Aaron Burr's Birthday, Part II

It's surprising that I let another year go by without commemorating Aaron Burr's birthday on February 6.  It's not that surprising, since I haven't updated this blog in almost two years (last post, "Bored...at work").  Sadly, this means I've let the Burr down two years running, and someone who gave this nation so many great Constitutional crises should never be forgotten.

But, to be honest, I forgot about it until I got a comment from a guy or gal named "Selbo" saying simply,

A lot of mistakes in your assertions about Vice President Burr

My first response was shock, not at the content of the comment, but that I got a comment at all.  Like I said, I haven't updated this space in almost two years.  Even when I did update regularly, I  had about three regular followers.  One of them was my roommate at the time.  I wasn't even sure how someone would still stumble upon this space, let alone find a post from three years ago that they found so objectionable!  How did this Selbo find the page?

I'm guessing he googled the term "Aaron Burr Birthday".  Apparently, it is the second listing on Google for that term.  This is the greatest accomplishment of this blog since I handily defeated my aforementioned roommate in the Great Blog War of '05.  Thus, I must defend this post's honor.

There are three assertions I made regarding Aaron Burr's actions:

1. His vice presidency led to changing how the election for president occurs.
• This is completely true.  While there was a general understanding that Jefferson was to be President, and Burr Vice President, they actually tied in the electoral college, and it went to the House of Representatives.  Remember, in those days first place was the President and second place got the Vice Presidency.  There was a faction in the House of Representatives that tried to get Burr elected president, despite the understanding that Jefferson was supposed to be president. Burr didn't exactly fight this either.
• This crisis was a wake up call that this was an incredibly stupid way to conduct Presidential elections.
• Thus, the Twelfth Amendment was added to the Constitution, creating a separate ballot of President and Vice-President.  
• However, this did rob us of an epic smackdown between Barack Obama and Joe Biden in the House of Representatives.  Perhaps this is Selbo's problem?
2. Aaron Burr tried to create his own country in New Orleans and in the ensuing trial for treason, he helped establish the independence of our courts.
• This assertion is on the shakiest ground.  I based this on a video I saw in AP U.S. History in 10th Grade (approximately nine years before the post was written).  I think it was from a "Profiles of Courage" of the late, great John Marshall, so no, it's not based on intensive study of primary sources.
• What is certain is that Aaron Burr was involved in some shady dealings in Mexican controlled Texas with armed farmers and strange communiqués with the fairly treasonous seeming General Wilkinson of New Orleans and the Spanish government.  Words like secession were thrown around, but in fairness to Burr, there was never enough evidence to convict of treason. 
• Note, however, that to get a conviction for treason, there must either be two witnesses of the same overt act, or a confession in open court.  The deck's not exactly stacked in the prosecution's favor.  Let's just say he wasn't exactly George Washington.
• Also certain is that John Marshall's refusal to give in to political pressures by Thomas Jefferson to convict Burr despite the lack of evidence needed to convict him helped set a precedent in the young republic for an independent judiciary.
• Thus, the spirit of my assertion is true, even if the details are murky.
3. Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel.
• If it's in a commercial, it's probably true.  If it's in a "Got Milk" commercial, it's verified fact.
• I maintained that if he was going to kill any of the Founding Fathers, he might as well have killed the guy advocating for an American Monarch.  I stand by this statement (with apologies to any surviving friends or family of Mr. Hamilton).

So, my statement that Aaron Burr was an accidental hero in American History stands.  The more he tried to mess things up, the better he made our great nation.  Take that Selbo.