The Burr Conspiracy - by James E Lewis (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A panoramic look at the early American republic through the lens of the Burr Conspiracy

In 1805 and 1806, Aaron Burr traveled through the Trans-Appalachian West gathering support for a mysterious enterprise, for which he was arrested and tried for treason in 1807. This book explores the political and cultural forces that shaped how Americans made sense of the rumors and reports about Burr's intentions and movements, and examines what the resulting crisis reveals about Americans' anxieties concerning the new nation's fragile union. The Burr Conspiracy was a cause célèbre of the early republic--with Burr cast as the chief villain of the Founding Fathers. He was said to have enticed some people with plans to liberate Spanish Mexico, others with promises of land in the Orleans Territory, still others with talk of building a new empire beyond the Appalachians. James E. Lewis Jr. looks at how differing understandings of the conspiracy were influenced by everything from biased newspapers to notions of honor and gentility, providing a multifaceted portrait of the republic at a time when it was far from clear how long it would last.

From the Back Cover

"Lewis has produced a masterful and insightful account of the Burr Conspiracy that brilliantly redirects our focus from the events to the robust spin that participants and observers placed on the episodes from the beginning. By shifting from actions to interpretations, he offers the best take we are likely ever to have on the supposed conspiracy."--Alan Taylor, author of American Revolutions: A Continental History, 1750-1804

"An impressive piece of work. Lewis weaves together countless pieces of evidence to tell a tale that goes far beyond the Burr Conspiracy, exploring how Americans at the time made sense of the conspiracy and plumbing the larger implications."--Joanne B. Freeman, author of Affairs of Honor: National Politics in the New Republic

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