P reface *

F
Age.

O R a c entury the conspiracy of A a r o n B u r r h as b een a p u z z l i n g theme. A p a r t f r o m the d istinguished figures that move across its s tage, t he extravagance

n ature of the enterprise f r o m its very

m ust always e ngage t he attention of those who care t o k n o w something of the U n i t e d S tates i n its H e r o i c T h e conspiracy was of much wider and deeper o r i g i n t han h as been usually supposed, and the conditions w hich g ave r ise to it, as well as the e vents w i t h w h i c h i t w as v i t a l l y connected, have received scant treatment f rom h istorians. Social and political upheavals are not g rowths of a night, but are the results of the w o r k i n g s o f r eal and definite causes w h i c h are traceable i n every case a nd susceptible of some d egree o f analysis. p roject is no exception to this general law. Burr's A n d hapand to

pily w e are now far enough removed f r o m his time to see more clearly the perspective of events, o f m en. I n t he discussion of the subject writers have i n nearly e very case f ailed to distinguish between the conspiracy a nd A a r o n B u r r     i n o ther words, they have attempted
vii

m easure w i t h more certainty the motives and conduct