The Burr-Hamilton Duel

The fate of individuals, of nations, of the world, as often hung upon accident, or upon decisions that made another way would have substantially altered the course of human events. What if fate had decreed that Julius Caesar had escaped assassination?

Or, suppose by a stroke of fate, Benedict Arnold's plot to betray America had actually succeeded? Yes, much depends upon a stroke of fate. And tonight we rewrite history as we present our conception of what might have happened, if by a stroke of fate, instead of Aaron Burr killing Alexander Hamilton in their famous

duel, Hamilton had killed Burr. Let us present an imaginary account of what might have happened had Hamilton killed Burr, an account that might have been written by Hamilton's Federalist Party colleague, Rufus King, once United States Senator from Massachusetts, administer to England.

A few minutes after seven o'clock on the morning of July 11th, 1804, on the heist of Wehalka, New Jersey, two bitter enemies, my good friend General Alexander Hamilton, one secretary of the treasury, and Aaron Burr, vice president of the United States, faced each other ten paces apart. Then...

Alexander. Yes, my dear. Who they're saying, the news is all over the city. Is it true? What news, Eliza? I fought a duel with Aaron Burr this morning. They stated he's dying. Then... Then it is immortal wound.

I had hoped that it were not. Who if anything had happened to you? I don't think I could have gone on living. Oh, my darling wife. Alexander, how did all this happen? There was a story in the Albany Register.

It reported a private conversation of mine. In which I said I thought Burr was too dangerous to be trusted with the reigns of government. Burr asked for a denial. But couldn't you have... How could I deny it without making myself out to be either a liar or a coward?