ON THIS DAY IN UNITED STATES HISTORY
May 22, 1807
Former Vice President of the United States, Aaron Burr is Indicted for Treason
On this day in 1807, our third Vice President (under President Thomas Jefferson) was indicted for treason by a
grand jury for allegedly conspiring to capture New Orleans and build his own empire. He was acquitted of that
charge in September, then tried again on a lesser charge to which he was also acquitted.
Aaron Burr was an important and well known figure in United States history, but he may be best known for killing
Alexander Hamilton in the famous 1804 duel. Interestingly enough, with all the controversy surrounding Aaron Burr,
what often gets lost is that he was ahead of his time in several aspects. Burr was not only anti-slavery but also
believed in equal rights for women, both ideas that weren't particularly popular at the time.
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