Tag Archives: Civil War

What Hamilton Thought About Disunion and Why He Challenged Burr to a Duel

In a formal document, Hamilton explained his reason for challenging Burr to a duel.  It was, he said, to save his influence in politics.[1] The day before his duel, he wrote to Theodore Sedgwick, an influential Federalist in Massachusetts: “Dismemberment … Continue reading

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How Hamilton’s Remarks Proved Fatal

Alexander Hamilton’s private remarks about Aaron Burr at John Tayler’s dinner proved fatal.  On June 18, 1804 William Van Ness, Burr’s defender, visited Hamilton’s office.  He presented Hamilton with newspaper clippings of Dr. Cooper’s account of Tayler’s dinner party.  In … Continue reading

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What Happened in Rufus King’s Library

Most rank and file Federalists disagreed with Hamilton, who opposed Burr’s nomination for governor of New York.  Nevertheless, in the name of disunion, Pickering and Griswold were locked in a battle to secure leadership of the party in New York.  … Continue reading

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How Hamilton Learned About Roger Griswold’s Remarks on Burr

On March 11, 1804, Griswold tried to persuade Federalists that secession was necessary.  He wrote to Oliver Wolcott, Jr.  Wolcott was a prominent Connecticut Federalist.  Griswold promoted the idea that Aaron Burr was the right person to lead the North … Continue reading

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How Alexander Hamilton Reacted to Pickering and Griswold’s Scheme

At first Hamilton simply opposed the whole disunion scheme.  He agreed with George Cabot.  The time was not right to secede.  Most of New York’s Federalists helped to nominate Burr as a candidate for governor, despite Hamilton’s efforts to dissuade … Continue reading

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Pickering and Griswold Promote A Scheme for Secession

Secessionist schemes were slow to gain popular support.  While they had been the topic of conversation in Massachusetts since 1786, they did not gain traction until 1804.[1]  After Jefferson purchased Louisiana Federalists in both houses of Congress agreed that a … Continue reading

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Why John Lowell, Jr. Advocated Uniting North and South Against the West

Jefferson and the Democratic-Republicans imagined a nation of farmers boldly opening the frontier of the Louisiana Territory.  Massachusetts Federalists were tied to the Atlantic, and its mercantile trade.  They were apprehensive about what was happening in the West.[1] The West, … Continue reading

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How New England’s Federalists Regarded the Union (continued)

New England’s Federalists were concerned about the loss of representation and power.  In 1788, during the Constitutional Convention,  Northerners made a concession to the South.  They gave Southern states the ability to count five slaves as three free white men, … Continue reading

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How New England’s Federalists Regarded the Rest of the United States

Federalists and other New Englanders considered themselves exceptional.  They claimed superiority over other American regions, especially the South.  Their claims were based on religion. A writer for the Columbian Centinel in Boston explained: “The God of nature, in his infinite goodness … Continue reading

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How the Federalists Tried to Tamper with the Presidential Election

  The Federalists wanted a victory in the presidential election.  They boldly attempted to tamper with electoral votes. Their proposed bill used a “Grand Committee” selected from the House, Senate, and Supreme Court.  They controlled all three.  The “Grand Committee” … Continue reading

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