The Most Notorious Traitors In U.S. History Will Probably Make Americans Feel Super Patriotic
Treason against America is the only crime defined in the U.S. constitution. The offense, described as plotting, funding, or otherwise supporting a war against the federal government, is rarely heard of in the 21st century, but that wasn’t always the case. From revolutionary turncoats to Soviet secret agents and Nazi propagandists, American history is littered with traitors. Here are ten of the most notorious…
10. Aaron Burr
Despite achieving political success as the third-ever Vice President of the United States, Aaron Burr struggled to maintain that momentum. Having risen to the second-most powerful position in the country in 1801, by 1807 he was being tried for treason. How did it all go so wrong? Fans of the musical Hamilton may well know some of the answers.
Killed A Founding Father
Burr is perhaps best known for killing founding father Alexander Hamilton. The pair were archrivals and which ultimately led to a duel at dawn in Weehawken, New Jersey on July 11 1804. Both men fired, but the Vice President’s bullet hit its target. Burr actually killed his opponent, and didn’t face any charges for the death. Winning the gunfight, though, cost the politician his reputation.
A Double Agent
Following the duel, Burr’s political career was in tatters. That same year, the Vice President made a fateful decision, one that resulted in his standing trial. He wrote to the British Ambassador and told him that, with a little money and some ships, he could turn Louisiana, along with some of the central states, back to the King. And he didn’t stop there.
Sudden Change of Plans
Hearing nothing from the British, Burr changed his goal. Collecting co-conspirators and supplies, the Vice President allegedly planned to start his own empire. The territory was to encompass parts of Mexico and the western United States. But one of his gang got cold feet. General James Wilkinson told President Thomas Jefferson of the plot, and Burr was tried for treason. He was acquitted, however, due to the provision in the constitution that requires two witnesses for a conviction.
