Video: 'Aaron Burr'

(Friday, February 6, 1756) — Aaron Burr, the third vice president of the United States from 1801 to 1805, during Thomas Jefferson’s first presidential term, was born today in Newark, in what was then the Province of New Jersey, one of the Thirteen Colonies of colonial era British America.

Although Burr maintained that he supported Jefferson, the president was somewhat at odds with Burr, who was relegated to the sidelines of the administration during his vice presidency and was not selected as Jefferson’s running mate in 1804 after the ratification of the 12th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, he is primarily remembered for the killing of Alexander Hamilton in a duel in 1804, as well as his alleged conspiracy to take parts of the United States or the Spanish Empire to form an independent country.

Burr traveled west to the American frontier, seeking new economic and political opportunities. His secretive activities led to his 1807 arrest in Alabama on charges of treason. He was brought to trial more than once for what became known as the Burr conspiracy, an alleged plot to create an independent country led by Burr, but was acquitted each time.

For a short period of time, Burr left the United States to live in Europe. He returned in 1812 and resumed practicing law in New York City.

He died of a stroke on September 14, 1836, at the age of 80.