The book, much as the title suggests, is about what happened when Aaron Burr was put on trial after he was publicly accused of treason by Thomas Jefferson without proper cause. The Treason Trials of Aaron Burr, written by Peter Charles Hoffer, does not actually use Aaron Burr as the central character, but rather John Marshall, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, but in this case the presiding judge of the federal circuit. It discusses whether or not the trial was, in fact, a political trial as it could have been seen as one, but the right motivations might not have been there. The book also discusses what exactly treason is, and the political and constitutional issues caused by the trials. There was much debate as to whether or not the …show more content…
Over the years, Jefferson had slowly grown to dislike Burr and he saw this trial as a way to deal with that. Even with the Constitution strict definition of slavery, Jefferson that Burr’s “guilt was beyond question, despite the fact that he had not committed any “Overt Acts” of treason. No matter which of the reasons historians have assumed for why men and boats had met on Blennerhassett Island, Burr did not “levy war” against the United States either. These acts show how Jefferson had let his distaste for Burr poison the way he perceived him. Hoffer’s presentations of the characters are not as perfect. His portrayal of Burr is one of very high moral standards and that of a perfect gentleman leading reader’s to believe that Hoffer is quite biased on his opinion of Burr’s character. He seems to think that Burr was not capable of any type of treason, even though we still do not know what Burr’s dealings were on Blennerhassett Island to this day. He, however, is not the first to take such a stand as the same view can be seen in some of the more sympathetic biographies of …show more content…
However, for someone looking for the answers to what Burr’s true dealings were on Blennerhassett Island on December 9, 1806 they would have to look elsewhere as this was not the nature of Hoffer’s book as I found reading through it. In spite of this small factor, the book was far from being irrelevant as it explored many areas of the case that I had never seen
Guilt is a big motivator for many of people's actions because most people don’t want to offend anyone, especially if they want to uphold a certain reputation, like a man with political power. To his advantage, with an accusatory, critical, yet reverent tone, Banneker makes sure that Jefferson, a man with political power, understands the hypocritical actions of the nation and feels ashamed of the suffering which has gone on, hopefully enough to make a difference in the injustice which the United States has
Paragraph 3: Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr are similar people but both live different lives. They both became orphans at a very young age. Alex was born on January 11, 1755 in Nevis. He was always energetic. Early on when Alex was young, James Hamilton Sr. left them.
The quote also appeals to Jefferson’s emotions because Banneker makes him feel guilty about slavery. Jefferson
•“She was not even listening. She had gotten tired of listening. She knew, as we all knew, what the outcome would be. A white man had been killed during a robbery, and thought two of the robbers had been killed on the spot, one had been captured, and he, too, would have to die” (4). This quote is important because it allows me to understand that Jefferson has to die because he was the only person in the liquor store and was a black man.
In his urgency to argue how important he is, Stoll takes it upon himself to redeem Adams in every possible way. In doing this, Stoll does not fully acknowledge accusations of Adams’s roles in inciting mob violence and manipulating the masses with false propaganda. There has always been debate on Samuel Adams’s character and intentions, and Stoll consistently asserts that Samuel Adams is more innocent than guilty. While Stoll is effective in prompting a newfound sense
Ellis also found a lot of importance in the context of the relationship between Burr and Hamilton, which consisted of a series of arguments and a lot of tension that made Burr request the “interview.” • Hamilton’s Remarks: o Hamilton stated that Burr was “unprincipled, both as a public and private man” (42). o He also claimed that Burr was “desperate in his fortune” as well as “despotic in his ordinary demeanor.” Basically, Hamilton would continuously say that Burr would feed off of power and demanded that people followed his every
Banneker mentions how Jefferson said “all men are created equal” and all have the right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”, however, Jefferson's actions do not reflect his words. He is saying everyone is equal and has the right to life and liberty, yet he allows slavery even though it's the opposite. Slaves have no life or rights and are forced to do the worst of the worst. Not only does Banneker emotionally appeal to when he publicly held forth the truth, but he also appeals to how potable it is to have to reflect on Jefferson’s actions. Banneker talks about how he counteracts his mercies “under graning captivity and cruel oppression” and that he should be “found guilty of that most criminal act which you professedly detested in others with respect to
Born on April 13, 1743, in Shadwell, Virginia, Thomas Jefferson was a man of incredible talents who is remembered today as one of the most influential individuals in American History. Jefferson was elected in 1800 as the third president of the young United States, and throughout his historic presidency, allowed himself to be guided through his own distinct philosophy of government known as Jeffersonianism. A staunch supporter of state’s rights and a limited central government, Jefferson believed that the virtuous and educated farmer formed the backbone to democracy. Jefferson despised the moral depravity that he believed accompanied the big cities and luxurious jobs, and stated that when people “get piled up upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, they will become corrupt as in Europe” (Boyer et al. 225). In addition, Jefferson was a slave owner and believed that the white race should be held superior over the inferior black population.
A person’s true character is exposed in his actions and words in private settings around those he maintains an intimate relationship with. For that reason, the relationships individuals maintain with his or her confidante powerfully reveal who they truly are. In the book The Heartbreak of Aaron Burr, Brands portrays the touching father-daughter relationship Aaron Burr and Theodora Burr maintain. Although Thomas Jefferson argues that Aaron Burr is a horrible villain, Theodosia, Burr’s confidante, disagrees.
Aaron Burr, former Vice President to President Thomas Jefferson, was put on trial in 1807. Burr was accused of conspiring to commit treason by leading an expedition to establish an independent nation in western United States territories. The trial question was whether Burr committed treason and should be punished for it. The prosecution argued that Burr's plans to form a separate nation directly threatened the security of the United States. The defense argued that Burr did not commit treason and that his plans were a peaceful exploration of Western territories rather than a military operation.
In multiple letters and notes he wrote he expressed his guilt for the slaves and once the slaves paid off their debt and Jefferson’s he hoped to free them. Jefferson and his slaves remained in debt until the day he died. Jefferson believed that slavery not only deprived blacks of their liberty but had an “unhappy” influence on the masters and their children (Takaki 63). If a master is constantly punishing a slave and cannot restrain, the child’s master will imitate and master it, resulting in a nonstop cycle of slavery.
When The Second Continental Congress approved of the Declaration of Independence, it purposefully avoided the complicated situation that was slavery. African Americans, both freed and enslaved, were outraged. How could the Founding Fathers write such a riveting and long document for themselves, while completely ignoring the African American struggle for freedom on the basis of skin tone? The hypocrisy was too much for Benjamin Banneker, who took it upon himself to write a letter to Thomas Jefferson about the atrocities of slavery, and persuade him to abolish the practice. In it, Banneker used allusions, a melancholy diction, and deductive reasoning to state his argument against the enslavement of his color.
Hypocrisy is one of the worst moral crimes someone can commit. Benjamin Banneker's letter to Thomas Jefferson explains that he has committed this crime. He has gone back on his morale of everyone having unalienable rights by letting slavery continue to happen, and Banneker believes he is the prime contender in allowing this crime to happen and that he should be the start and make the move to stop slavery. Banneker explains this to Jefferson in such a way that the letter is both respectful and thoughtful while also being rude due to the use of how he phrases his sentences, that his argument can not be questioned because of his use of ‘Sir’ to show his respect, and his ardent choice of words which are all collectively used to explain how Jefferson is being hypocritical and show him why he should fix this.
Benjamin Banneker, the son of former slaves, wrote a letter to Thomas Jefferson to argue against slavery. Banneker was an educated man, he was an astronomer, mathematician, surveyor, author, and farmer, yet, Jefferson had not known this information. Banneker makes his argument through the use of allusion, diction, and repetition, which causes Banneker to seem reliable and have intelligence. To remind Jefferson of his own subjugation, Banneker alludes to the British Crown. “..British Crown were exerted with every powerful effort in order to reduce you to a State of Servitude.”
Quote 1: “The public defender, trying to get him off, called him a dumb animal,” I told her. “He said it would be like tying a hog down in that chair and executing him-an animal that didn’t know what any of it was all about. The jury, twelve white men good and true still sentenced him to death.” (26) My Response: This quote is significant because it is a representation that times have not changed.