The Burr Conspiracy : Uncovering the Story of an Early American Crisis / James E. Lewis.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Lewis, James E., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Burr Conspiracy, 1805-1807.

Burr, Aaron, 1756-1836--Trials, litigation, etc.

Burr, Aaron.

Burr, Aaron, 1756-1836.

Genre:

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (716 pages) : illustrations

Place of Publication:

Princeton, NJ : Princeton University Press, [2017]

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

A multifaceted portrait of the early American republic as seen through the lens of the Burr ConspiracyIn 1805 and 1806, Aaron Burr, former vice president of the newly formed American republic, traveled through the Trans-Appalachian West gathering support for a mysterious enterprise, for which he was arrested and tried for treason in 1807. This book explores the political and cultural forces that shaped how Americans made sense of the uncertain rumors and reports about Burr's intentions and movements, and examines what the resulting crisis reveals about their anxieties concerning the new nation's fragile union and uncertain republic.Burr was said to have enticed some people with plans to liberate Spanish Mexico, others with promises of land in the Orleans Territory, still others with talk of building a new empire beyond the Appalachian Mountains. The Burr Conspiracy was a cause célèbre of the early republic-with Burr cast as the chief villain of the Founding Fathers-even as the evidence against him was vague and conflicting. Rather than trying to discover the real intentions of Burr or his accusers-Thomas Jefferson foremost among them-James E. Lewis Jr. looks at how differing understandings of the Burr Conspiracy were shaped by everything from partisan politics and biased newspapers to notions of honor and gentility. He also traces the enduring legacy of the stories that were told and accepted during this moment of uncertainty. The Burr Conspiracy offers a panoramic and multifaceted portrait of the United States at a time when it was far from clear to its people how long it would last.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Introduction

So Many Stories: The Circulation of Information in the Early Republic

First Interlude. A Crisis in the Cabinet

Lexington and Frankfort, Kentucky: July through December 1806

Guilt beyond Question: The Narrative of Thomas Jefferson

The Threat to the Union

Second Interlude. The Crime on Blennerhassett Island

The Enterprise Commenced: The Cipher Letter as a Narrative

New Orleans, Orleans Territory: November 1806 through May 1807

The Threat to the Republic

Third Interlude. The Arrest of Aaron Burr

Richmond, Virginia: March through October 1807

"Who is Blennerhassett?" The Narrative of William Wirt

The Conflict over Burr's Followers

Fourth Interlude. A "Rising" in Baltimore

Final Accounts of the Burr Conspiracy

Conclusion

Acknowledgments

Abbreviations

Notes

Primary Source Bibliography

Secondary Source Bibliography

Illustration Credits

Index

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 643-698) and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 23. Mai 2019)

ISBN:

9781400888825

1400888824

OCLC:

1132669226