The Burr Conspiracy: Uncovering the Story of an Early American Crisis

In 1805, Aaron Burr, former vice president of the Republic, crossed the Appalachians on a tour of the western United States. By 1806, he was arrested for treason. What transpired during that year has been a topic of debate among historians. Lewis (history, Kalamazoo Coll.; The Louisiana Purchase) contributes to the conversation with a wholly new analysis of the Burr conspiracy that focuses more on the reaction than on the event itself. The cultural forces at work, including the dissemination of information through partisan newspapers, the rumor mill, and Thomas Jefferson's strategic statements on the subject reveal more than just a narrative of the conspiracy itself—but also how anxious citizens were about the newly formed government collapsing around them. More interestingly, Lewis shows the way information circulated and shaped public perception by preying on people's fears and biases, letting readers extrapolate how rumors and news travel and inform society in modern times.