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  • He Might Have Only Accidentally Killed Alexander Hamilton on Random Surprisingly Depressing Facts About Miserable Life of Aaron Burr

    (#9) He Might Have Only Accidentally Killed Alexander Hamilton

    The one thing everyone knows about Aaron Burr is he shot and killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel. It’s a sad event for a number of reasons, but some historians think there’s an additional level of tragedy: Burr might not have even meant to do it.

    Joseph J. Ellis. for example, argues Burr didn’t have much to gain from actually killing Hamilton, and likely just meant to wound him. He did, after all, hit him near his hip, where most duelists aim if they’re trying to superficially wound their opponent. He didn’t anticipate, Ellis suggests, that his shot would ricochet off Hamilton’s rib, hitting his vital organs. His reported shock and surprise after hitting his mark strengthens the case.

    No one will ever know Burr’s true intentions on that day, but if Ellis is correct, Burr’s most infamous act may have just been a big, tragic mistake. Whoops.

  • He Used His Mother's Maiden Name To Dodge Creditors on Random Surprisingly Depressing Facts About Miserable Life of Aaron Burr

    (#7) He Used His Mother's Maiden Name To Dodge Creditors

    Upon returning to the US in 1812 after the whole Burr Conspiracy debacle, Burr pulled a real scumbag move and started using his mother’s maiden name, Edwards, to dodge his many creditors. He also used an alias to get on the ship that got him back home from the UK: Mr. Adolphus Arnot. Fortunately for Burr, the War of 1812 was raging, so he was soon able to stop living a lie and instead just fade into relative obscurity.

  • He Was A Revolutionary War Hero, But George Washington Snubbed Him on Random Surprisingly Depressing Facts About Miserable Life of Aaron Burr

    (#10) He Was A Revolutionary War Hero, But George Washington Snubbed Him

    Burr was a nationally known hero during the Revolutionary War, but his general, George Washington, totally failed to recognize one of his most heroic achievements. Burr’s leadership once saved his entire brigade — including future dueling partner Alexander Hamilton —  from getting captured by the British in 1772, but Washington didn’t commend his actions or reward him in any way ... for some reason lost to history. Burr, in fact, never received a single commendation from Washington in his military career, and retired as a lieutenant colonel due to health issues.

  • He Accidentally Invented The Filibuster on Random Surprisingly Depressing Facts About Miserable Life of Aaron Burr

    (#4) He Accidentally Invented The Filibuster

    It’s depressing enough to be the guy who purposefully invented one of the most annoying and controversial “tactics” in American politics, the time-wasting filibuster, but to inadvertently bring it to life because of an offhand remark? That’s devastating.

    Burr did just that when, as Vice President, he suggested to the senate in 1805 they needed to clean up how they went about their business, singling out the so-called previous question motion as an example of an unnecessary rule. The motion enabled the majority to simply cut off a debate, if need be. The senate dropped the motion at Burr’s request, paving the way for the first-ever filibuster in 1837. Thanks a lot, Burr!

  • His Company Distributed Cholera-Contaminated Water To A Third of New York City on Random Surprisingly Depressing Facts About Miserable Life of Aaron Burr

    (#5) His Company Distributed Cholera-Contaminated Water To A Third of New York City

    The Burr-founded Manhattan Company, now known as JPMorgan Chase, in an ongoing effort to profit off distributing drinking water throughout New York City, dug a well into contaminated groundwater and accidentally spread cholera to one-third of the city in 1832. Doh!

    It wasn't just an innocent mistake, either. In 1810, a former director admitted the Manhattan Company knew the water they were putting out was quite literally crappy, full of NYC residents’s "own evacuations, as well as that of their Horses, Cows, Dogs, Cats, and other putrid liquids so plentifully dispensed." Thirsty yet?

  • He Had to Sell Off His Possessions To Survive While Exiled In London on Random Surprisingly Depressing Facts About Miserable Life of Aaron Burr

    (#8) He Had to Sell Off His Possessions To Survive While Exiled In London

    At perhaps the lowest point in his post-duel life, Burr had to sell off all of his stuff just to survive while exiled in London. His journal from the time is tragic: “Have left in cash 2 halfpence, which is much better than one penny, because they jingle, and thus one may refresh one’s self with the music.” Jesus Christ, Burr — that’s rough.

    Addressing his daughter:

    "Tried, on my way home, at several places, to pawn your picture-watch, which ought to be worth 50 guineas; but they would not give more than 3 pounds, which refused. As I approached my home, ruminated how to get dinner … for I had neither bread, butter, cheese, nor sugar."

    At one point, he calculated how long he could live with no money left at all: "Without a penny, I can keep the animal machine a-going for eight days." Yikes.

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Aaron Burr is the 3rd Vice President of the United States, who killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel. In 1804, he ran for governor of New York State but was lost because of Alexander Hamilton's role, so he proposed a duel to Hamilton and killed the opponent. Among the founding figures of the United States, there is no one more controversial than Alan Burr.

Aaron Burr, the former vice president, has a secret family, which he has always kept hidden from the public. What broke his heart was that his favorite daughter mysteriously disappeared at sea. The random tool tells 11 facts about the life experiences of Aaron Burr.

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