1 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:06,319 Speaker 1: Happy Saturday. This week in our podcast about the mysterious 2 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:10,280 Speaker 1: disappearance of Theodosia Burr Alston, the daughter of Aarinberg, one 3 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 1: of the things we talked about was, uh that Aaron 4 00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:16,479 Speaker 1: burg got into this bizarre scheme to invade Mexico and 5 00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:18,759 Speaker 1: take over the western part of the United States territory 6 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:22,000 Speaker 1: and make it all his personal empire, leaving it for 7 00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:25,640 Speaker 1: Theodosia to reign over as empress after his own death. 8 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:28,159 Speaker 1: So that is way too interesting a story to just 9 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 1: bring up and then not really get into you or 10 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:33,839 Speaker 1: so much about. But fortunately previous hosts Katie and Sarah 11 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:36,440 Speaker 1: have already talked through all of the details, so we're 12 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:38,080 Speaker 1: just going to share that episode with you and you 13 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:42,960 Speaker 1: will get all caught up. So here we go. Welcome 14 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:46,040 Speaker 1: to stuff you missed in history class from how Stuff 15 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:56,840 Speaker 1: Works dot com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm 16 00:00:56,960 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 1: Katie Lambert and I'm Sarah down Campus and I did 17 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 1: a podcast called Alexander Hamilton's Versus Aaron Burr about their 18 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:08,920 Speaker 1: faithful and fatal duels, so we won't talk too much 19 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 1: about that here, but the upshot is that Hamilton's is 20 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:16,000 Speaker 1: killed and Vice President Burr was the one who did it. 21 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:19,240 Speaker 1: He was charged with murder in New York and New Jersey, 22 00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 1: but it never went to trial, and he is the 23 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:26,479 Speaker 1: subject of our podcast today what happened after that duel. 24 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:30,120 Speaker 1: So while his murder charges don't ever go to trial, 25 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 1: in March eighteen o five, he has to leave the 26 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:37,160 Speaker 1: political sphere. He's just too contentious a figure at this point, 27 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:40,920 Speaker 1: and his speech actually makes the Senate cry. But his 28 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 1: career is over. He's also in debt and he doesn't 29 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:46,679 Speaker 1: have a whole lot of friends left. What he needed 30 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:50,480 Speaker 1: was to start over, and what better place for a 31 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 1: new life than the West. So to give this all 32 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 1: a little context, Thomas Jefferson advocated a policy of expansionism. 33 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:02,400 Speaker 1: When Napoleon gave up on French influence in North America 34 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 1: and offered the Louisiana Territory for sale, Jefferson was all 35 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:10,239 Speaker 1: over it. And what that meant was that this huge 36 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:13,839 Speaker 1: uncharted space and all the people in it weren't too 37 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:17,080 Speaker 1: sure about being part of the rest of America. And 38 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:19,919 Speaker 1: there were a lot of people there already. There were 39 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:23,520 Speaker 1: not only Indians, but Spain still has a hold on 40 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: a lot of the parts that touched the border, so 41 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:28,240 Speaker 1: there are a lot of boundary disputes. Jefferson wanted to 42 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:30,919 Speaker 1: buy Florida from Spain, and some people thought we should 43 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:34,880 Speaker 1: just take Spain's land by force, including Mexico. But of 44 00:02:34,919 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 1: course not everyone was a fan of expansionism, and there 45 00:02:37,919 --> 00:02:41,280 Speaker 1: was talk of the people in the southwest of secession. 46 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 1: So we have an opening here, a potential opportunity for 47 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:50,040 Speaker 1: somebody to take over and rule amidst all this chaos. 48 00:02:50,639 --> 00:02:54,240 Speaker 1: So Burr hatches a plan, and this plan may have 49 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:57,960 Speaker 1: started even before his duel, but the basic idea was 50 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:00,720 Speaker 1: that he wanted to wage a private war or against 51 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:05,200 Speaker 1: Spanish held territories, possibly also in New Orleans in Mexico, 52 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 1: and he would have a southwestern empire that he could 53 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:13,080 Speaker 1: rule this republic independent of the Eastern US. He'd be 54 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:16,359 Speaker 1: an emperor. But to put this plan into action, he's 55 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:20,280 Speaker 1: got to have help. So how about James Wilkinson, who 56 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:23,400 Speaker 1: is the guy who makes a very sketchy appearance in 57 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:28,160 Speaker 1: our podcast unmarrywether lewis not a good guy and implicated 58 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:31,000 Speaker 1: in Lewis's death, and especially to have this guy is 59 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:36,840 Speaker 1: your number two a very unfortunate beginning. So Bernie Wilkinson 60 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:39,480 Speaker 1: from the Quebec campaign, and by this point he was 61 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 1: the highest ranking officer in the entire army, so in 62 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:45,320 Speaker 1: this respect he sounds like a pretty good guy to 63 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:47,880 Speaker 1: have on your side, a good number two. He also 64 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 1: shared Burr's views on why it might be pretty great 65 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 1: to separate the East and the West, and he saw 66 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:57,560 Speaker 1: an opportunity for himself. He could have a very good 67 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:00,840 Speaker 1: life in Burr's empire as number too. But there was 68 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 1: another side to it. Wilkinson was a Spanish spy, so 69 00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 1: if things didn't work out with Burr, he would have 70 00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:11,720 Speaker 1: the chance to turn him in to the US government 71 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:15,680 Speaker 1: and also leak his plans to the Spanish, thus you know, 72 00:04:15,880 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 1: winning their goodwill. So it was a win win for Wilkinson. 73 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:30,200 Speaker 1: So while he's pulling together his dream team here, Burr 74 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 1: Auso contacts Andrew Jackson, who was very anti Spain, and 75 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:38,279 Speaker 1: the politician Jonathan Dayton, and he also gets in touch 76 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 1: with the Minister to the US from Britain, Anthony Mary 77 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:46,200 Speaker 1: and proposes a deal of sorts that for ships and 78 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:50,039 Speaker 1: money he'd help them take the West. So he gives 79 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:53,520 Speaker 1: word that his intention is to buy a million acres 80 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:56,720 Speaker 1: of land in the Louisiana territory, perhaps as a bit 81 00:04:56,720 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 1: of a cover for the mission he's about undertake, or 82 00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:02,600 Speaker 1: perhaps because he wanted a million acres of the Louisiana territory. 83 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:05,919 Speaker 1: But he leaves in eighteen o five and begins his 84 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:11,040 Speaker 1: campaign very subtly. He has letters of introduction to influential people. 85 00:05:11,279 --> 00:05:15,560 Speaker 1: He attends balls and banquets and starts winning people over 86 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:20,880 Speaker 1: with his charisma before he starts hinting at what he's after, 87 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:24,760 Speaker 1: what this mission is, And he also slowly begins recruiting 88 00:05:24,839 --> 00:05:27,119 Speaker 1: young men for his plan. Men were who were looking 89 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:30,360 Speaker 1: to better themselves because of course, the West at this 90 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:33,720 Speaker 1: time is so uncertain, they need to find their way, 91 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:37,520 Speaker 1: so he lets them keep their independence and is very 92 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:42,000 Speaker 1: quiet about what his plans are, so even his followers 93 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:45,520 Speaker 1: don't really know what he's up to, and he amasses 94 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:48,960 Speaker 1: hundreds of these young men who are interested in his ideas. 95 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:52,880 Speaker 1: And he also befriends a rich Irish immigrant named Harmon 96 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:56,240 Speaker 1: Blenner hasta pretty good name, yeah, definitely a good name. 97 00:05:56,680 --> 00:05:59,120 Speaker 1: Blenner House that gives them money and also gets the 98 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:02,120 Speaker 1: Mexicos the Sciety on his side, which is a pretty 99 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:06,040 Speaker 1: self explanatory organization. There they are a group of people 100 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:11,800 Speaker 1: interested in accumulating Mexico. So as far as this mission goes, 101 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:15,360 Speaker 1: Britain doesn't come through, and people have started to get 102 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:18,320 Speaker 1: wind of what Burr is up to, because of course 103 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 1: he's talking to so many people. He's not exactly hiding 104 00:06:21,960 --> 00:06:24,440 Speaker 1: what he's trying to do. Perhaps he thought he would 105 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:26,800 Speaker 1: be successful and could gain enough support that it wouldn't 106 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:30,000 Speaker 1: be an issue, but little things start appearing in the 107 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:34,120 Speaker 1: press about what he's doing. Luckily for Burr, Spain comes 108 00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 1: through in an unlikely way. Unlike Britain, they step up 109 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:42,240 Speaker 1: their border conflicts with the US, and this means that Wilkinson, 110 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:45,360 Speaker 1: as commander of the army, would end up in Louisiana, 111 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:48,800 Speaker 1: and then he and Burr could conquer Spanish territory in 112 00:06:48,839 --> 00:06:51,719 Speaker 1: the name of the United States, but then take it over. 113 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:54,479 Speaker 1: So it brings the number one and the number two 114 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:58,640 Speaker 1: in this conspiracy together. So Burr's plan begins in earnest 115 00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:01,440 Speaker 1: in August eighteen o six, when he and his men 116 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:05,000 Speaker 1: assembled at Blenner Hasset's Island in the Ohio River, which 117 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 1: is going to be their home base, and his messenger 118 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:11,000 Speaker 1: says that seven thousand men will be on the way. 119 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:15,200 Speaker 1: So at this point his intentions are clearly not a secret. 120 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:17,720 Speaker 1: He's talked to so many people and they in turn 121 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:21,400 Speaker 1: have communicated to higher ups. Yeah, even the federal government 122 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:23,640 Speaker 1: is aware of what he's doing because he's talked to 123 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 1: so many influential politicians. So Jefferson isn't entirely in the dark. 124 00:07:28,960 --> 00:07:33,200 Speaker 1: And wilcomeson soon betrays bur He hands over what's known 125 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:36,280 Speaker 1: as the Cipher Letter in eighteen oh six to Jefferson 126 00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:40,120 Speaker 1: and also alerts the Spanish to what's going on in 127 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:44,200 Speaker 1: New Orleans. And the Cipher Letter says, in part, I 128 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:48,480 Speaker 1: have obtained funds and have actually commenced the enterprise. Things 129 00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:51,760 Speaker 1: are starting for real. And this is October eighteen sixty. 130 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 1: And in November eighteen sixty, Jefferson tells the country that 131 00:07:55,720 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 1: there's a conspiracy in the works and that the conspirators 132 00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:02,280 Speaker 1: should be caught. He's still not directly calling out Burr. 133 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 1: He figures his name is going to come up eventually 134 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:08,120 Speaker 1: on its own and blind item from page he has 135 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:12,280 Speaker 1: blind item from Jefferson. In December, Blenner has its place 136 00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:15,600 Speaker 1: is raided by a militia and they also arrest a 137 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:17,960 Speaker 1: bunch of men and took their boats and their guns. 138 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:21,200 Speaker 1: So when Burr finally comes to meet his men, the 139 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:24,880 Speaker 1: force is greatly diminished, not what he had been expecting 140 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:28,440 Speaker 1: at all. But he keeps going, and he had then 141 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:31,040 Speaker 1: would not have the point to turn back for sure. 142 00:08:31,320 --> 00:08:34,280 Speaker 1: He keeps going though. He heads down the Mississippi and 143 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:37,400 Speaker 1: he's planning to meet with Wilkinson in New Orleans. But 144 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:41,800 Speaker 1: after that, who knows what he's gonna do. But what 145 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:44,440 Speaker 1: he didn't know is that at this point he was 146 00:08:44,559 --> 00:08:48,240 Speaker 1: wanted for arrest. And when he lands in the Bayou 147 00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:52,920 Speaker 1: Pierre in Louisiana in January seven, he sees a newspaper 148 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:56,160 Speaker 1: and sees that his cipher letter is printed in full 149 00:08:56,640 --> 00:08:59,840 Speaker 1: in the paper and that he's wanted, so he doesn't 150 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:03,960 Speaker 1: have any men. His arrival in Louisiana isn't a surprise, 151 00:09:04,040 --> 00:09:06,560 Speaker 1: because of course Wilkinson has told everyone well in the 152 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:12,319 Speaker 1: newspapers everyone. So he turns himself in but then flees 153 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:17,040 Speaker 1: to Alabama. On February nineteenth, eighteen and seven, he's arrested 154 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:19,720 Speaker 1: on the road, depends Coola and taken to Fort Stoddard. 155 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:22,640 Speaker 1: But it's kind of weird because after all, he is 156 00:09:22,679 --> 00:09:26,760 Speaker 1: a former vice president and a colonel, and it still 157 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:29,600 Speaker 1: seems like he's working on his plan. He's he has 158 00:09:29,640 --> 00:09:32,640 Speaker 1: not entirely given up yet. Yeah, he's talking to locals 159 00:09:32,679 --> 00:09:35,640 Speaker 1: trying to figure out who hates the Spanish. And so 160 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:39,240 Speaker 1: the local officials get a little concerned about this and 161 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:42,160 Speaker 1: decide let's send him back to Washington. So on the 162 00:09:42,160 --> 00:09:45,280 Speaker 1: way back to Washington, he's treated really well despite being 163 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:48,319 Speaker 1: under armed guard. He's allowed to keep Brandy with him, 164 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:52,640 Speaker 1: and he keeps a knife and pistols, which is who 165 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:56,800 Speaker 1: lets their prisoner keep pistols, But they get taken away 166 00:09:56,840 --> 00:09:59,680 Speaker 1: because he does kind of try to escape in South 167 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:03,720 Speaker 1: carol Elna and when he's caught again, he cries things 168 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:07,040 Speaker 1: are not looking good for Burr and the group gets 169 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:10,080 Speaker 1: a message from Jefferson telling them to go to Richmond 170 00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:13,079 Speaker 1: instead of Washington, so they take him there. He arrived 171 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:17,480 Speaker 1: on March eighth seven and in April he went on 172 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:21,560 Speaker 1: trial for treason and high misdemeanors. And this is the 173 00:10:21,600 --> 00:10:24,720 Speaker 1: trial of the century. Is so many trials are, of course, 174 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:27,400 Speaker 1: and they're always as we know it earlier. They're always 175 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:29,960 Speaker 1: in the beginning of the century. Yeah, no, it's never 176 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:40,200 Speaker 1: in the seventies or something where you're trial of the century. 177 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:45,480 Speaker 1: So Chief Justice John Marshall calls it the most unpleasant 178 00:10:45,679 --> 00:10:48,360 Speaker 1: case which has ever been brought before a judge in 179 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:51,680 Speaker 1: this or perhaps any other country which affected to be 180 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:56,240 Speaker 1: governed by laws. Strong another really bold claim. But on 181 00:10:56,280 --> 00:10:59,040 Speaker 1: the side of the defense we have Edmund Randolph, who 182 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:03,520 Speaker 1: is Washington se Pretery of State, and lawyer Brandy Bottle, 183 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:07,079 Speaker 1: also known as Luther Martin, whose strategy is to paint 184 00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:10,920 Speaker 1: Jefferson as someone who is just blinded by a personal 185 00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:14,920 Speaker 1: vendetta against Aaron Burr. So it's actually pretty effective too, 186 00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:20,360 Speaker 1: because Jefferson had basically said there was incontrovertible evidence against 187 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:23,840 Speaker 1: Burr and there's not. So when you take little quotes 188 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:26,800 Speaker 1: like that and throw them in front of a jury, 189 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:29,600 Speaker 1: it doesn't make Jefferson's a great start to look like 190 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:33,559 Speaker 1: a personal problem between two men. So the public's appetite 191 00:11:33,600 --> 00:11:37,800 Speaker 1: for this trial is insatiable, and the papers blair headlines 192 00:11:37,840 --> 00:11:41,000 Speaker 1: about it every day. But the trial is really odd, 193 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:44,800 Speaker 1: understandably because so many of the people involved are just 194 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:48,840 Speaker 1: playing liars or their double agents, and the co conspirators 195 00:11:48,880 --> 00:11:52,400 Speaker 1: stories don't match up, and even his followers don't know 196 00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:55,800 Speaker 1: what Burr's plans are, so it's probably the big part. Yeah, 197 00:11:55,880 --> 00:12:00,680 Speaker 1: nobody has the same story. Well, did he even have 198 00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:03,240 Speaker 1: a master plan or was he just sort of, you know, 199 00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:05,480 Speaker 1: flying by the state of his pants. We don't know 200 00:12:05,760 --> 00:12:08,440 Speaker 1: because he never told anyone, and a lot of his 201 00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:11,600 Speaker 1: papers were lost to see along with his daughter Theodosia 202 00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:14,840 Speaker 1: in eighteen thirteen, so it's likely we'll never know. And 203 00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:17,720 Speaker 1: there wasn't much evidence either. You mentioned this just a 204 00:12:17,760 --> 00:12:21,600 Speaker 1: second ago, but it does come up looking a little 205 00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:26,080 Speaker 1: like a personal problem instead of this grand treason case. 206 00:12:26,760 --> 00:12:30,440 Speaker 1: So Burr's acquitted on September one, eighteen o seven, and 207 00:12:30,559 --> 00:12:34,280 Speaker 1: Marshall's own opinion on the case took three hours to read, 208 00:12:34,679 --> 00:12:38,640 Speaker 1: and he said that a treason charge required two witnesses 209 00:12:39,080 --> 00:12:42,559 Speaker 1: to an overt act of force or violence against the government, 210 00:12:42,559 --> 00:12:46,480 Speaker 1: which was a very strict definition, a very strict reading 211 00:12:46,520 --> 00:12:49,760 Speaker 1: of the definition of treason in the Constitution, and the 212 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:53,600 Speaker 1: evidence simply wasn't there. So Burr was off the hook, 213 00:12:53,679 --> 00:12:56,520 Speaker 1: but he wasn't off the hook with the American public. 214 00:12:56,600 --> 00:13:00,760 Speaker 1: He was being burned in effigy. Still not a popular guy, 215 00:13:01,880 --> 00:13:04,880 Speaker 1: so he headed off to Europe to become an ex pat, 216 00:13:05,040 --> 00:13:08,640 Speaker 1: as people in trouble often do, but his reputation was 217 00:13:08,880 --> 00:13:11,760 Speaker 1: completely ruined even there. He was kicked out of England 218 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:15,600 Speaker 1: and Napoleon wouldn't let him into France, so he returned 219 00:13:15,640 --> 00:13:19,640 Speaker 1: to the US in eighteen twelve, and there's no respite 220 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:22,440 Speaker 1: for him even here. My favorite quote is from an 221 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:26,480 Speaker 1: article by Aaron Wellborn for American Heritage. His name was 222 00:13:26,559 --> 00:13:33,000 Speaker 1: besmirched by both Federalists and Republicans, usually for its besmirching effects. Touche. 223 00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:38,439 Speaker 1: There's one career still open to Burr. He becomes a 224 00:13:38,559 --> 00:13:41,960 Speaker 1: lawyer and he pretty much stays off the radar and 225 00:13:42,080 --> 00:13:46,000 Speaker 1: dies at eighty with no descendants. And as for Wilkinson, 226 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:48,800 Speaker 1: it was during the War of eighteen twelve that people 227 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:51,800 Speaker 1: discovered that he was actually a spy. But he was 228 00:13:51,800 --> 00:13:55,560 Speaker 1: acquitted and not punished too, so he can live on 229 00:13:55,720 --> 00:14:00,679 Speaker 1: to have sketchy roles in future podcasts. But the Aaron 230 00:14:00,760 --> 00:14:04,840 Speaker 1: Burr conspiracy so fascinates us. We've gotten so many requests 231 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:07,200 Speaker 1: for this I can't even tell you because we know 232 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:09,840 Speaker 1: so little about it. We don't even know what this 233 00:14:09,960 --> 00:14:14,120 Speaker 1: conspiracy really is. And there's the debate over whether what 234 00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:17,520 Speaker 1: he did really was treason or just in the spirit 235 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:21,760 Speaker 1: of American enterprise. There's the question of whether he had 236 00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:24,600 Speaker 1: this big plan or was just sort of playing it 237 00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:27,640 Speaker 1: by ear. And we have the mystery of this man 238 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:30,880 Speaker 1: who's defined by only two events in his life, this 239 00:14:31,040 --> 00:14:35,640 Speaker 1: fatal duel with Alexander Hamilton and a controversial trial, and 240 00:14:35,680 --> 00:14:39,480 Speaker 1: of course the romantic notion that perhaps our answer lies 241 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:42,600 Speaker 1: in the chest at the bottom of the ocean. So 242 00:14:42,640 --> 00:14:44,520 Speaker 1: that about wraps it up for Burr. But if you 243 00:14:44,560 --> 00:14:48,240 Speaker 1: have any more historical conspiracies you'd like us to investigate, 244 00:14:48,560 --> 00:14:51,960 Speaker 1: you should email them to us at History Podcasts at 245 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:56,280 Speaker 1: houstu works dot com. And we also take suggestions through 246 00:14:56,360 --> 00:15:00,320 Speaker 1: Twitter at Miston History and through our Facebook fan page, 247 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:03,880 Speaker 1: so be sure to join those and as always, please 248 00:15:03,960 --> 00:15:07,560 Speaker 1: check out our homepage at www dot how stuff works 249 00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:15,360 Speaker 1: dot com. Hey, since uh these episodes that we're sharing 250 00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:19,000 Speaker 1: our past classics, we have some updated information that will 251 00:15:19,320 --> 00:15:22,280 Speaker 1: supersede the contact stuff you've heard before. If you want 252 00:15:22,280 --> 00:15:25,600 Speaker 1: to email us, our email address is History podcast at 253 00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:27,720 Speaker 1: how stuff works dot com, and you can find us 254 00:15:27,760 --> 00:15:30,760 Speaker 1: across the spectrum of social media as missed in History. 255 00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:33,760 Speaker 1: You can also find us at missed in History dot com, 256 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:36,320 Speaker 1: and you can visit our parent company, how Stu Works, 257 00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:56,120 Speaker 1: at how stuff works dot com.