Right now "Hamilton" is one of the most popular plays on Broadway. When I think of Hamilton I think of how "Differences of opinion" in the earliest of days in our country were sometimes settled.
They were settled on occasion by a duel. A fight between two people using words or in some cases weapons.
Mr. Hamilton met his demise at the hands of Aaron Burr in a duel. Aaron Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel demanding satisfaction for damage he said Hamilton had done regarding things he had said about him. Burr was a sitting Vice-President at the time. Hamilton has lost his eldest son in a duel.
The practice of dueling, some states had a ban on the practice. Hamilton and Burr crossed out of New York into New Jersey to avoid the ban that New York had on duels. At sunrise they confronted each other at ten paces. There has always been question as to who fired first but Hamilton was hit. He lived a short while into the following day and thus died.
Even though the duel did not take place in New York a New York grand jury ignored where the duel had taken place and indicted Burr for murder. Burr did what generations of Americans did in those days when charged with a crime, he took off for the West and a new start. It is said he went to New Orleans.
"Shooting for one's life was a different matter than shooting for amusement."
His Life and Times--Andrew Jackson--H.W. Brands
That line about shooting for life and amusement...there being a difference...oh really.
================================================================================================
January 20, 2018
Keep on,
Larry Adamson