Vice Presidents - # 3 – Aaron Burr

We welcome a new Vice President and will sprinkle the next few grave posts with quotes from people who have occupied the position. John Adams, VP # 1, who later became President # 2 said, "My country has in its wisdom contrived for me the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived."

This is the second vice president’s grave to be presented. In April 2019, VP # 5, Elbridge Gerry was posted because the Supreme Court then was considering gerrymandering issues and I had a picture of the namesake’s grave. As noted in that post, I won’t be chasing down forty-eight mostly unknown VP’s but I already have some incidental grave portraits taken while hunting other figures and some of these guys may have stories to tell.

Last summer, my sister visited and we used her ‘Disney Plus’ subscription so I could finally see the magnificent stage production of ‘Hamilton.’ The talented original Broadway cast and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s amazing score made history come alive in a new and exciting way. It also reminded this grave hunter that he had a shot of the villain Aaron Burr’s last resting place.

Aaron Burr’s Grave, Princeton Cemetery, Princeton, NJ (27 November 2006) 

The plaque added in 1995 reproduces the 

grave marker’s weathered words – 

AARON BURR 

Born February 6, 1756. 

Died September 14, 1836. 

A Colonel in the Army of the Revolution. 

Vice-President of the United States from 1801-1804. 

My ‘Dead Presidents Quest’ took me to New Jersey in 2006. Number 23 & 24, Grover Cleveland, is buried in Princeton Cemetery, near the Ivy League university that Burr’s father, Aaron Burr, Sr., co-founded in 1746. The four sarcophagi behind Burr’s grave contain the early presidents of the college including Burr, Sr.

Born in New Jersey in 1756, Burr was orphaned by age two after his parents and grandparents all died. That explains a lot. After serving in the Revolution, he became a lawyer and New York senator who helped found the Jeffersonian Democratic-Republican Party. Pretty good so far.

Presidents Row, Princeton Cemetery, Princeton, NJ (27 November 2006) 

Aaron Burr, Sr. was a Presbyterian minister, co-founder and 

second president of the College of New Jersey, which became 

Princeton University. He is buried behind his son in 

‘Presidents Row,’ the concentration of early university leaders. 

For our first two presidential elections, the popular vote mattered little and there were no competing political parties and platforms. The Electoral College voters decided the winner and the presidential candidate who came in second became the vice president…the job Adams pioneered during Washington’s two terms.

By the third election in 1796, the Federalists had Jefferson’s new Democratic-Republican Party to contend with, but the old rules still gave the Number Two spot to the guy with the next highest Electoral votes. Hence, Jefferson served as John Adams’ VP. Not the best time for either of them. By the end of that term, the great friendship we remember from their later years was on the rocks. Adams left Washington without attending Jefferson’s inauguration and they didn’t correspond for eleven years.

A Vice President Scorned, Aaron Burr 

Museum of American Finance, New York City (2 June 2011) 

Built during the Roaring Twenties, the Bank of New York Building at 

48 Wall Street now houses the Museum of American Finance. 

In a special exhibit for local hero Alexander Hamilton there 

were two life-size statues. Facing each other across 

the room were the Founding Father and the guy who killed him. 

Then came the election of 1800. In those days, Electoral College members cast two votes. Even though Burr was Jefferson’s VP candidate, the vote counting process did not address that distinction. Since Jefferson and Burr each received 73 votes and both had more than Adams, John was out and the tie had to be broken by the House of Representatives.

This was when the ever-ambitious Burr decided he wanted to be president instead…which didn’t endear him to Jefferson. After thirty-five, strict party-line tie votes, it is believed that Alexander Hamilton persuaded a couple of Federalists to vote the other way. Aaron was Number Two and the Burr-Hamilton’s relationship went further downhill from there. He killed Hamilton on July 11, 1804…while still serving as vice president. Although dueling was illegal by that time, Burr was never tried for the offense but his political career was toast after that.

What Alexander Hamilton Saw Last, 

Museum of American Finance, New York City (2 June 2011) 

After the election fiasco, the states quickly ratified the 12th Amendment to make each vote count for BOTH the presidential candidate AND running mate.

The disgraced pol then moved west and was eventually charged with treason following alleged schemes with rival colonial nations in the western frontier…also not convicted. After that, Burr flew the coop. He was an ex-pat in Europe for a few years. A scandal sheet to the end, he remarried at age 77 to the wealthy Widow Jumel. She filed for divorce after he used her assets to pay his land speculation losses. The juicy irony there is that her divorce lawyer was Alexander Hamilton, Jr. Burr died in a Staten Island boarding house at age 80 on the day his divorce was granted.

The United States Capitol – Part 2

“A republic, if you can keep it”
Benjamin Franklin, 1787

“Good luck with that”
Ted Ringger, 2021

THIS WASN’T EAST BERZERKISTAN BEING OVERRUN BY TALIBAN CRAZIES. THIS WAS THE EXCEPTIONAL CITIZENRY OF THE EXCEPTIONAL UNITED STATES OF AMERICA STORMING AND RANSACKING THEIR CAPITOL…SEEKING TO OVERTURN A FAIR ELECTION…LOOKING FOR DEMOCRATS TO ARREST…LOOKING FOR A VICE PRESIDENT TO HANG.

The president came into office referring to American carnage and by the time he left, brought it about. The media is bursting with opinion pieces on this outrage. I’m just another concerned citizen with a tiny platform and no influence whatsoever. But I do have images of the magnificent seat of government that our president encouraged his followers to attack.

United States Capitol, Washington, D.C. (April 1997) 

This was shameful, barbaric and disgusting, but we will hear (as we always do) the usual false equivalency examples of mayhem and destruction from the left. Some wing nuts now want us to believe that the destruction was caused by Antifa infiltrators because good Trump cultists would never do such a thing. Please.

Trump has to OWN this. His Republican enablers have to OWN this. Fox News has to OWN this. No more “We deplore what happened but the people are angry.” Who stoked their anger with lies and conspiracy nonsense? Who likes to promote partisan division with quotes from ‘patriot’ viewers who would ‘rather be Americans than Democrats’?

‘The Crypt,’ United States Capitol, 

Washington, D.C. (14 November 2008) 

The absolute center of the capitol…and the basis for the city’s addresses is called the ‘Crypt.’ The Compass Star in the floor marks the point where the District is divided into four quadrants. Architects intended the spot to forever hold the remains of the ‘Father of Our Country,’ but George Washington wanted to be buried at his Mt. Vernon estate. One of the more memorable videos from the insurrection showed the mob surging through this space.

United States Capitol, Washington, D.C. (8 November 2014) 

In 2014, a major restoration project was conducted on the dome. 

Many don’t know the dome is primarily 

cast iron…nearly 4500 tons of it. 

Over the years it had cracked, leaked and rusted. 

‘Land of the Free’ (if you’re White) - Remember that just a few months ago, a mostly-peaceful Black Lives Matter protest march resulted in hundreds of arrests of people just walking the streets. If that mob stormed the capitol for a ‘Black Lives Matter’ protest, they would have been gassed, beaten and shot on the outside steps.

‘Home of the Hypocrites’ - There MUST be accountability and consequences for the law-breakers. ALL of them. The GOP is the ‘Law and Order’ party after all. Right. Only when it suits them. We all know that Blacks who protest government agents killing other Blacks are considered thugs and savages. White people who desecrate the capitol, kill cops and trash the place based on mythical delusions are still patriots.

Wake up. Smell the coffee and let this ridiculous double standard sink in.

Rotunda Detail, United States Capitol, 

Washington, D.C. (14 November 2008) 

Where the Black People At? - Confederate flags. Shirts printed with “Camp Auschwitz” and "6MWE" ("6 million wasn't enough"). This IS who we are. It CAN happen here. It DOES happen here. We just prefer to whitewash our history and present only the parts we like. We created the nation on conquered/stolen land. It was ‘Manifest Destiny’ after all. We developed it with slave labor. A hundred and fifty years after slavery ended, Blacks still get the shaft. It’s time to stop saying “This is not who we are.” This is exactly who we are.

United States Capitol, Washington, D.C. (16 April 2009) 

You Gonna Believe Me or Your Lying Eyes? - One of the many ironies in this rabbit hole we all fell through is that these deluded citizens fervently believe that the Democrats were stealing the election…without any evidence beyond what their cult leader told them. In reality, they were pawns in Trump’s coup. All the states certified their votes. Trump was the one trying to steal the election.

Lindsey Graham, John McCain’s wing man back when some Republicans had integrity, before he became one of Agent Orange’s Chief Ass-Kissers, finally swung back to sanity when he said on the Senate floor, “They said 66,000 people under age 18 in Pennsylvania voted. I said ‘Show me ten’ and they could not show me ONE. They said 8,000 felons in Arizona voted. I said show me ten. They couldn’t show me ONE. It’s over. Biden won.”

Even the Faux/Fox/Fake News channel has denounced (sort of) the violence, but they are always quick to add, “But the people are angry about the election,” like the insurrection was justified. The criminals are angry because they believe the lies FOX has been feeding them.

Emancipation Hall, U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, 

Washington, D.C. (14 November 2008) 

The large statue is a plaster copy of the Statue of Freedom, 

the bronze figure that has topped the capitol dome since 1863. 

Incompetent or Evil? - Another thing the inept Democrats failed to do – DIRECTLY challenge Trump when he lied. He said there was massive voter fraud and he won by a landslide. Someone needed to get in his face from the beginning and say “PROVE IT or shut up.”

When Trump said what Georgia was doing is illegal, Raffensberger should have said, “If you can prove ANY illegal activity, arrest me.” When Trump says, “I hear that…they say that…word is that…people say…”, no one says, “We don’t act on hearsay, you effing dolt. Just like all your failed court challenges, we need EVIDENCE…like this phone call of yours is now evidence to charge YOU with conspiracy to commit voter fraud…you dumb-shit. You can add that to the list of crimes you need to pardon yourself for.”

‘Freedom’ Atop the Dome (April, 1997) 

Remember how we used to value concepts like ‘justice’ and ‘accountability’? Terrorism is a crime. Sedition is a crime. Inciting a riot is a crime. Conspiracy to commit voter fraud is a crime.

What frosts me now is the feeling that those responsible will get away with it. We will get so into the weeds of it all. Should we? Can we? How can we? What would it take? Isn’t it better to just move on? Please…do not just move on. We can finally respond to the pandemic AND prosecute criminals at the same time. If people broke the law, they must be charged, convicted and punished.

I believe that pardoning Nixon was a mistake. Pardoning the Iran-Contra criminals was a mistake. Letting off the hook the Wall Street criminals who destroyed the world economy in 2008 was a mistake. The nation can handle it. If the most corrupt, criminal president in our history is not convicted of something, it will be a mistake. Otherwise, we should never use the phrase "We're a nation of laws" again.

I cannot add anything to the debate beyond a fervent wish that this once-great nation returns to its senses and demonstrates that it knows right from wrong better than right from left.

The United States Capitol – Part 1

At least it got our minds off the pandemic…

United States Capitol, Washington, D.C. (5 April 2018) 

I guess it stands to reason that if I have this quest to photograph every state house, I would also have images of our Nation’s Capitol…especially since it’s just down the road from here.

I certainly do have images of our magnificent capitol. I planned to save them for a post after presenting the fifty state houses. Sort of a Grand Finale to the Quest. However, after the disgusting invasion and vandalism we saw this week, I had to crank up the indignation…but we’ll save (most of) that for Part 2.

I so wanted 2021 to be a fresh start. The blog is ten years old now and we’re coming off a miserable year. I wanted to return to travel adventures, interesting ‘Shots of the Day’ and ballpark stories. As much as it gets the juices flowing, I was tired of ranting about the plague, Confederate traitors and the election…I’m sure some readers were as well. The rant tank was empty. The screed machine needed to cool off. Then January 6 happened.

Statuary Hall, United States Capitol, 

Washington, D.C. (14 November 2008) 

Dear Wife, I & M Editor and Covid Companion, suggested that the post could be more about disappointment and sadness than outrage. I had to agree. Of course, I am sad that the beautiful People’s House was desecrated. I am also disappointed that the government we always tout as the best God ever created…one that I revere for its founder’s genius and its longevity…had come to this.

The problem is what ‘THIS’ is. The disfunction, corruption, inept criminality and monumental arrogant ignorance is infuriating. We KNOW what BAD behavior is but we excuse it when the perp is on our side. I don’t understand why the hypocrisy card is not played more.

Anyway…about the capitol…

Rotunda, United States Capitol, 

Washington, D.C. (14 November 2008) 

In January 2018, I posted one exterior shot of the capitol. It was a ‘Shot of the Day’ image and the text was about my past hassles with the Capitol Police because they caught me using a tripod on the sacred capitol grounds. I believe they have some serious ’splainin’ to do regarding their performance last week.

So here are some images of our beautiful center of government. I hope it won’t be long until we regular citizen types who love the ‘People’s House’ can visit it again. And because the place was unlawfully breached by a lunatic mob, I also hope they don’t turn it into an impregnable fortress.

United States Capitol, Washington, D.C. (31 August 2008) 

While the Congress as we know it was established in 1789, it met in New York and Philadelphia until the legislature’s building was completed in L’Enfant’s new capital city in 1800. The capitol building was originally planned as the geographic center of the city with street addresses radiating out into quadrants from this spot. Current Washington addresses include additions like “NW” or “SE” along with street names and building numbers.

While the coverage of the insurrection has included references to some unfortunate events in the past, like the 1954 shooting in the House by Puerto Rican nationalists, an actual takeover of the capitol has not occurred since 1814 when a British invading army stormed and torched the building. That retaliation was prompted by an earlier American attack in Canada that burned government buildings in present-day Toronto.

United States Capitol, Washington, D.C. (16 April 2009) 

By the mid-nineteenth century, the capitol had to expand to accommodate legislators from the new states. Wings were added that became the new House and Senate chambers. After that, the original low dome was no longer proportional to the rest of the structure. By 1863, the cast iron dome we see today was completed.

National Capitol Columns, National Arboretum, 

Washington, D.C. (5 May 2006) 

When the East Portico of the Capitol was extended in the 1960’s, the original sandstone columns were replaced with marble. In the 1980’s, twenty-two of the original twenty-four columns were arranged on the grounds of the National Arboretum in a way that reminds visitors of the Persian ruins of Persepolis.

I know coming events will far outstrip whatever has happened up to now. I just hope enough people believe this riot and incursion was crazy wrong.

January 6, 2021 will rightfully go down as one of the worst days in American history. I don’t want to hear about grievance and First Amendment rights and patriotism and baseless imaginary fraud. Admit that if Democrats got their followers to pull this kind of stunt, you would be equally appalled.

United States Capitol, Washington, D.C. (25 November 2017) 

Tune in for the next episode when we present more shots (wrong choice of words) of the Beating Heart of the American Experiment and try to make sense of what happened.

(Tom made me do it)