July 11, 1804 - Old Fashioned American Politics

[WebbPA]

The American political arena is so clean.  Senators and Congressmen refer to their opposition as "the gentlemen across the aisle".  Debates are taken with the utmost decorum.  After the session gentlemen discard their political views and meet "the gentlemen across the aisle" for drinks and camaraderie.  Not always (actually, pretty rarely, American politics has been a cesspool from the start).

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On July 11, 1804, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr met on the dueling grounds at Weehawken, New Jersey, to fight the final skirmish of a long-lived political and personal battle. When the duel was over, Hamilton would be mortally wounded, and Burr would be wanted for murder ...

After Hamilton's and Burr's seconds tried without success to settle the matter amicably, the two political enemies met on the dueling grounds at Weehawken, New Jersey on the morning of July 11. Each fired a shot from a .56 caliber dueling pistol. Burr was unscathed; Hamilton fell to the ground mortally wounded. He died the next day.

Instead of reviving Burr's political career, the duel helped to end it. Burr was charged with two counts of murder. After his term as vice president ended, he would never hold elective office again. And his next plot to gain power would end with charges of treason.

American history is much more colorful than what they tried to teach me in school.

[H]

...Burr was charged with two counts of murder. After his term as vice president ended, he would never hold elective office again. and his next plot to gain power would end with charges of treason.

It's hard to keep the horse from bucking with a burr between its back and your butt..

American history is much more colorful than what they tried to teach me in school.

:-? That information was in my high school (Junior year) U.S. History class, if not before.

8-)

[specter177]

Yea, I learned it in 7th grade. There was also an instance in the late 1850's where a senator beat another senator with a cane so badly (during a session), that he had severe brain damage and never set foot in Congress again.

[Hagar]

Politics was always a dubious business. It's the only profession I can think of where you don't need any qualifications. Someone  (I forget who) once called it the highest paid unskilled labour in the country.

[olderndirt]

Sounds like your borough is really rotten .