Aaron Burr Arrested for Treason: The Former VP Tried to Build His Own Country
Aaron Burr was arrested for treason in Wakefield, Alabama, on February 19, 1807. He'd been traveling through the frontier with boats and men, allegedly planning to carve out his own empire in Spanish territory. Or invade Mexico. Or split the western states from the Union. Nobody could agree on what he was actually doing. Thomas Jefferson wanted him hanged. The trial became a constitutional showdown over what counts as treason. Chief Justice John Marshall presided. Burr walked free — not enough evidence of an "overt act." He fled to Europe anyway.
February 19, 1807
219 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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