Hamilton Kills Burr

There it is Folks...
What If Hamilton kills Burr in there famous Weehawken Duel in 1801?
How does this effect Hamilton's legacy?
Burr's Legacy?
What does Hamilton's future career look like, Governor, Senator, or is he mailigned like Burr is in OTL?
Effects on Federalism and the Party, As there Chief is tainted but alive?
 
Perhaps a mythos develops around the late Burr, aided by the mysterious disappearance of his daughter, Theodosia.
As for Hamilton, his death did threaten the Federalists, but his scandal might have done worse... Perhaps it could result in anti-Federalist ideals gaining traction, culminating in the breakup of the USA...
 

Japhy

Banned
Well considering he'd just killed a Sitting Vice President, Hamilton may have some problems with his political career, and of course, his Legal battle.

But it should be noted that Hamilton hadn't even wanted to shoot Burr, IIRC he fired his round in the air in an attempt at peacemaking, to a man who he was fierce rivals with. I don't really know how you could make the relationship between the two even worse that he'd consider taking Aim.
 
Hamilton goes on to win the Presidency in 1808 and there is no War of 1812 and possibly an alliance with Britain. Strong Federal government gets a better name and isn't equated with socialism. However no War of 1812 may only have delayed a war with Britain until a later date under a different regime e.g over the Canadian border.

Hamilton could have survived the consequences of shooting Burr as Burr did to Hamilton. Burr's downfall was due to his involvement in a conspiracy.
 
Well considering he'd just killed a Sitting Vice President, Hamilton may have some problems with his political career, and of course, his Legal battle.

But it should be noted that Hamilton hadn't even wanted to shoot Burr, IIRC he fired his round in the air in an attempt at peacemaking, to a man who he was fierce rivals with. I don't really know how you could make the relationship between the two even worse that he'd consider taking Aim.

Actually this up for to scholarly debate, Chernow says that he fired and missed but not by much while Isenberg (a recent biographer of Burr) says that Hamilton fired first and just plain missed but shot to kill. Saying that he was seen before the duel aiming with his spectacles. I suppose I forcasting this scenario with the POD being that Hamilton didn't say to Pendleton that he was going to intentionally miss and this was an affair of honor and only blood would satisfy it. The point of the scenario is that Hamilton kills Burr and now what happens to Hamilton and the Federalists? Now IIRC Burr has no legal problems, yes some investigations were drawn up and things but nothing ever came of them. I am much more interested in what the election of 1804 looks like and what Hamilton does next etc
 
Well considering he'd just killed a Sitting Vice President, Hamilton may have some problems with his political career, and of course, his Legal battle.

But it should be noted that Hamilton hadn't even wanted to shoot Burr, IIRC he fired his round in the air in an attempt at peacemaking, to a man who he was fierce rivals with. I don't really know how you could make the relationship between the two even worse that he'd consider taking Aim.

The actual events of the Duel seem to be lost to history. Depending upon who is writing about whom, several accounts of the duel are available. I suppose the POD is that Hamilton never tells Pendleton he intends to shoot to miss and workout his and Burr's differences peacefully. It is reported by both sides Van Ness and Pendleton that Hamilton was seen before the Duel taking aim with his spectacles on. I am interested in what Hamilton's future career looks like, what does he do with Dewitt Clinton and the election of 1804? the Federalist party etc?
 
My thoughts, for whatever they are worth, are as follows:
1. AH's political career, at least as a potential candidate for elective office, was essentially dead by the time of the duel. His actions and wiritings during the election of 1800 had made him persona non grata with the entire Adams wing of the Federalist Party, his earlier admissions concerning the Maria Reynolds affair had marked him as somewhat unstable and unreliable on a personal basis and his actions as Washington's second in command of the New Army had alienated not only Adams but many others.
2. Killing Burr in the duel would have been seen by many as a bloody, retrograde type of activity. Many states, including NY had made dueling illegal (which is why the duel was conducted in NJ) so not only might AH have had some legal problems, much like Burr, but he would have been thought of as upholding an old form of "honor" which was rapidly passing away. I think AH would have easily survived the legal problems (as Burr did) but dueling was on the way out and the public perception of duelers was declining.
3. AH could have continued to be one of the leading lawyers in NY and the country and a powerful, behind the scenes, force in the Federalist Party. His mighty intellect and pen would have been at the service of the anti-Jeffersonians and I would dearly love to have seen what he would have said and wrote about the Embargo Act and other Jeffersonian-Madisonian half baked ideas.
4. I hope, but I can not say for sure, that AH would have backed younger, more moderate anti-Jeffersonians such as Dewitt Clinton and not stayed in lockstep behind High Federalists like Pickering. With AH's support, a broader, more populist, Federalist Party might have been possible and might have been a more powerful competitior to the Madison and Monroe Republicans. Perhaps younger men such as J.Q. Adams and Joseph Story might have even stayed Federalists if it was a viable opposition party.

Your humble servant
AH (with apologies to the real AH)
 
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