What Happened to Aaron Burr After He Killed Alexander Hamilton in a Duel?

What Happened to Aaron Burr After He Killed Alexander Hamilton in a Duel? Burr’s political achievements are largely overshadowed by his duel with Hamilton. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images The rivalry between Founding Fathers Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton stretched much further than the legendary duel where sitting Vice President Aaron Burr shot and fatally wounded former Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton. Both were orphans. Both fought in the American Revolution. And both found political success at an early age. But the two men couldn’t be more different. The confident, cocky and energetic Hamilton rushed through life, while, as immortalized in the award-winning musical Hamilton, the more cautious Burr was “willing to wait for it.” As Hamilton’s star eclipsed Burr’s, tensions between the two men worsened, almost inevitably leading them to a dueling ground in Weehawken, New Jersey on July 11, 1804, in what would become the most famous duel in American history. Whether or not Hamilton did indeed “throw away his shot” is a question that’s puzzled people ever since. In the aftermath of the duel, Alexander Hamilton was lionized for his achievements, while Aaron Burr lived in his foe’s shadow, enmeshed in a series of scandals that ended his once promising career. Burr’s duel with Hamilton forever changed his legacy. WATCH: Hamilton: Building America on HISTORY Vault American politicians Alexander Hamilton (1757-1804) and Aaron Burr (1756-1836) take aim in the duel that would end Hamilton’s life, Weehawken, New Jersey. (Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images) American politicians Alexander Hamilton (1757-1804) and Aaron Burr (1756-1836) take aim in the duel that would end Hamilton’s life, Weehawken, New Jersey. (Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)