How History Unfolds on Paper: Choice Selections from the Eric C. Caren Collection, Part IX

[HAMILTON, Alexander (1757-1804) and BURR, Aaron (1756-1836)]. New-York Evening Post. No. 645. [New York, NY, December 13, 1803]. Four folio pages on one large sheet of laid-paper. Each page approximately 498 x 346 mm. Some edgewear, soiling, a few marginal chips, several chips to left margin indicating this was excised from a book. In this newspaper on p. 2 is an ad for a pamphlet, “An Examination of of the Various Charges Exhibited Against Aaron Burr, Esquire Vice President of the United States…” by “Aristides” (William P. Van Ness (1778-1826)). Also on this page is a review of a pamphlet (it is unclear which pamphlet it is) about the Vice Presidency, which mentions Burr, as well as George Eacker (1774-1804), who killed Hamilton’s son, Philip (1782-1801), in a duel. The ad for the pamphlet by Van Ness is unabashedly pro-Burr; Van Ness was Burr’s close friend, and was even Burr’s “second” in Burr’s duel with Hamilton, which would occur in the following year. Alexander Hamilton founded the New-York Evening Post (published today as the New York Post) in 1801. Controversy seemed to follow Burr through much of his political career; in 1804, Burr (who was not nominated as Vice President for Thomas Jefferson’s second term) allegedly made contact with the British in an attempt to have them buy or seize the Louisiana Purchase from the United States, and later made contact with Spain for a similar purpose. Burr was arrested and tried for treason in 1807, but was acquitted due to lack of evidence.