Jefferson had feelings of both triumph and trepidation over the purchase of Louisiana. On the one hand, he had doubled the size of the United States and presented to Americans access to some of the richest land in North America. On the other hand, the government he directed was not designed to regulate the huge territory. Fears of foreign occupation and secession dominated his thoughts.

One man who challenged the president’s authority was Aaron Burr, Jefferson’s first-term vice president. When he was dropped from Jefferson’s administration, Burr collaborated with a group of radical Federalists to organize the secession of New England and New York. Alexander Hamilton, who detested Burr and previously opposed his attempt to become governor of New York, uncovered the plan and blocked the conspiracy. An irate Burr then challenged Hamilton to a duel. Although dueling was banned in several states and Hamilton despised the practice, he reluctantly accepted the challenge to defend his honor. The two men walked the agreed number of paces but Hamilton refused to fire. With one shot, Burr killed Hamilton and eliminated one of the leaders of the Federalist Party.

Burr then set his sights on the new American territory. The desire to create his own empire again pushed him to plot breaking up the nation. This time he planned to separate the western portion of the United States from the eastern section. He formed a partnership with General James Wilkinson, the corrupt governor of the Louisiana Territory who also served as a spy for Spain. Burr and about sixty followers rafted down the Mississippi River toward New Orleans. They were to meet up with Wilkinson’s army along the way. Wilkinson, however, changed his mind and sent Jefferson a letter warning him of Burr’s scheme.

In 1807, Burr was arrested and taken to Richmond, Virginia where he was to stand trial for treason. Jefferson desperately wanted Burr convicted and played a key role in the prosecution. He published affidavits and offered pardons to conspirators who would help convict Burr. Chief Justice John Marshall presided over the hearing and displayed a bias in favor of Burr. Marshall followed a strict reading of the Constitution and insisted that two witnesses were required to verify the overt acts of treason. Since the prosecution could not produce the witnesses, the jury acquitted Burr. Marshall’s narrow interpretation of the Constitution placed a high burden of proof on the prosecution and established an important legal precedent that defended the rights of the accused.

Copyright 2006 The Regents of the University of California and Monterey Institute for Technology and Education