Gore Vidal on Aaron Burr

Aaron Burr actually professionalized politics in the United States it was he who organized what later became Tammany Hall Aaron Burr was a very successful lawyer he was a hero of the revolution and a very cunning politician burr fell to these immigrants that had come to us to escape Wars revolution should be made Americans as quickly as possible so he enrolled them in tenements and then he started a bank there's a little bit of money for the immigrants they've got a place to live from which they will vote and he controlled New York State and then New England so he had put together a political machine in no time at all so Madison and Jefferson go up to New York City an agreement was struck that in the election of 1800 with Jefferson at the top of the ticket running for president and Aaron Burr running for vice president in exchange for which Aaron Burr would deliver it New York State and a great deal of New England so the two boys run and something the founders had not taken into account they tied for first place so suddenly there was war between the two guys the election is thrown into the House of Representatives burr could have become president if he fought for it he said an agreement is an agreement I shall be the vice president with the understanding that he would succeed Jefferson in due course and after many votes and much chicanery burse stepped aside and Jefferson became the third president of the United States burr thought Jefferson was a gentleman who would keep to his word Jefferson had no intention of doing this not one of his items of patronage with Jefferson acknowledged was it was war sober suddenly finds himself without tower he's the vice president of United States everybody thinks he'll be the heir and he knows that Jefferson is there to block him every inch of the way finally it comes to bird trying to get his power base back goes up to New York in his state tries to get elected governor Alexander Hamilton enters the scene telling libels about him Hamilton was always ran off at the mouth and though he was a very brilliant man he was a rather vicious one and it's the only person that burr ever lost his cool with whatever it was he said about him I have my theories but they're only theories burr called him out for a duel he had written in a paper that I have worse things to say of Colonel bird and so far I have far worse and the public ever will know and burst said meet me at Weehawken

Channel: Jason Klamm

Views: 47,127

Keywords: gore, vidal, aaron, burr, vedal, bur, aron, vice, president, presidency, stolendress, klamm, history, politics, documentary, comedy

Id: NPlw5RK0e5Q

Length: 3min 49sec (229 seconds)

Published: Mon Jan 15 2007