time that all of these things happened. 60 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 1: And after his cousin died and everyone else died, um, 61 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:50,440 Speaker 1: he was apprenticed to a mercantile house as a clerk 62 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:53,800 Speaker 1: and this import export business. And that's where things get 63 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 1: a little more scandalous, because the rich head of the company, 64 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:01,320 Speaker 1: Thomas Stevens, took him in and was more than kind 65 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:03,520 Speaker 1: to him, and people began to notice how much he 66 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 1: looked like Thomas's son, Edward Stevens, so much so that 67 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:10,920 Speaker 1: they were merely twins. And the rumor became that Thomas 68 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:14,040 Speaker 1: Stevens was actually his real father and not the father 69 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:16,920 Speaker 1: who disappeared and left him and his mother behind. But 70 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:20,919 Speaker 1: despite any scandal that may have resulted from assemblance to 71 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 1: this man, he established a name for himself in his 72 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:28,279 Speaker 1: position as a clerk because he learned the exchange rates, 73 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:31,680 Speaker 1: he learned how to conduct trade and how to make 74 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:36,240 Speaker 1: fair appraisals of imports and exports, and um, he actually 75 00:04:36,279 --> 00:04:37,839 Speaker 1: had a period of time in which he took over 76 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:41,960 Speaker 1: the business and he essentially saved it from ruin. He 77 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:46,680 Speaker 1: was very ambitious. He was. He was, and in his 78 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:49,680 Speaker 1: position where he was watching the slaves on the island 79 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:53,840 Speaker 1: engage in the sugar the sugarcane trade, and being beaten 80 00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:57,680 Speaker 1: down sometimes in the fields by their masters, he became 81 00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:01,400 Speaker 1: determined that he would fight again this type of treatment 82 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:04,400 Speaker 1: of humans. He didn't think it was right that people 83 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:06,920 Speaker 1: would be oppressed if they were working hard. He thought 84 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 1: that hard work would save anyone from any station that 85 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:13,080 Speaker 1: they were born into. And in fact he said, I 86 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 1: would willingly risk my life, though not my character, to 87 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:21,120 Speaker 1: exalt my station. And he did exalt his station. Actually, 88 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:24,760 Speaker 1: in seventeen seventy two, he wrote a letter about a 89 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:28,040 Speaker 1: devastating hurricane that had hit the islands, and it was 90 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:30,880 Speaker 1: published in the Royal Danish American Gazette. And it was 91 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:35,719 Speaker 1: so gripping and so well written that a lot of 92 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:38,560 Speaker 1: people took notice, and a group of businessmen actually got 93 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:41,320 Speaker 1: together some money and sent him to the United States 94 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:44,440 Speaker 1: to be educated. So here's our first big step from 95 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:46,360 Speaker 1: the little island that no one had ever heard of, 96 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:50,320 Speaker 1: the United States. Exactly. So he enrolls at King's College 97 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:52,839 Speaker 1: in New York at eighteen years old. And this is 98 00:05:52,839 --> 00:05:57,679 Speaker 1: when the American revolution starts brewing, and you must remember 99 00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:01,040 Speaker 1: he's a foreigner, essentially coming to its states. But very 100 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:03,240 Speaker 1: quickly he allowed himself to be swept up in this 101 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 1: revolutionary spirit. And while he maintained that for trade purposes 102 00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:14,520 Speaker 1: and for commerce and the colony's ability to uh be 103 00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:17,800 Speaker 1: an active part of world politics, they would need to 104 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:21,120 Speaker 1: maintain some sort of alliance with England, he changed his 105 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:24,960 Speaker 1: feelings just a little bit and eventually ended up joining 106 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:29,120 Speaker 1: an artillery unit and fighting against the British soldiers. And 107 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:32,440 Speaker 1: King's College was very much a place of British Orthodoxy. 108 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:36,960 Speaker 1: People there were much more aligned to Britain, and Hamilton's 109 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:39,680 Speaker 1: had an idea that was common at the time was 110 00:06:39,720 --> 00:06:42,479 Speaker 1: that the colonists ow loyalty to the English King, but 111 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:45,440 Speaker 1: not to Parliament. So that was sort of the line 112 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:47,559 Speaker 1: he was straddling at the time, and he did hope 113 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:50,880 Speaker 1: that peace could be accomplished with England and maybe we 114 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:53,560 Speaker 1: could have some sort of a limited monarchy. But he 115 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:58,040 Speaker 1: did become rather radicalized when he headed up that artillery company, 116 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:00,480 Speaker 1: and he was very young, i believe, for that kind 117 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:03,000 Speaker 1: of a post, and he liked the idea of being 118 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:06,960 Speaker 1: able to finally put into action the sentiments that he 119 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:10,880 Speaker 1: had been expressing with his pen. And he got noticed 120 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:14,400 Speaker 1: by George Washington pretty early on because he was so 121 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 1: ambitious and such a fervent organizer of people and tasks 122 00:07:20,280 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 1: and ideas. And once Washington drew him in, he became 123 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:29,840 Speaker 1: a part of Washington's little coterie, and Washington very much 124 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:33,640 Speaker 1: relied upon Hamilton's to do correspondence for him, and historians 125 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 1: note that when you read General Washington's correspondents and his 126 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:39,640 Speaker 1: letters and some of the great things he's noted to 127 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 1: have said, a lot of that is coming from Hamilton's, 128 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:45,440 Speaker 1: the ghostwriter. And this was a very special bond in relationship, 129 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:48,800 Speaker 1: almost like father's son, that would continue to save Hamilton's 130 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:53,160 Speaker 1: throughout his career. I think Washington promoted him to lieutenant colonel, 131 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:55,680 Speaker 1: he made him his aide to camp, and he was 132 00:07:55,840 --> 00:07:59,280 Speaker 1: very involved in Washington's little group until leave. They had 133 00:07:59,280 --> 00:08:03,640 Speaker 1: a falling out around see Um when Washington said that 134 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:08,360 Speaker 1: Hamilton's was disrespectful toward him, and Hamilton's resigned um and 135 00:08:08,400 --> 00:08:11,160 Speaker 1: then came back after Washington apologized. You don't want to 136 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:13,560 Speaker 1: pay George Washington's bad side. I think it's to say 137 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:16,960 Speaker 1: definitely not. And so if we flash forward and the 138 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:19,560 Speaker 1: interest of moving towards the the Aaron Bird duel, which 139 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:23,880 Speaker 1: I know you're all curious about. When the Constitution is 140 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:27,600 Speaker 1: at risk of of not being ratified, Hamilton's steps up 141 00:08:28,360 --> 00:08:33,000 Speaker 1: and he ensures that everyone understands the importance of this document, 142 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:38,520 Speaker 1: which will not only unify the currency across the colonies, 143 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:41,679 Speaker 1: but will also establish a sense of order and responsibility 144 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:45,200 Speaker 1: and an identity for all the different states because they 145 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:47,520 Speaker 1: were so different from one another, the Southern States and 146 00:08:47,559 --> 00:08:51,000 Speaker 1: the Northern States, and how people lived and what the 147 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:53,600 Speaker 1: cities were like. He knew that in order for everyone 148 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:57,679 Speaker 1: to coexist peacefully after they'd fought so hard for independence, 149 00:08:57,720 --> 00:09:00,360 Speaker 1: and not for more skirmishes to break out between the 150 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:03,800 Speaker 1: states themselves, there had to be some sort of centralized government. 151 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:08,920 Speaker 1: And he was known for being really, really convincing, and 152 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:11,560 Speaker 1: you know that at the Constitutional Convention and three states 153 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:14,440 Speaker 1: have ratified it. But that's it. And that's when he 154 00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:17,960 Speaker 1: started writing the Federalist Papers um with James Madison and 155 00:09:18,040 --> 00:09:24,240 Speaker 1: John Jay and these papers were designed to give almost 156 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:29,559 Speaker 1: a common man's understanding of what was actually in the Constitution. 157 00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:32,840 Speaker 1: He wanted to appeal to everyone so that they would 158 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:36,520 Speaker 1: understand why they should support the Constitution. But he was 159 00:09:36,600 --> 00:09:40,559 Speaker 1: known for being somewhat elitist because he did use elevated language, 160 00:09:40,600 --> 00:09:42,640 Speaker 1: and he did put a lot of faith in the 161 00:09:42,679 --> 00:09:47,880 Speaker 1: aristocracy and the intellectuals to actually run the government. But 162 00:09:48,520 --> 00:09:52,920 Speaker 1: the Federalist papers really helped garner support finally, because I mean, 163 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:54,800 Speaker 1: when you do look at the Constitution, the languages a 164 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:56,920 Speaker 1: bit stiff, and people were afraid that they were just 165 00:09:57,000 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 1: creating another little monarchy in the United States, and he 166 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:01,600 Speaker 1: trying to make it clear that that wasn't the case 167 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:04,920 Speaker 1: behind what they were trying to do. And it's funny 168 00:10:04,960 --> 00:10:08,160 Speaker 1: to note that, uh, when he was speaking, when he 169 00:10:08,200 --> 00:10:10,240 Speaker 1: had the floor, it was almost like no one could 170 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:12,480 Speaker 1: get him to shut his mouth. He would open his 171 00:10:12,559 --> 00:10:15,360 Speaker 1: mouth and words would just come pouring out. And he 172 00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:19,080 Speaker 1: was a little man. He was his seven five seven 173 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:23,280 Speaker 1: and described as delicately framed. And so I mean, imagine, 174 00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:26,200 Speaker 1: I'm trying to think of some sort of comparison to 175 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:28,440 Speaker 1: make Jim. I don't know why, but always envisioned Niles 176 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:30,920 Speaker 1: Crane from for as years always being your Hamilton. He's 177 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:34,600 Speaker 1: just standing there spouting off these big words of radio's ideas, 178 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:37,040 Speaker 1: and no one can get him to be quiet, but 179 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:40,760 Speaker 1: um he was. He was pretty happy with the way 180 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:43,280 Speaker 1: that things turned out in the end. But as much 181 00:10:43,280 --> 00:10:46,920 Speaker 1: as the Federalist papers were designed to get popular opinion 182 00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:51,160 Speaker 1: to support the Constitution, he was constantly criticized for putting 183 00:10:51,440 --> 00:10:55,600 Speaker 1: too much power in a centralized elite government. And he 184 00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:58,520 Speaker 1: retorted at one point, and whom would you have representing 185 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:02,080 Speaker 1: us in government? Not the rich, not the wise, not 186 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:04,480 Speaker 1: the learned, And went on to say, would you pluck 187 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:07,599 Speaker 1: some person off the street who was digging in the garbage. 188 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:11,520 Speaker 1: That's where the contrast I think between him and Jefferson started, 189 00:11:11,600 --> 00:11:15,800 Speaker 1: because people associated Jefferson with being very democratic and someone 190 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:20,320 Speaker 1: like Hamilton's with being sided with the aristocrats right, and 191 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:24,280 Speaker 1: Hamilton's was making the point that you need people who 192 00:11:24,480 --> 00:11:30,680 Speaker 1: understand money, who understand credit and trade to actually make 193 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:33,520 Speaker 1: the country work. He would like him, right, people like 194 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:37,720 Speaker 1: him He was all about the policy, whereas Jefferson envisioned 195 00:11:37,760 --> 00:11:40,680 Speaker 1: that people should be allowed to live their own lives 196 00:11:40,679 --> 00:11:43,319 Speaker 1: and make their own individual choices, and he envisioned this 197 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:46,400 Speaker 1: type of agrarian paradise where every man toiled in the 198 00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:50,120 Speaker 1: earth and built his own estate and supported himself. And 199 00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 1: Hamilton's saw, uh, you know, as big as the United 200 00:11:53,200 --> 00:12:00,000 Speaker 1: States was maximizing the space, making cities and UH involved 201 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:03,200 Speaker 1: being the country and trade and building up there their 202 00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:05,200 Speaker 1: credit line with the rest of the world so that 203 00:12:05,240 --> 00:12:08,640 Speaker 1: they could become a superpower. In Hamilton's, as you'd mentioned before, 204 00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:11,520 Speaker 1: I had a much darker view of human nature, and 205 00:12:11,559 --> 00:12:14,240 Speaker 1: he was also very concerned about things just falling into 206 00:12:14,240 --> 00:12:17,120 Speaker 1: complete chaos. He didn't think, basically that the people could 207 00:12:17,160 --> 00:12:20,800 Speaker 1: be trusted to govern themselves. And he may have been right, 208 00:12:20,920 --> 00:12:23,160 Speaker 1: and that's why it was so interesting when he got 209 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:26,680 Speaker 1: involved in the revolution, because on the one hand he 210 00:12:26,760 --> 00:12:29,240 Speaker 1: was terrified of this mob rule. He stopped a mob 211 00:12:29,280 --> 00:12:32,400 Speaker 1: from attacking the president of King's College, but on the 212 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:35,560 Speaker 1: other hand he was out captaining infantry, and that he 213 00:12:35,600 --> 00:12:37,960 Speaker 1: didn't exactly get his way with all of the ideas 214 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:41,440 Speaker 1: he had for young America. If he'd had his way, 215 00:12:41,559 --> 00:12:44,880 Speaker 1: the Constitution would have appointed a president for for life, 216 00:12:45,280 --> 00:12:48,880 Speaker 1: and the president would have tapped individual leaders from each state, 217 00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:51,840 Speaker 1: and it didn't turn out that way. But he did 218 00:12:51,960 --> 00:12:56,199 Speaker 1: think that the United States should accomplish certain feats if 219 00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:59,400 Speaker 1: it wanted to become a good respectable nation and one 220 00:12:59,400 --> 00:13:01,840 Speaker 1: of the most introversial ones early in his career after 221 00:13:01,880 --> 00:13:05,960 Speaker 1: Washington had appointed him Treasury. The secretary was his assumption 222 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:10,440 Speaker 1: plan and was that I think he thought the nation 223 00:13:10,559 --> 00:13:14,079 Speaker 1: should assume the debts of the states, right exactly so, 224 00:13:14,360 --> 00:13:17,880 Speaker 1: and it was it was pretty political, and Hamilton's had 225 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:21,079 Speaker 1: often been criticized for not being political enough. He didn't 226 00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:23,640 Speaker 1: talk like a politician. He couldn't schmooz. He was just 227 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:26,280 Speaker 1: brush and shrill and try to get people on his side. 228 00:13:26,440 --> 00:13:30,400 Speaker 1: But this was an incredibly political maneuver because the people 229 00:13:30,440 --> 00:13:33,559 Speaker 1: who had the most debt in the individual states, if 230 00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:37,320 Speaker 1: he could promise to assume their debt and get them 231 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:41,439 Speaker 1: to align themselves with a new federal government, then essentially 232 00:13:41,480 --> 00:13:44,720 Speaker 1: he'd win people's trit he'd win their allegiance. Well, and 233 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:48,120 Speaker 1: he was sneaky. He had a dinner with Thomas Jefferson 234 00:13:48,679 --> 00:13:51,400 Speaker 1: and with Madison where he basically struck a deal with 235 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:54,520 Speaker 1: them and said, you know, my needed state support for 236 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:58,960 Speaker 1: this political maneuver. And it worked. And the agreement they 237 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:02,120 Speaker 1: reached was that he would let Jefferson and Madison have 238 00:14:02,240 --> 00:14:05,360 Speaker 1: their way and the new capital would be moved to 239 00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:08,439 Speaker 1: the region beside the Potomac down in Washington, d C. 240 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:10,679 Speaker 1: Where it is today. It was in New York at 241 00:14:10,679 --> 00:14:13,760 Speaker 1: the time, and Hamilton's, you know, he left New York 242 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:17,200 Speaker 1: here was a New Yorker, but to him it was 243 00:14:17,240 --> 00:14:20,840 Speaker 1: a bigger win to get the Assumption Bill passed rather 244 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:23,240 Speaker 1: than see the capital moved a couple of states down south. 245 00:14:24,600 --> 00:14:27,680 Speaker 1: And he also garnered more controversy that same year when 246 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:32,040 Speaker 1: he wanted to charter a national bank and Madison, Jefferson 247 00:14:32,080 --> 00:14:34,000 Speaker 1: and a whole bunch of other people said it was 248 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:37,800 Speaker 1: unconstitutional and that was the federal government going way too far, 249 00:14:38,680 --> 00:14:42,440 Speaker 1: and Hamilton's and Washington got it passed. And this is 250 00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:45,400 Speaker 1: where you really start to see that division between the 251 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:48,640 Speaker 1: Jeffersonian Republicans, who wanted it to be very much a 252 00:14:48,680 --> 00:14:52,400 Speaker 1: republic right and the federalists who wanted the power in 253 00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:55,440 Speaker 1: the federal government. Jefferson was saying no, no, no to 254 00:14:55,560 --> 00:15:00,320 Speaker 1: ideas of urbanization and standing army, and essentially a what 255 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:03,080 Speaker 1: he saw as a federalist was someone who was a 256 00:15:03,120 --> 00:15:06,560 Speaker 1: monarch guest, whereas Hamilton's was arguing, if you want order 257 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:10,360 Speaker 1: and you want power, you have to agree to these things. 258 00:15:10,760 --> 00:15:12,920 Speaker 1: And this is where our two party system came into 259 00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:15,720 Speaker 1: play there you have it around this time is when 260 00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:19,960 Speaker 1: Aaron Burr makes an appearance in Alexander Hamilton's life. UM, 261 00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:22,400 Speaker 1: when they were running an election for the New York 262 00:15:22,480 --> 00:15:28,200 Speaker 1: Senate seat and Aaron Burr defeated UM Philip Schuyler, who 263 00:15:28,280 --> 00:15:32,600 Speaker 1: was related to Hamilton's wife, I believe Elizabeth Skyler, and 264 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:35,760 Speaker 1: that's when things between them started to heat up. He 265 00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:41,240 Speaker 1: asked Hamilton's at one point in time, if you have 266 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:44,560 Speaker 1: power as Treasury as secretary to work the system to 267 00:15:44,680 --> 00:15:49,160 Speaker 1: benefit you, why wouldn't you It was unbelievable to Aaron 268 00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:53,840 Speaker 1: Burr that a man who had Hamilton's authoritative position wouldn't 269 00:15:54,040 --> 00:15:57,440 Speaker 1: use it for personal gain. And Hamilton's had always been 270 00:15:57,560 --> 00:16:01,840 Speaker 1: horrified by the idea of doing work just for money. 271 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:05,560 Speaker 1: He believed in doing work for the honesty of it 272 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:08,640 Speaker 1: and for the pride of winning a case in court. 273 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:11,320 Speaker 1: He was a successful lawyer, but he would refuse to 274 00:16:11,360 --> 00:16:14,440 Speaker 1: take some cases if he didn't agree with the plaintiff. 275 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:17,120 Speaker 1: He would only take the cases that he believed wholeheartedly in. 276 00:16:17,920 --> 00:16:20,200 Speaker 1: And so this meant, you know, almost a lifetime of 277 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:23,160 Speaker 1: destitution for him, and certainly a great deal of debt 278 00:16:23,280 --> 00:16:27,480 Speaker 1: for his family. But you see that the differences in 279 00:16:28,560 --> 00:16:33,480 Speaker 1: morals and principles between Burn Hamilton's would would cause not 280 00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:36,040 Speaker 1: just a professional distaste for one another, but a very 281 00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:39,560 Speaker 1: personal one, and their dislike of each other went on, 282 00:16:39,760 --> 00:16:44,760 Speaker 1: I think for a good years, and it got very personal. 283 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:49,760 Speaker 1: Insults were flung back and forth um on each other's character, 284 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:52,160 Speaker 1: which you know, it was a pretty serious thing. It 285 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:54,240 Speaker 1: wasn't just saying, oh, his ideas are bad. It was like, no, 286 00:16:54,440 --> 00:16:57,840 Speaker 1: he he has a person isn't worthy of your consideration 287 00:16:58,040 --> 00:17:02,280 Speaker 1: for the position of saying governor of he arc precisely so. 288 00:17:02,440 --> 00:17:05,720 Speaker 1: In the eight hundred presidential race rolls around. The two 289 00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:10,320 Speaker 1: contenders for the office are Jefferson R. Hamilton can't stand 290 00:17:10,960 --> 00:17:15,919 Speaker 1: and Burr, another of his enemies. So here, no, you 291 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:18,280 Speaker 1: can't win either way, and he's torn between the two choices, 292 00:17:18,320 --> 00:17:21,159 Speaker 1: but he has to decide who would be best for 293 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:26,800 Speaker 1: the country, and ultimately he decides Jefferson. And because there 294 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:30,400 Speaker 1: had been a tied election, Hamilton's was the one who 295 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:33,960 Speaker 1: finally pushed the congressman over the edge and got him 296 00:17:34,040 --> 00:17:37,119 Speaker 1: to agree to vote for Jefferson. So the final deciding vote, 297 00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:40,520 Speaker 1: while it didn't come from Hamilton's came from his influence. 298 00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:42,879 Speaker 1: And there's a quote I keep seeing in all the 299 00:17:42,920 --> 00:17:45,200 Speaker 1: stories I look at um with Hamilton and Burr, where 300 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:47,120 Speaker 1: Hamilton's said, if there be a man in the world 301 00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:49,560 Speaker 1: I ought to hate, it is Jefferson. With Burr I 302 00:17:49,560 --> 00:17:51,960 Speaker 1: have always been personally well, but I think this is 303 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:55,280 Speaker 1: about the time when he stopped feeling that way. So 304 00:17:55,359 --> 00:17:57,760 Speaker 1: in eighteen o one it's official. Jefferson is the third 305 00:17:57,800 --> 00:18:01,240 Speaker 1: president and Burr is his vice president. And in that 306 00:18:01,359 --> 00:18:05,280 Speaker 1: same year, Alexander's oldest son, Philip Hamilton's, was killed in 307 00:18:05,280 --> 00:18:08,720 Speaker 1: a duel attempting to defend the honor of the family, 308 00:18:09,560 --> 00:18:13,520 Speaker 1: and the grief of it drove their daughter Angelica insane. 309 00:18:13,920 --> 00:18:16,640 Speaker 1: So eighteen no ones not so great a good year. 310 00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:20,760 Speaker 1: And Hamilton's himself was very distraught over his son's death 311 00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:22,919 Speaker 1: because his son had actually consulted with him as to 312 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:26,160 Speaker 1: whether or not he should accept the dual challenge. And 313 00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:28,639 Speaker 1: at this point in time, the code of honor was 314 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:30,840 Speaker 1: structured so that you could get out of a duel 315 00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:33,200 Speaker 1: if you're willing to make a public apology and sort 316 00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:37,200 Speaker 1: of prostrate yourself before the person whom you've become embroiled 317 00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:40,199 Speaker 1: in this conflict with and Hamilton's knew that if his 318 00:18:40,280 --> 00:18:42,359 Speaker 1: son was going to have a future in politics, like 319 00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:45,359 Speaker 1: he'd hoped ever since he was a baby, really, that 320 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:47,320 Speaker 1: he had to take on this duel and he had 321 00:18:47,359 --> 00:18:50,840 Speaker 1: to save face. And unfortunately it didn't work out that way. 322 00:18:50,880 --> 00:18:55,520 Speaker 1: It didn't. And so Hamilton's not only because of his 323 00:18:55,600 --> 00:18:59,119 Speaker 1: son's death due to dueling, but because of his religious 324 00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:03,399 Speaker 1: ideas and his morals and and really his respect for 325 00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:07,280 Speaker 1: the law, he was very much opposed to dueling. And 326 00:19:07,359 --> 00:19:12,200 Speaker 1: before the famous Burr Hamilton's duel, Hamiltons had actually been 327 00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:15,600 Speaker 1: involved in ten other disputes, it had never escalated to 328 00:19:15,640 --> 00:19:18,320 Speaker 1: the point of becoming a full fledged duel. He managed 329 00:19:18,359 --> 00:19:20,439 Speaker 1: to work himself out of them, exactly. And when we 330 00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:22,879 Speaker 1: think of that now, like we picture, I guess, two people, 331 00:19:23,119 --> 00:19:25,960 Speaker 1: you know, getting angry and meeting it you know, high 332 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:29,720 Speaker 1: noon and drawing their guns. And that's not how political 333 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:34,439 Speaker 1: duels worked in the day. There's a really interesting history 334 00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:38,760 Speaker 1: behind them, and it all starts off with some sort 335 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:41,840 Speaker 1: of disgrace to someone's honor, say an election or some 336 00:19:41,920 --> 00:19:45,240 Speaker 1: other political controversy, and one person has lost face and 337 00:19:45,280 --> 00:19:48,600 Speaker 1: therefore lost that a little bit of tarnish on their 338 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:52,280 Speaker 1: good name. And I believe it usually started with a letter, 339 00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:55,199 Speaker 1: and say I would write a letter to Candice and 340 00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:57,840 Speaker 1: say that you know you had offended me and be 341 00:19:57,920 --> 00:20:00,639 Speaker 1: smirched my honor, and perhaps you would make a public 342 00:20:00,640 --> 00:20:04,160 Speaker 1: apology for what you've done. And so the person who's 343 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:07,200 Speaker 1: being challenged or put on the spot, if you will, 344 00:20:07,680 --> 00:20:11,760 Speaker 1: is the principle. And the principle has a second, who 345 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:14,720 Speaker 1: is a friend or a confidant, who's going to back 346 00:20:14,800 --> 00:20:17,440 Speaker 1: up that person. I would be your second. Thank you, 347 00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:21,600 Speaker 1: thank you. And once they they send this this notice 348 00:20:21,680 --> 00:20:25,560 Speaker 1: of the issue, then it's up to the second to 349 00:20:25,760 --> 00:20:30,880 Speaker 1: help the principle. I guess mediate in the public eye, 350 00:20:30,920 --> 00:20:33,159 Speaker 1: what is going on. So the two principles could have 351 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:36,560 Speaker 1: a beef with each other, but in order to save 352 00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:40,440 Speaker 1: face in a public way, the seconds come into explain 353 00:20:40,520 --> 00:20:47,040 Speaker 1: the situation, what's happening, And if the insult or is 354 00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:50,560 Speaker 1: willing to make an apology to the insultee, then the 355 00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:53,800 Speaker 1: whole thing can be called off. But if the insultee 356 00:20:53,960 --> 00:20:59,040 Speaker 1: doesn't accept that apology, then things escalating exactly, and the 357 00:20:59,119 --> 00:21:03,960 Speaker 1: acceptance and apologies known as satisfaction. But one thing that 358 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:06,520 Speaker 1: you could do if you didn't really want to have 359 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:08,639 Speaker 1: it end, and you really did want to have the duel, 360 00:21:08,800 --> 00:21:13,120 Speaker 1: was to ask for an absolutely ridiculous apology. And this 361 00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:17,280 Speaker 1: is what Aaron Burgin. Yeah, he I just I don't 362 00:21:17,400 --> 00:21:22,000 Speaker 1: get Burr to be perfectly candid. He was a strange 363 00:21:22,119 --> 00:21:25,640 Speaker 1: man to me, and just understanding. He was a descendant 364 00:21:25,680 --> 00:21:29,040 Speaker 1: of Jonathan Edwards, the preacher who's known for the sermon 365 00:21:29,119 --> 00:21:32,679 Speaker 1: centers in the Hand of an Angry God. Came from 366 00:21:32,720 --> 00:21:36,399 Speaker 1: a very religious family background, and his father was an 367 00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:39,240 Speaker 1: important man in academia, and he had all the money 368 00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:42,320 Speaker 1: that he could possibly want. And I suppose he was 369 00:21:42,359 --> 00:21:45,080 Speaker 1: just that power hungry and he really wanted to be president, 370 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:49,119 Speaker 1: and he was so mad at Hamilton's and furthermore, Hamilton's 371 00:21:49,160 --> 00:21:52,200 Speaker 1: had also alluded to the fact that Burr had had 372 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:55,760 Speaker 1: his way with his daughter, which we don't know if 373 00:21:55,760 --> 00:22:00,080 Speaker 1: it's to enough he had, just Hamilton's had been and 374 00:22:00,920 --> 00:22:03,880 Speaker 1: much as they did in the days, making all sorts 375 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:08,560 Speaker 1: of accusations towards Burr again on his character, because he 376 00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:14,720 Speaker 1: genuinely truly believed that Burr was a really unscrupulous, just 377 00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:18,280 Speaker 1: unpleasant man. He was, and so Burr told Hamilton's that 378 00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:22,240 Speaker 1: he wouldn't be satisfied unless Hamilton's agreed to apologize for 379 00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:27,639 Speaker 1: every single horrible thing that hamilton has said about him 380 00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:30,120 Speaker 1: in the past fifteen years, when what had really set 381 00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:32,760 Speaker 1: him off was a letter that was published in an 382 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:37,800 Speaker 1: actual newspaper where Hamilton's had expressed a quote unquote despicable 383 00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:40,919 Speaker 1: opinion of Burr, according to the editor of the paper. 384 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:44,600 Speaker 1: And that's what Burr picked up on as this thing like, okay, 385 00:22:44,840 --> 00:22:46,919 Speaker 1: you know it was, It's it's in print now, so 386 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:49,000 Speaker 1: I have something to use against you. And that's when 387 00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:53,240 Speaker 1: he asked Hamilton's for the sweeping apology that Hamilton's just 388 00:22:53,240 --> 00:22:56,360 Speaker 1: couldn't give. No. And by this time to Hamilton's had 389 00:22:56,359 --> 00:23:00,199 Speaker 1: fallen out of public favor because he'd gotten at all 390 00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:03,600 Speaker 1: little crazy with a smear campaign that he ran against 391 00:23:03,640 --> 00:23:07,160 Speaker 1: Adams and his own party even thought that he wasn't 392 00:23:07,240 --> 00:23:09,359 Speaker 1: quite right in the head anymore. And so and he 393 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:13,000 Speaker 1: had an affair that he publicly admitted to, and his 394 00:23:13,119 --> 00:23:15,800 Speaker 1: reputation was never quite the same. Yeah, things weren't looking 395 00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:19,040 Speaker 1: good for Hamilton's and he had every reason in the 396 00:23:19,040 --> 00:23:24,400 Speaker 1: world not to duel and um Joanne Freeman, who writes 397 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:28,160 Speaker 1: about the Burr Hamilton duel outlines those reasons as this, 398 00:23:28,600 --> 00:23:32,720 Speaker 1: the duel violated his religious and moral principles and defied 399 00:23:32,760 --> 00:23:35,600 Speaker 1: the law, threatened the welfare of his family, put his 400 00:23:35,640 --> 00:23:39,240 Speaker 1: creditors at risk, and ultimately compelled him to and in 401 00:23:39,359 --> 00:23:44,600 Speaker 1: Hamilton's own words, to hazard much and possibly gain nothing. 402 00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:49,720 Speaker 1: But again, he's in this really tight position where he 403 00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:52,600 Speaker 1: can either lose more face or defend what honor he 404 00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:55,720 Speaker 1: has left. And he's certainly not going to grovel before 405 00:23:55,760 --> 00:23:58,639 Speaker 1: bur especially because those are things he truly believed in. 406 00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:01,480 Speaker 1: He was his conviction that Burr was not worthy of 407 00:24:01,520 --> 00:24:04,880 Speaker 1: these positions of public service. And if we recall how 408 00:24:05,040 --> 00:24:08,000 Speaker 1: Hamilton's started out as a young boy, he had nothing, 409 00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:11,439 Speaker 1: and he worked himself into a great position of influence 410 00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:14,200 Speaker 1: and power, and he thought, if follow along the one 411 00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:16,600 Speaker 1: thing that I've been getting by on all my life 412 00:24:16,800 --> 00:24:19,480 Speaker 1: is honor, then by gollah, you know what do I 413 00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:21,480 Speaker 1: have to risk at this point? I'll defend my honor. 414 00:24:21,560 --> 00:24:23,800 Speaker 1: That's all I've got. So he did write this whole 415 00:24:23,840 --> 00:24:25,680 Speaker 1: letter with all of his reasons for being in the 416 00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:28,320 Speaker 1: stool because he knew that it would seem strange to people, 417 00:24:28,359 --> 00:24:30,639 Speaker 1: because it was so out of character for him. But 418 00:24:30,680 --> 00:24:34,240 Speaker 1: he also said that he wasn't going to shoot that 419 00:24:34,359 --> 00:24:36,800 Speaker 1: first time. He would shoot in the air and he 420 00:24:36,840 --> 00:24:39,320 Speaker 1: would let Bird do what he will and he would 421 00:24:39,359 --> 00:24:40,920 Speaker 1: be there, you know, in the semblance of a duel, 422 00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:42,919 Speaker 1: but he would not aim for Burr. And he was 423 00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:45,280 Speaker 1: counseled against it. You know, it's it's self defense. You 424 00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:49,959 Speaker 1: should shoot him, Alexander, and he wouldn't. So the date 425 00:24:50,119 --> 00:24:54,080 Speaker 1: arrived Auly eleventh, eighteen o four, and they'd agreed to 426 00:24:54,160 --> 00:24:57,280 Speaker 1: circumvent the law. They would fight in we Hawk and 427 00:24:57,359 --> 00:25:00,400 Speaker 1: New Jersey and they would arrive separately, and there would 428 00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:02,160 Speaker 1: be a doctor on the scene, but they would march 429 00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:04,800 Speaker 1: into the woods so there'd be no witnesses aside when 430 00:25:04,800 --> 00:25:08,080 Speaker 1: the principles and the seconds, because they didn't want to 431 00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:10,240 Speaker 1: turn at anyone else's name for being involved with this 432 00:25:10,320 --> 00:25:13,240 Speaker 1: jewel because it was illegal, and they were very tricky 433 00:25:13,280 --> 00:25:15,960 Speaker 1: about it, like they hid their guns under I think 434 00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:18,399 Speaker 1: some sort of cloak when they were going across, so 435 00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:20,520 Speaker 1: the people who were in the boat could truly and 436 00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:23,000 Speaker 1: honestly say that they had seen no guns because they 437 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:24,840 Speaker 1: were covered. I mean, they knew what was going on, 438 00:25:25,359 --> 00:25:28,239 Speaker 1: but every step had been taken to reassure that they 439 00:25:28,240 --> 00:25:31,520 Speaker 1: would be able to speak truthfully if pressed for the truth. 440 00:25:32,119 --> 00:25:34,920 Speaker 1: So they walked into the woods and they mark off 441 00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:39,240 Speaker 1: the ten paces, and then they cast lots to decide 442 00:25:39,560 --> 00:25:41,600 Speaker 1: who was going to pick what position to fire from, 443 00:25:41,640 --> 00:25:45,320 Speaker 1: and you second will call the command. In Hamilton's very 444 00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:49,040 Speaker 1: fortuitously won both. But it wasn't for tuitous and it 445 00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:51,600 Speaker 1: wasn't going to do him any good because he wasn't 446 00:25:51,640 --> 00:25:55,080 Speaker 1: going to fire, and he didn't. So Burr aimed and 447 00:25:55,200 --> 00:25:59,600 Speaker 1: he shot, and Hamilton's fell yes, And later it was 448 00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:02,400 Speaker 1: to turn meant that the shot went through his liver 449 00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:05,320 Speaker 1: and his diaphragm, and even though a doctor was there 450 00:26:05,359 --> 00:26:08,720 Speaker 1: to attend to him, Hamilton knew immediately that it was 451 00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:13,000 Speaker 1: a mortal wound and a painful one at that thirty 452 00:26:13,040 --> 00:26:16,119 Speaker 1: one hours later when he died, and he was he 453 00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:19,399 Speaker 1: was in an incredible amount of pain. And it was 454 00:26:19,560 --> 00:26:23,879 Speaker 1: the largest funeral in New York then that anyone had 455 00:26:23,920 --> 00:26:27,400 Speaker 1: ever turned out for, because Hamilton's was such a fixture 456 00:26:28,080 --> 00:26:31,000 Speaker 1: of New York City and he had done so much 457 00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:33,760 Speaker 1: for the government and made such strides for his nation. 458 00:26:33,920 --> 00:26:35,679 Speaker 1: And not only that, but you know, he had been 459 00:26:35,920 --> 00:26:38,000 Speaker 1: a bit of a tom cat in his day, so 460 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:40,880 Speaker 1: he had a lot of admirers, but people very much 461 00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:44,159 Speaker 1: more into his loss. He was buried July fourteenth at 462 00:26:44,200 --> 00:26:48,560 Speaker 1: Trinity Church in Manhattan, leaving Elizabeth, a widow who lived 463 00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:52,240 Speaker 1: until the age of nineties seven and was poor for 464 00:26:52,320 --> 00:26:54,840 Speaker 1: most of that time and missed him to her dying day. 465 00:26:54,880 --> 00:26:57,200 Speaker 1: She would always talk about going to see her Hamilton's 466 00:26:58,680 --> 00:27:02,280 Speaker 1: and Burr meanwhile, he was, Oh, my goodness, what a scoundrel. 467 00:27:02,359 --> 00:27:04,719 Speaker 1: People were furious with him. He loved New York for 468 00:27:04,760 --> 00:27:08,240 Speaker 1: eight years. And even though the duel itself is designed 469 00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:10,960 Speaker 1: to help a man regain his honor, that didn't work 470 00:27:11,359 --> 00:27:13,960 Speaker 1: in Burr's case, because he lost all of his honor. 471 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:16,919 Speaker 1: People were furious that he had killed Hamilton's. And so 472 00:27:17,119 --> 00:27:20,399 Speaker 1: goes the story of the famous jewel between Aaron Burr 473 00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:26,440 Speaker 1: and Alexander Hamilton's. And uh, today we don't honor Hamilton's 474 00:27:26,440 --> 00:27:29,200 Speaker 1: in the same way as we honor the other founding fathers. 475 00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:31,960 Speaker 1: And this is something that you'll probably read. And every 476 00:27:32,040 --> 00:27:37,119 Speaker 1: biographical assessment of Hamilton's people always comment that he doesn't have, 477 00:27:37,359 --> 00:27:39,440 Speaker 1: you know, a great monument. People don't think of him 478 00:27:39,440 --> 00:27:41,159 Speaker 1: in the warm and fuzzy way that we think of 479 00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:45,800 Speaker 1: someone like Jefferson or Lincoln or Washington, and really every 480 00:27:45,840 --> 00:27:48,240 Speaker 1: goal he was trying to achieve with urbanization and the 481 00:27:48,240 --> 00:27:51,240 Speaker 1: treasury and lines of credit, these things came to fruition. 482 00:27:51,560 --> 00:27:54,000 Speaker 1: So we tip our hats to Alexander Hamilton's we do 483 00:27:54,240 --> 00:27:56,440 Speaker 1: we do? Even if I do still love Jefferson, There's 484 00:27:56,480 --> 00:27:58,920 Speaker 1: there's room in my my academic heart for both of them, 485 00:27:58,920 --> 00:28:01,760 Speaker 1: and I do appreciate his attributions to So if you 486 00:28:01,800 --> 00:28:05,119 Speaker 1: want to learn even more about Alexander Hamilton's The Bird 487 00:28:05,240 --> 00:28:07,880 Speaker 1: Rule and the National Treasury, be sure to check out 488 00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:11,680 Speaker 1: the website at how stuff works dot com. For more 489 00:28:11,720 --> 00:28:14,320 Speaker 1: on this and thousands of other topics, visit how stuff 490 00:28:14,359 --> 00:28:17,640 Speaker 1: works dot com. Let us know what you think, Send 491 00:28:17,640 --> 00:28:20,840 Speaker 1: an email to podcast at how stuff works dot com, 492 00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:22,600 Speaker 1: and be sure to check out this stuff you missed 493 00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:24,920 Speaker 1: in History Class blog on the how stuff works dot 494 00:28:24,920 --> 00:28:25,680 Speaker 1: com home page