The Hamilton-Burr duel in Weehawken in 1804 gave rise to an anti-dueling movement. As early as September 1804 Timothy Dwight preached his famous sermon against dueling to the students of Yale. https://books.google.com/books?id=cx9dAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA3 Even in the South laws were passed (some had been passed before the Weehawken duel) not only making dueling a crime (which it already was under the common law) but barring duelists from public office and the professions (obviously, enforcing these provisions was another matter...):
"The earliest laws sought to cut the tie between dueling and honor by banning duelists from the mark of public favor--public office. [FN164] It was an old idea; both Massachusetts and Connecticut had disqualified duelists from holding political office since before the Revolution. [FN165] In the South, such provisions became common in the years around 1800. In 1799, Kentucky banned duelists from holding public office, [FN166] followed by North Carolina in 1802, [FN167] Tennessee in 1809, [FN168] and Virginia in 1810. [FN169] Two years later South Carolina enacted a similar law which not only barred duelists and their seconds from holding public office, but banned them from practicing law, medicine, 'or any other trade or calling whatsoever.' [FN170] Similar laws soon appeared on the books in Illinois (1815), [FN171] Georgia (1816), [FN172] Alabama (1819), FN173] and eventually Mississippi (1822), [FN174] and the District of Columbia. [FN175] Mississippi [FN176] and Kentucky [FN177] were among the states that also placed prohibitions in their state constitutions allowing duelists to be barred from public office." http://www.gfactorconsulting.com/Downloads/Dueling/Wells.pdf
Suppose that after the Hamilton-Burr duel the US Constitution was amended to make ineligible for the presidency any person who had participated in a duel. This presumably eliminates the presidency of Andrew Jackson. (This is true even if it is limited to duels fought after the ratification of the amendment--Jackson is hardly likely to restrain himself for the sake of what in the 1800's and 1810's must seem a very unlikely future presidential candidacy.) Maybe Henry Clay is also barred--will the thought of disqualification from the White House really prevent him from dueling with Humphrey Marshall in 1810?
Any other effects? (Abraham Lincoln *almost* got into a duel with James Shields but it was called off at the last minute.)
"The earliest laws sought to cut the tie between dueling and honor by banning duelists from the mark of public favor--public office. [FN164] It was an old idea; both Massachusetts and Connecticut had disqualified duelists from holding political office since before the Revolution. [FN165] In the South, such provisions became common in the years around 1800. In 1799, Kentucky banned duelists from holding public office, [FN166] followed by North Carolina in 1802, [FN167] Tennessee in 1809, [FN168] and Virginia in 1810. [FN169] Two years later South Carolina enacted a similar law which not only barred duelists and their seconds from holding public office, but banned them from practicing law, medicine, 'or any other trade or calling whatsoever.' [FN170] Similar laws soon appeared on the books in Illinois (1815), [FN171] Georgia (1816), [FN172] Alabama (1819), FN173] and eventually Mississippi (1822), [FN174] and the District of Columbia. [FN175] Mississippi [FN176] and Kentucky [FN177] were among the states that also placed prohibitions in their state constitutions allowing duelists to be barred from public office." http://www.gfactorconsulting.com/Downloads/Dueling/Wells.pdf
Suppose that after the Hamilton-Burr duel the US Constitution was amended to make ineligible for the presidency any person who had participated in a duel. This presumably eliminates the presidency of Andrew Jackson. (This is true even if it is limited to duels fought after the ratification of the amendment--Jackson is hardly likely to restrain himself for the sake of what in the 1800's and 1810's must seem a very unlikely future presidential candidacy.) Maybe Henry Clay is also barred--will the thought of disqualification from the White House really prevent him from dueling with Humphrey Marshall in 1810?
Any other effects? (Abraham Lincoln *almost* got into a duel with James Shields but it was called off at the last minute.)
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