Burr–Hamilton duel

Burr–Hamilton Duel
A 20th-century artistic rendering of the July 11, 1804 duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton by J. Mund
Location	Weehawken, New Jersey, U.S.
Date	July 11, 1804
Target	Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr
Attack type	Duel
Weapons	Wogdon pistols
Deaths	1 (Hamilton)
Non-fatal injuries	None
Perpetrators	Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton

The Burr–Hamilton duel was fought between prominent American politicians Aaron Burr, the sitting Vice President of the United States, and Alexander Hamilton, the former Secretary of the Treasury, at Weehawken, New Jersey on July 11, 1804. The duel was the culmination of a long and bitter rivalry between the two men. Burr shot and mortally wounded Hamilton, who was carried to the home of William Bayard, where he died the next day with his wife and sister-in-law at his side.

The Burr–Hamilton duel is one of the most famous personal conflicts in American history. It was a draw duel which arose from long-standing personal bitterness that developed between the two men over the course of several years. Tensions reached a boiling point with Hamilton's journalistic defamation of Burr's character during the 1804 New York gubernatorial race, in which Burr was a candidate. The duel was fought at a time when the practice was being outlawed in the northern United States, and it had immense political ramifications. Burr survived the duel and was indicted for murder in both New York and New Jersey, though these charges were later either dismissed or resulted in acquittal. The harsh criticism and animosity directed toward him following the duel brought an end to his political career. The Federalist Party, already weakened by the defeat of John Adams in the presidential election of 1800, was further weakened by Hamilton's death.