Changes

==Career==

==Career==

Burr was born in Neubik, [[New Jersey]] to Reverend Aaron Burr Sr. who was a [[Presbyterian]] minister and the second President of the College of New Jersey which is now [[Princeton University]].  His mother, Esther Edwards, was the daughter of [[Jonathan Edwards]], the famous [[Calvinist]] theologian. Aaron and his sister, Sally, were left orphans when Aaron was 2 years old and Sally was 4 years old, following the deaths of their parents and both maternal grandparents who died of Yellow Fever.  Aaron did not respond well to his austere uncle, Timothy Edwards, several times running away from home and attempting to go to sea.  Aaron applied for admission into Princeton University at age 11, but was rejected (PBS online).  He applied again and entered the Sophomore class at Princeton at the age of 13 and graduated with distinction at 16 in 1772.  He received BA in theology but changed his career path two years later and began study of law in the celebrated law school conducted by his brother-in-law, Tapping Reeve, at Litchfield, Conn. Aaron's studies were put on hold while he served during [[Revolutionary War]], under Gens. [[Benedict Arnold]], [[George Washington]] and [[Israel Putnam]].  

Burr was born in Neubik, [[New Jersey]] to Reverend Aaron Burr Sr. who was a [[Presbyterian]] minister and the second President of the College of New Jersey which is now [[Princeton University]].  His mother, Esther Edwards, was the daughter of [[Jonathan Edwards]], the famous [[Calvinist]] theologian. Aaron and his sister, Sally, were left orphans when Aaron was 2 years old and Sally was 4 years old, following the deaths of their parents and both maternal grandparents who died of Yellow Fever.  Aaron did not respond well to his austere uncle, Timothy Edwards, several times running away from home and attempting to go to sea.  He entered the Sophomore class at Princeton at the age of 13 and graduated with distinction at 16 in 1772.  He received BA in theology but changed his career path two years later and began study of law in the celebrated law school conducted by his brother-in-law, Tapping Reeve, at Litchfield, Conn.  

 

1775 he joined the American army that was besieging Boston. Appointed a captain, he served on [[Benedict Arnold]]'s staff during the Quebec campaign of 1775-1776.<ref> Arnoldat the time was loyal to the Patriot side.</ref> In 1776 Burr served briefly on Washington's staff with the rank of major. He saw combat during the Battle of Long Island and, in July 1777, was commissioned lieutenant colonel in the Continental Army and given the command of a regiment. Following the campaign of 1778, which culminated in the Battle of Monmouth, and a winter conducting patrol activity, he resigned his commission because of ill health..

 

Burr was admitted to the bar in New York in 1782. As a practicing attorney he vied with arch-rival [[Alexander Hamilton]] for the status as the city's most prominent lawyer. His income was large, but he was a poor manager of it and repeatedly attempted various speculative schemes to cover his debts.

==Politics==

==Politics==

Burr was the leader of the [[Democratic-Republican Party]] in New York, and built a formidable political machine. The party nominated him as Vice president in 1796 and 1800.

Burr became the leader of the [[Democratic-Republican Party]] in New York, and built a formidable political machine in opposition to the [[Federalist Party]] that Hamilton ran. The party nominated him as Vice president in 1796 and 1800.

In the 1800 election, Burr received the same number of electoral votes as did Jefferson, and refused to concede the presidential race to Jefferson, thus forcing the election into the [[House of Representatives]]. While Burr's refusal to concede may have been in part due to the Constitution not clearly saying whether he would become vice president or have to drop out of the race completely (meaning third-placed [[John Adams]] would have become vice president instead), Burr's own lust for power and glory has generally been regarded by historians as the reason why he tried to snatch the presidency away from Jefferson. It was due to [[Alexander Hamilton]]'s opposition that Jefferson became president and Burr vice-president. Burr served as the [[vice president]] of [[Thomas Jefferson]] from 1801 to 1805.  

In the 1800 election, Burr received the same number of electoral votes as did Jefferson, and refused to concede the presidential race to Jefferson, thus forcing the election into the [[House of Representatives]]. While Burr's refusal to concede may have been in part due to the Constitution not clearly saying whether he would become vice president or have to drop out of the race completely (meaning third-placed [[John Adams]] would have become vice president instead), Burr's own lust for power and glory has generally been regarded by historians as the reason why he tried to snatch the presidency away from Jefferson. It was due to [[Alexander Hamilton]]'s opposition that Jefferson became president and Burr vice-president. Burr served as the [[vice president]] of [[Thomas Jefferson]] from 1801 to 1805.