Profiles the personal qualities, political achievements, and life ambitions of Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson.

This book restores Aaron Burr to his place as a central figure in the founding of the American Republic. Abolitionist, proto-feminist, friend to such Indian leaders as Joseph Brant, Burr was personally acquainted with a wider range of Americans, and of the American continent, than any other Founder except George Washington. He contested for power with Hamilton and then with Jefferson on a continental scale. The book does not sentimentalize any of its three protagonists, neither does it derogate their extraordinary qualities. They were all great men, all flawed, and all three failed to achieve their full aspirations. But their struggles make for an epic tale. Written from the perspective of a historian and administrator who, over nearly fifty years in public life, has served six presidents, this book penetrates into the personal qualities of its three central figures. In telling the tale of their shifting power relationships and their antipathies, it reassesses their policies and the consequences of their successes and failures. Fresh information about the careers of Hamilton and Burr is derived from newly-discovered sources, and a supporting cast of secondary figures emerges to give depth and irony to the principal narrative. This is a book for people who know how political life is lived, and who refuse to be confined within preconceptions and prejudices until they have weighed all the evidence, to reach their own conclusions both as to events and character. This is a controversial book, but not a confrontational one, for it is written with sympathy for men of high aspirations, who were disappointed in much, but who succeeded, in all three cases, to a degree not hitherto fully understood.

One of America's foremost historians brilliantly brings to life the fierce struggle - both public and, ultimately, bitterly personal - between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton - two rivals whose opposing visions of what the United States should be continue to shape our country to this day.

Excerpt from Aaron Burr: His Personal and Political Relations With Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton Aaron Burr has the saddest of all histories - the victim of revengeful power, and of studied and per sistent duplicity. A man whose public life was with out a stain, who never betrayed a friend, or spoke ill even of an enemy; a man of the highest ambition, but who put aside the presidency of the United States, rather than do a wrong to his party chief or disappoint the wishes of the people - has been for a whole century denounced as a man without integrity or sound principle. A man who gave four years of his early manhood in fighting for the maintenance of the republic - has, upon mere clamor and prejudice, for three generations, been stigmatized as a traitor. If these be facts, is it not time they were' known? It is to give these facts that this volume has been written. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1902 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER X. BURR'S REAL INTENTIONS. The Navy Department's Order -- The Expedition Arrested -- Grand Jury Refuses an Jndictment -- The Reason Why --The Scheme to Liberate South America -- Burr's Project -- Letter to Smith -- Jackson and Adair --Jefferson on Newspapers. Accompanying the proclamation of the 27th of November, the president sent out orders to all military and civil officers to arrest any and all persons engaged in the supposed illegal conspiracy against the peace of the country. But before the proclamation and the orders had reached the western countrj-, Burr and his party had quietly passed down to the Mississippi. He had ten boats loaded with implements of husbandry, and they were manned by sixty unarmed men. They did not seem to be a dangerous party, and the peace of the country or the lives of the people did not seem to be seriously threatened. There was not a county bordering the river down which they floated that could not have furnished a militia company capable of arresting and holding as prisoners the entire party. But Jefferson called upon all the governors and all the militia in all the states on or near the western waters, to arrest this phantom. Even the naval officers at the mouth of the Mississippi were cautioned to be on their guard and not permit it to take them by surprise. The following is the order issued by the secretary of the navy: Navy Department, 20th December, 1806. Sir: -- A military expedition formed on the western waters, by Colonel Burr, will soon proceed down the Mississippi, and by the time you receive this letter will probably be near New Orleans. You will, by all the means in your power, aid the army and militia in suppressing this enterprise. You will with your boats take the best position to...