A man says something which another tells him is a lie. They fight, but whichever is killed the point in dispute remains unsettled.

Benjamin Franklin (1784)

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Alexander Hamilton

Perhaps the main reason that Alexander Hamilton is considered a famous duelist is due to his legendary duel with Aaron Burr. Not only was the duel between two high-ranking politicians at the time, but it was also special in the manner it was conducted.

A duelist could react in many ways during the duel. The standard method was to have a duelist fire his weapon at his opponent. He could however, choose to fire his shot in the air or not fire at all. This generally showed that he either held respect for his opponent or harbored him no ill will. However, firing in the air rather than firing at your opponent did not mean that your opponent would grant the same mercy or courtesy. A duelist was taking a risk by firing into the air. While participants in a duel were frequently injured, they rarely died. The risk of death increased if a duelist chose to aim away from his opponent.

This is the risk that Alexander Hamilton faced when he was shot by Aaron Burr. Hamilton had chosen long before the actual duel that he would fire his shot into the air. Unfortunately for Hamilton, Burr chose not to have the same inclination and proceeded to shoot him during the duel. The wound was fatal and Hamilton died the next day.

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