Burr conspiracy
The Burr conspiracy was a suspected treasonous cabal of planters, politicians, and army officers in the early 19th century. The cabal was allegedly led by Aaron Burr, the former Vice President of the United States (1801–1805); according to the accusations against him, Burr's goal was to create an independent country in the center of North America and/or the present-day Southwestern United States and parts of present-day Mexico. Burr's version was that he intended to take possession of, and farm, 40,000 acres (160 km2) in the Texas Territory leased to him by the Spanish Crown.
President Thomas Jefferson ordered Burr arrested and indicted for treason, despite not providing firm evidence. Burr's true intentions remain unclear to historians, some of whom claim he intended to take parts of Texas and some or all of the Louisiana Purchase for himself. Burr was acquitted of treason, but the trial destroyed his already faltering political career.
General James Wilkinson was one of Burr's key partners. The commanding General of the Army at the time, Wilkinson was known for his attempt to separate Kentucky and Tennessee from the union during the 1780s. Burr persuaded President Thomas Jefferson to appoint Wilkinson to the position of Governor of the Louisiana Territory in 1805. Wilkinson would later send a letter to Jefferson that he claimed was evidence of Burr's treason.
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