Changes

Under WESTERN CONSPIRACY

Under WESTERN CONSPIRACY

1. Burr leased 40,000 acres of land in the Texas territories belonging to Spain, beyond the Sabine River. His announced plan was to take a group of homesteaders and farm the land.  Of course, he was anticipating Mexico's war with Spain.  If it happened on his watch, his "farmers" would be the largest army north of the Rio Grande River,he would join forces with Mexico, repel Spain, and recoup his fortunes afterwards. This would have been filibustering,forbidden by U.S.law, and not a treasonable offense. Of course if it was his plan, he never declared or wrote this down. The Federal warrant for his arrest was based, therefore, on what his political "assumed." Proving it was another story. The lease he made is on public record.

1. Burr leased 40,000 acres of land in the Texas territories belonging to Spain, beyond the Sabine River. His announced plan was to take a group of homesteaders and farm the land.  Of course, he was anticipating Mexico's war with Spain.  If it happened on his watch, his "farmers" would be the largest army north of the Rio Grande River,he would join forces with Mexico, repel Spain, and recoup his fortunes afterwards. This would have been filibustering,forbidden by U.S.law, and not a treasonable offense. Of course if it was his plan, he never declared or wrote this down. The Federal warrant for his arrest was based, therefore, on what his political enemies assumed.  Proving it was another story. The lease he made is on public record.

2. Remember, at that time the Louisiana Purchase and its territories were not yet territories of the U.S. The Federalist Congress despised Jefferson (who purchased the territory from France) and delayed doing it. Therefore,those territories were literally up for the taking by anyone.  In fact, Jefferson himself had second thoughts about this, as he wrote that if states were formed there, most likely they would be industrial, thus capable of outvoting his states (with agriculture as their base)in Congress.  Years later, Burr was outraged at the idea.  He restated that his plans for going to the Texas territories was all he intended.  

2. Remember, at that time the Louisiana Purchase and its territories were not yet territories of the U.S. The Federalist Congress despised Jefferson (who purchased the territory from France) and delayed doing it. Therefore,those territories were literally up for the taking by anyone.  In fact, Jefferson himself had second thoughts about this, as he wrote that if states were formed there, most likely they would be industrial, thus capable of outvoting his states (with agriculture as their base)in Congress.  Years later, Burr was outraged at the idea.  He restated that his plans for going to the Texas territories was all he intended.