“NOT THROWING AWAY ANY SHOTS: UNDERSTANDING THE BURR-HAMILTON DUEL” BY DR. JOANNE FREEMAN

July 11th marks the 211th anniversary of the duel between Vice-President Aaron Burr and former Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton that cost Hamilton his life.

Following an annual gathering at Hamilton Park on the cliffs of Weehawken at 6 pm (with 5th great-grandson Douglas Hamilton speaking), there will be a special talk on the Burr-Hamilton duel by Dr. Joanne Freeman, noted Hamilton scholar and history professor from Yale University. In addition to decades of study on Alexander Hamilton, Dr. Freeman is a leading expert on duels and dueling culture.

With a talk entitled “Not Throwing Away Any Shots: Understanding the Burr-Hamilton Duel” Dr. Freeman will weave a narrative of the role of affairs of honor in 18th century America, the importance that Alexander Hamilton placed on honor throughout his life, and how that led him to participate in the "affair of honor," or duel, that ended his life.

This event is co-sponsored by the Weehawken Historical Commission and the Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society in order to make this event free to the public.

This event is one of fifteen public events for CelebrateHAMILTON, a four day annual festival in New York and New Jersey. See all fifteen events.