Aaron Burr and insurrection

The word “insurrection” gets thrown around a lot these days, but there is one case in the history books that makes the “insurrection” events of today look like child’s play.

Aaron Burr Jr. served as the third Vice President of the United States between 1801 and 1805.

At that time dueling was frowned upon, but was more or less legal.

While serving as Thomas Jefferson’s Vice President, Burr and Alexander Hamilton ended up hating each other.

Burr knew Jefferson planned to replace him as VP before being elected to a second term. Burr ran for governor in New York.

Hamilton ran a smear campaign against Burr and he lost the gubernatorial race.

Burr and Hamilton fought a duel and Burr killed Hamilton. That duel destroyed Burr’s dreams of running for president.

Burr took a trip to the western frontier and looked at land acquired with the Louisiana Purchase.

While on this trip, Burr met American General James Wilkinson, then the most powerful general in the nation. Think of Wilkinson as the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff today.

Wilkinson was also on the payroll of the Spanish and Mexican governments.

Burr and Wilkinson hatched a plot to make Burr head of a new nation that covered American territory from Florida to Texas.

Burr would be the emperor of this new nation and he would found a dynasty.

Jefferson was warned of the plot and had Burr arrested for treason and insurrection.

Jefferson demanded the federal courts hold a trial and sentence Burr to death.

The Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, John Marshall, presided over the case.

The idea that the head of the administrative arm of the government could tell the judicial branch what to do did not sit well with the Chief Justice.

The U.S. Constitution makes it difficult to prove treason. It requires that the charge be admitted in open court or the crimes have two witnesses to the events.

Marshall stopped the trial before all the evidence was presented. There was only one witness called at that point. Burr was acquitted of treason.

Jefferson was enraged at this turn of events and used — or misused — the power of the federal government to try and destroy Burr.

Burr fled to Europe.

Jefferson and the Chief Justice argued over the case and never saw eye-to-eye again.

The Burr trial established the idea that the judicial system was a separate branch of the federal government.

After that trial, it was clear from then on the president could not order the court to follow his will.

Had the Burr trial been allowed to include all of the evidence, it seems likely Burr would have been convicted of treason and insurrection.

It is inconclusive if Burr would have been executed if he had been convicted.

There are a lot of things going on today that are similar to the events surrounding Burr.

Just like Wilkerson being paid by foreign governments, there are accusations that Joe Biden and his family received payments from foreign governments — including China.

Just like Jefferson using the full force of the federal government to try and destroy Burr, Biden’s FBI and DOJ is being accused of trying to destroy whistleblowers who have come forward on abuse of the power of those government agencies.

Just like Jefferson and Marshall found themselves in conflict, the Biden administration is in conflict with the U.S Supreme Court.

It is almost like history repeats itself.