This Day in History: Burr Slays Hamilton in a Duel July 11, 1804 Vice President Aaron Burr shot leading Federalist Alexander Hamilton in the stomach. Hamilton died the next day. The "affair of honor" was the culmination of two decades of political and personal rivalry between the two. They came from opposite backgrounds. Burr from a prestigious family and Hamilton from relative obscurity. They matured into politics in the new nation with opposing visions of what kind of country America should be. During the duel, conflicting accounts reveal that Hamilton either shot at Burr and missed or deliberately fired into the air. While charged with Hamilton's murder, Burr was immune from prosecution because he held the office of vice president.
