Aaron Burr

:Alternate meaning: Rev. Aaron Burr, Sr.

Character and miscellany

Burr could be unscrupulous, insincere, devious and amoral, but towards his friends he was pleasing in his manners and generous to a fault. Although he proved irresistible to many women, few historians doubt Burr?s devotion to his first wife and daughter, while they lived. When his first wife died, Burr lost any stabilizing influence he had in life and his character took a marked turn for the worse. He once said he considered it an honor if a woman claimed him as the father of her child, even if the claim were false. He was profligate in his personal finances, and gave lip service to abolitionism even as he bought and sold slaves. John Quincy Adams said after the former Vice President's death, "Burr's life, take it all together, was such as in any country of sound morals his friends would be desirous of burying in quiet oblivion."

Related Topics:
Abolitionism - John Quincy Adams

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Late in life, Burr sometimes went by Aaron Edwards (his mother's maiden name) because it was less associated with past scandals.

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Burr by Gore Vidal is an oblique biographical take on the politician, but it should be taken as historical fiction.

Related Topics:
Burr - Gore Vidal

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For further knowledge on Burr's interest in westward expansion, it should be noted that he wanted to be Emperor of the West. His view is that the U.S. need not worry about it and he would have control of it. He was even in cahoots with Zebulon Pike.

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