This chapter talks about the famous duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander
Hamilton, and the controversy surrounding the different accounts of the mornings events.
It is believed that Hamilton fired first, but that he intentionally aimed to miss Burr, which
he did. It is believed that Burr fired two shots, one of which of which was a fatal wound
to Hamilton, entering 4 inches above his hip, ricocheting of his rib cage, piercing his liver
and diaphragm a lodging in his spinal cord. It is not certain the exact order of events.
Some say Burr fired and hit Hamilton, which caused Hamilton to fire and errant shot,
then Burr fired a second which was also a miss. Hamilton died in the afternoon of the
next day, and has been considered a martyr in the cause of federalism. Burr was then
The second chapter talks about the events taking place during a dinner party held
at the estate of Thomas Jefferson, between Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton,
and southern Congressman James Madison. Hamilton was trying to get congress to
approve his plan to restore the public credit. Madison was leader of the group that
opposed one of the major points of this plan - the assumption of state debts by the
federal government. The two sides came to a compromise - Madison would not oppose
Hamilton's plan, and Hamilton would use his influence to ensure that the national capital
would remain in the south (on the Potomac River, where it still remains today). The
chapter then goes on to talk about the results of the fedral assumption of the debt,
Hamilton's Report on the Public Credit and the events during the debate of the new
resting place of the nations capital.
The third chapter talks about the great debate of 1790, over the issue of
abolishment of slavery. The debate was started by two
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