Purpose. Tepid applause. But he speaks to you. I think rubio is the most articulate [applause] but he seems to be, every debate he keeps getting younger. I dont understand that. [laughter] i like casey except he is a bit strange in the last debate. Before i said is like the guy in front of you at the rental car center matt that is not a convertible sebring. [laughter] and you just flew in on all my flight and he does want to get your car but hes demanding his convertible sebring. He had that look, why cant you just take would all want to go home. Its been an honor to have your. You were invited back as many times as you would like. Thank you. Thank you. [applause] and ladies and gentlemen, if you please ring in your seat for just one moment while greg and his guests clear the room, that would be fantastic. If you dont have a book you can buy them in the lobby or buy them in the museum store. Greg will sign as many as you want. So enjoy yourself, the rest under evening, and come back and see us again. [inaudible conversations] booktv is on facebook. Like a sticky publishing news, schedule updates, behind the scenes pictures and videos, author information and to talk directly with authors during our live program. They spoke. Com booktv. Facebook. Com booktv. Many of the programs spring a wealth of information discover researchers in our collection. Amazing what territory april think they been over many, many times reduce through the eyes of new research. This is certainly an example tonight. While researching a book about its family history, our speaker, john sedgwick, was shown a remarkable letter written by Alexander Hamilton and sent to theodore sedgwick, johns great, great, great grandfather thats not the right number of greats . Grandfather. This letter was written the night before he went to the dueling ground and most likely the last letter hamilton several. Its on display right here. With other related material. We invite you up to see it after the program. While this letter has been little appreciated by historians, a speaker has come to believe that more than any other single document it describes hamiltons reasons for risking his own life and and tried once. The encounter became the inspiration for johns book well talk about children die. That book, the book that was inspired is war of two. A recent review, the boston globe said sedgwick writes eloquently and eloquently. Both brilliant selfcreated hamilton and immigrant of illegitimate burr and boundless ambition. And equally brilliant burr, an american aristocrat, private, composed of contradictions. I think many of you who are familiar with our speaker tonight, he spoke to before, hes written several books including the memoir in my blood an article for such publications as the atlantic, g2, newsweek and esquire. He was nominated for a National Magazine award for store on the countrys finest nonprofit organization. Did we make it into the article . Anyway, and number one thing you. Anyway, john sedgwick. [applause] dennis, thank you very much. The glare of it is wonderful. [laughter] i mean, i feel terrific to be addressing this multitude begin to imagine the multitude that cspan is going to reach even beyond the walls here. Im also reminded as i see you that theres this famous adage about estonians that they would much rather hear a lecture about heaven then visit it themselves. [laughter] and i think its in that spirit that got me all to turn out tonight. I hope this is heavenly, lets say. Okay. Dennis of course tests will a lot of my thunder. I will have nothing left to say. But i will underscore what peter assessing to say, which is that the letter that is the source of all this wisdom of mine is up here on the case into we should look at it. Its just a marvel to see. Ill talk about it more i get into what i have to say that its the whole beauty and privilege of this institution is these documents are here to touch. Theres no else, the internet just doesnt do this that actually make contact with the past in this fashion is so rare and wonderful and its so inspiring to scholars i want to be treated to this institution above all others. Is number one in all nonprofits. And just collaborate although the what dennis was alluding to. Hoosiers ago i was doing in my blood book, the history of my family and i was wading through all of, not all of them but some of the selected papers that, from the sedgwick them in our from the sedgwick family are stored youre making it one of the largest family collections in the nation to my astonishment, and then and that at the end of it that he was telling me, peter was, that theres a letter i really should see and he was outside the scope of what i was working at the time but he said, weve got this one on display in front, this whispery conspiratorial way he said it that captured and held my attention. He brought me over to this letter and he pointed to it. And, of course, the way he told it, it was just a letter. So i looked down at his wrinkled letter yellowed with once black ink. You have a black ink, inc. Is proud to not because it was written brown but because its turned brown overtime. So what you are seeing is the age of it by its coloration. So he says take about. I look at it that have been over the case and new york, july 10, 1804. My dear sir, i have received two letters from you since we last saw each other. That latest being the 24th of may. Ive had a long letter to explaining my view of the course of our politics. And my intentions estimate on future conduct but my plan embraced so larger range at bowling so much abdication, Something Different health and a growing distaste for politics. The letter is to considerably short and finished. I write this not to satisfy you in one regard for you has not been the cause of my silence. Wait, i said, this isnt, yes, Alexander Hamiltons last letter written the night before he was shot by the sitting Vice President aaron burr, the famous duel in 1804. And given that henry adams called the most single most dramatic moment in the politics of the early republic. And look, he said, his good friend and legislative allies, theodore sedgwick. That name was scrawled across the top. Staggering to id known about the letter but ive never seen. Theater was my greatgreatgrandfather compiler and a politician, founder of our branch of the sedgwick family. He built a fine federal style house that is due on by the family and the place where i go regularly. A lovely home. And has nearly been killed in the shays rebellion that took him as a rich, popular as one of its more festival targets. He helped bush hamiltons economic agenda through the house when he was a representative from massachusetts and rose to become speaker of the house for the fateful election of 1800 that wrested control away from his Federalist Party and turned over to thomas jefferson, and many often referred to as the antichrist. And his republican. Much to handle this distressed theodore tried fruitlessly to skew the election to burr, a friend whom he assumed would be more malleable over the clay. Burrs uncle timothy had gone to live in a house almost directly across the street from theodores own. Theodore every own. Theodore everyone upbeat, very few politicians remained a trusted friend of both men. Which is why hamilton was writing to them, good friend. We will get back to that letter but taken out of context that made it seem content shall an unusual for hamilton wildly alone. Is likely, to defy expectations to why hamilton crossed the hudson at daybreak and faced his do. A few choice sentences hamilton offered a better explanation about his part in the duel and a better prediction of what was to come more than any other single document. Ive always been interested in the letter because okay, hamilton writes the letter blessing to us, crosses the hudson didnt get shot, in fact and dies the next day. What happens to the letter . Who mails it . How is it mailed . And then when theodore gets it, did you notice was written by a man who is now dead . Which news traveled faster tracks and we dont have answers to any of these things except we do know this. Theodore never responded to the letter and there was no one to respond to the letter to. When arguments of them and count the letter they could see it out history for several added sharp underlay notation as i passed the letter get to the next generation. All convey the same message, this letter must be preserved. That was the start of it. To be honest i didnt think, my god, ive got to write about this. It was just one of the tidbits that a writer comes across thats tucked away for later or were never, as the case may be. My memoir came out and about a couple of other books. One of them on whitey bulger, another great men of our town last night and i was starting to get itchy, although board with the president as if this was all there was . And nothing had come before . The path to me was like a glittering bond with the sedgwick book i come down to the shore, and i felt i was ready to take a swim. Coming from a historic them and having done the famine the more i already had a feel for the past. I thought i was ready to take on those federalists in their buckled shoes. Ive done many things. No, journalist at heart be honest i wasnt interested in history . But in the stories that publicly make up the task of stories of large personality and dramatic confluence, a character. Of those lucky and almost jamesian depth, the psychological dimension of my protagonist. Ive always felt psychology got short shrift in history as the great men were not a swirl of conflicting emotions like everyone else. And their deeds didnt come out of the depth as much as my historical circumstance. If history was a mistress, to me it wasnt a whodunit. It was why done it . Initiatives and trade of the political violence, politics turned personal, lives on the line. And assassination perhaps . Something explosive . Kennedy, lincoln, mckinley, garfield had all been done to death, one might say. Terrible to sort through history this week to decide what stories to deliver with a bang. Then i remembered the letter. The duel. Oddly for all the supposed thing of the duel that wasnt much of a sharp memory of anyone i consulted before a matter of easy familiarity. Before the famous use of coal may join Alexander Hamilton lived in some obscurity and aaron burr, worse than that. Honestly many people were not exactly sure who killed who, let alone why or where or how. It was the essential publishing question. Coverage and all the biographies of the two men but to my spies have been no could focus. It was a masterful job with health and a fellow sample to get best biography of burr was about 30 years old. I was intrigued. I thought, too powerful, fascinating and in the dawn of the nation joined for ever in an act of appalling violence. This has possibilities. Oddly it wasnt until then that i remembered hamiltons letter to Theodore Begich seemed distant as if it was a letter sent to me, defined to read and told me to explain. Ive come to think i do think there are wormholes in history. Little magical shoots that connect the present to the past with extraordinary immediate cease. I think thats the whole purpose of this institution, to make that connection to make immediate and felt. That did it for me. This book for me. The duel can be understood if viewed merely for hamilton and soul to burr at a dinner party at albany in february 1800 for calling in dangerous. And a lot to get published an account of hamiltons remarks in the new york evening post the paper found by hamilton himself just three years before. And eventually burr happened across it. At the point he was the sitting Vice President. Burr being burr was the sitting Vice President with two illegitimate children and he was constantly being giunta back and forth. But Jefferson County him for vp for the next election. And the famous endless election of 1800 when he took 36 ballots in the house of representatives buffer with the country had intended, that jefferson the president and not burr. And burr couldve cut that off and the second just icing what everybody knew, that jefferson was the man, not him but instead he stayed up in albany. He had his daughters wedding to attend to. He didnt say a word to anyone and he just let it go. Thats the kind of guy he was. Burr thought to be elected government of new york by hamilton at politics against in a despite an advantage burr lost at the widest margin in the short history of gubernatorial elections in new york. When he saw the templeton called him dangerous, its more do. He called the templeton demanded to know if theyd used the term and what he meant by it. Worse than what did the in law, a certain dr. Cooper mean when he said that he could relate still more despicable comments to mr. Hamilton regarding mr. Burr. Hamilton was in a bike. He could scarcely deny he used the word dangerous is that he meant anything other than that he did indeed consider burr dangerous for he had been saying so in every election since 1792. At mounting volume until he became rather shrill on the subject. As for despicable he tried to wriggle that away by saying that it is despicable and despicable, and whos to say . Played the meaning of is, right . Burr would have none of it. They would resolve their differences. It reminds me, it never occurred to me until the smoke of how interesting went to lawyers are doing this because hairsplitting on both sides and the finest of argument, that gotcha moment encountered by the gotcha counter, 11 letters you should read it sometime that they go through one by one by one low steady process that leads to the gym. But each one is a desperate plight on the part of one to avoid the fate of a part of the other to insist that theyd be afflicted. Its quite something to see. A duel is an odd way, like a romantic courtship into it has its it just goes the other way. Not adjoining but a parting. If a marriage declaration requires its preliminary, so does a duel to the death. This conversation to more suits conversation, the determination of interest by intermediaries that offer a choice of location, second, like best and the icons are different but the intimacy in safety is familiar. The two parties are not sidebyside at the altar by facing each other at just 10 paces, close enough to see into each others eyes, to discern any gratifying hint of distress. And then instead of idea, they shout present, which could be the last word that one of them would ever hear, or both. Bang bang, or in this case bang banker hamilton struck on the right side. He died of internal bleeding with his wife and seven children grieving around his bed. Hamiltons life was over but in some ways it actually just began because like christ he rose again from the dead to assume a place in the firmament of american political history that he never would have attained if you died quietly at age 80 like burr did. A triumph of political spin for his team was able to sell the idea that bang bang meant a templeton was a murder victim, not the loser in a dual honor. More exactly since this was a political matter hamilton was assassinated, a martyr. Hamilton had never shot to give or get fired spastically in the air after burr shot in the that was the line. His second, templeton even received a bridge over that claimed to have been severed by hamiltons all. The whole thing went down quite differently. Hamilton had indeed thrown away his fire existed within his distaste for dueling. Remember three years before hamiltons son had been killed using the very same gun that hamilton the father was using at weehawken, and it could be argued that have been argued that he fell into despondency if not outright depression that led to this duel as suicide by duel. Rather than just a duel. But he shot any case he did not shoot at burr. Thats almost certain. He shot well away from burr but burr couldnt help it i did this because how could he know . By the rules of the duel hamilton could not fire again and tell burr had squeezed off is around. So burr took his time, he aimed and then he fired. This explanation doesnt go that much better for burr. If it stood a man fully to a gun level of destruction. He was not hailed as a hero for defending his honor but indicted for murder at the manhattan corner who handled such things and been forced to flee the city. He traveled in disguise under an assumed name clue to georgia to escape newspaperman who sought to out him, and london didnt underestimate him for murder and hauling him back to manhattan to face charges. Sitting Vice President. Joe biden . Hard to picture. Spiro agnew . May be. [laughter] i know what youre thinking. Wouldnt it be nice if our present politicians could resolve their differences so easily . [laughter] whether its bang bang or bang banker gets a book with without the terrible in going of our ball and political controversies like the one going on now between marco rubio and jeb bush. No bickering, no tweets. Just bang, you know . Has its appeal. The thing this marvelous about a duel ill tell you is that its a very decisive. Its up or down come in for a yes or no, dead or alive, bang, its over. And, in fact, that was one of the reasons why that in times of war that tools actually are welcome between the officers because otherwise they would have to go through the regular process of a courtmartial that could be very elaborate. And it takes forever and so they duel. And they were very good at it. But a duel record and underlying assumption that does not exist today and now we are going to go down one layer further. Into the question of come why did they duel . Thats a matter so long gone from contemporary life that we hardly even recognize it complex and strange artifact got up under a subway line for anthropologists to puzzle over. Honor. It all the been a something called on her. Anybody heard of it . Anybody seen on her in this city, any city . Not too much, you know. Its like gone. No one i think its fair since honor anymore. Certainly no politician. And certainly not honor that he would die to defend. But honor was everything to a gentleman of the Political Class of making a reporter honor was the prize, masculinity, reputation, valid, lineage. And 100 other things. It was that brandt except it was the product of a lifetime, not the calculation of marketers produce everything imagine for and they stood for in life. They would as soon surrender their manhood and give up their honor. When hamilton assailed burr as a dangerous than he was in getting burr honor. No word did not convey how threatening that was. When burr called hamilton out on it he was doing the same. It was time for an interview, thats what they called it. Time for a drink of water for me. Now, how could these two inside players have got into such a sticky situation in the first place. Not why did they hate, but why do they hate so recklessly . Why could they not help themselves . They knew where the tripwire was and yet they cant stepping closer to it. This took me almost 400 pages to explain but the short of it is s that you were at the point of maximum tension between sameness and difference. The differences . Hamilton was of course a penniless immigrant from west indian islands. Burr and aristocrat, the son of the president of princeton and the grandson of the most celebrated theologian of the day, jonathan edwards, and the closest of colonial america could come. It goes on from there. The differences wouldve pushed them apart but the similarities brought them together. Besides being both short and slim they were both brilliant, extremely articulate, perfectly educated, politically may become ambitious, handsome and immensely attractive to the latest the differences can hamilton was pullbacks. He was quick to dash off a 10,000 were treated in an afternoon and utterly transparent. He couldnt help himself to he always had to tell the truth. Burr was covert, a man of few words and few of them written down, and many of those inconspicuous the most hit man imaginable. Hamilton was a met a powerful ideology, so powerful it towards the basis of the First Political party and inspired the second in theres opposition, the antifederalist, or the jeffersonians and then the republicans. Burr was a member of any deeply held political philosophy at all leaving them open to a charge of emma dockery. Then there was this. Political the United States was a small place. Its amazing how small it was. Henry writes about this, if you were to look at america and about even as late as 1800, that theres most of it was green, little specks of it was sort of cleared lands of urban centers of which there were like four and they were not urban centers that we would recognize. This was little tiny dot in the wilderness. That was america back in. These guys were like two of the greatest men in it. For that reason they couldnt escape each other wherever they turn their they were, be it in the revolution or in law or in politics. All the same stories. Because of their talent and ambition they both rose in power and prominence but if the reaches of power or an inverted cone, as they are, narrowing towards the tip, that perfect unique spot at the top called the presidency. Eventually there was no room for both of them. They could not escape each other. They were two walls in a tight gauge cage. These were men who were for first time in their life both not on the rice anymore. First hamilton and ben burr. Hamilton, he was never a politically successful man for himself. He was elected only to a cinnamon twice in a tiny office but he was a kingmaker but not a kingmaker anymore. All of his people were losing. He just had this catastrophic affair with Maria Reynolds revealed to the nation come an embarrassment. And then burr had just been dumped as Vice President and fallen as governor. They were both men on the decline. Men who have been rising are dangerous when they start to fall. I think thats another aspect. Theres much more to it beyond that but i want to swerve into the presence for a second match of the perennial question that authors face, which is, who cares . What does this story have to say about us today . The answer of course is everything, right . I dont know if you been reading about this political divide, the republicans, democrats, tea party, republicans cant get a fractious lot that hamilton wouldve recognized very well. And then also we have examples in some form of scores of political systems these days than the people that any conviction whatsoever, and that is the kind of person that hamilton wouldve recognized as well as the burr type. And these are constant issues in a democracy as to how much to trust the people to make wise choices your comments to insist that the Real Intelligence of society is concentrated at the top. Its always the few versus the many. And for hamilton it was the few that he trusted, the elite that becomes a. He thought they were smarter and better and more sensible. And now, of course, in a democratic age that we have entrusted, our society correctly to the people, but it seems that at times the people let us down. That they can vote or not vote for people of regard as these are similar issues and issues that were very salient at the time. Theres also something called hamilton the musical. Which i hope you either have seen or are about to see or promise yourself you will see before the decade is out because right now incredibly, theyre taking ticket orders for not this january, next january. Like plantar life accordingly. Plan your life accordingly. Music which is hamilton is pertinent its a different kind of hamilton from the one that i recognize. This is the hamilton is up from nothing, its scrappy immigrant, is going to show them. Thats not really hamilton. Hamilton to meet his hamiltonian ism, what osha talk about is this ideological person who was like running countries and giving them all set to. He was a big thinker and he wasnt quite so scrappy. That said, its wonderful to see years of the Founding Fathers come individuals of the Founding Fathers. So a vote as they are in a crazy way by the musical, this hiphop musical. Its this incredible conversion by which lilywhite founders are portrayed by actors of color, but they capture the founders better than any more little portraits can do. Because the founders themselves, white was the default color. But one thing he was white. Now why this is a political statement. Its about entitlement and nostalgia and it takes color to get back to the ritual norm and a country that was all immigrant. To get the sense of the fervor and also the craziness and the dancing as a tumultuous energy that the folks at turbulent period when everything was new. Because too often we look back at this time and we think this was all done in marble and edwin had this dream conference at the Jefferson Memorial and its one big waxed works if you didnt dt read much in this period to realize that thats not quite how it was. For most of the roche everything was going terribly and the cover might easily have foundered. Success wasnt a foregone conclusion. One lesson of the dualistic governments are made up of men and men are not always founders were brilliant but could be foolish. Hamilton could all of these and burr in more so. It was largely like that if individuals were imbalance, the group was not. And i would say that one of the reasons that the Founding Fathers were successful as they were was the number of George Washington was one of the most mature individuals ive ever seen in history. Buffer in all this squabbling children wouldve torn the place apart. Im always surprised when i talk about this book a few people ever ask me anything about poor aaron burr. Its like the hamilton show and theres no burr in it. But measured in hamilton terms of political burr rates less than zero. I will confess i found him much more fascinating and hamilton. If there were a dinner party and had a chance to sit next to burr for hamilton i would cuddle up to burr every night. He would tell you stop that would curl what hair you have. Hes a marvel. Known discovered that savin sats the one you want, right . Remember gore but all did not write hamilton. He wrote burr. Hamilton can be to earn his, too clever, too bright to be much fun, a slacker and shameless libertine like burr can come as welcome relief. I find the tale of his last just after the duel to be tremendously moving. Nights secession a campaign trying to detach for his personal empire. But afterwards, we and he is in exile in europe and down to its last in trying to decide whether to spend it on bread or a prostitute, and deciding the prostitute. So now that letter to theodore, and i will close with this, and then i would love to take questions, just look at it. Three things are striking. But do taken by all means you look at this. One, its amazing to me that he couldve written anything that was coherent under the circumstances of know hes going to face his worst enemy with a gun in the morning. Second, its great penmanship youve got to admire that. And third, that its unbelievable cash of the apartheid i dislike hey, ive got a little correspondence to finish up. I mean, come on. But as the letter goes on it gets deeper and this is what dennis was referring to at the beginning, that despite the circumstances hamilton did not refer to burr by name. But the allusion to burr is unmistakable when he declares it will break his heart if the country were dismembered. At the time burr they been linked to the socalled northern conspiracy, the New England States plus new york free of the union into a separate country tv had a by aaron burr. That never materialized but burr embarked on the westin conspiracy going after list of the Louisiana Purchase for a private empire, and that was the most Dangerous Campaign up until the civil war. That led to jeffersons charges of treason against burr placing burr and the opposition of having killed the head of one party and possibly be killed by the head of the other. Hard to pull off. And in the letter hamilton innovate against democracy sure of an awkward reference from a founder of the republic. Democracy was not the hollow term it is our universal franchise is a revered even if it is not always exercised by contain suspect of indignant electorate that was open to manipulation by the unscrupulous rather like now. He meant something closer to demagoguery with burr who was the first to engage in door to door retail politics with the demagogues in question. If this was so it offers an interesting cost of the standard account. This duel wasnt purely personal or a matter of honor for mano a mano it was effective first battle that hamilton was waging against burr and all he stood for. Told her about hamilton and burr is to learn about america. Yes, but also about the emotions that are always teaming under the surface of great leaders. Jealousy, ego insecurity, and nation. These are the passions that make people who they are. An account for what they do. To identify them, trees their source and see that because i think the real work of history. What i sought to capture in my book. [applause] now, id be happy at this time and if youre interested in my doing this to take questions. Easy ones first. The more difficult ones later when im sort of warmed up. Yes. You with a wonderful necktie. Didnt really want to try to kill burr, why doesnt this is the argument effective suicide makes a lot of sense . It does make a lot of sense. I think what the things that happens in the duel is that people dont in the heat of the moment truly think its true. And i also think that sometimes what can happen when youre deeply depressed or in morning is that you are incapable of making a sensible choice. That the are many things that hamilton, can people pick up on this . If the mic is down here. Is okay . Is that better . I dont want the people in iowa and california not to be able to hear me. But yeah, i think he wasnt thinking clearly, quite also i think in some ways, i hadnt thought of it until the smoke but theres something delusional about the letter. Hey, i got your letter. Ive just got a few minutes and i got to dash off a little. Its like yes and no idea that this is a fateful time for him, and, of course, history is unfair because we see it from what happened he doesnt know whats about to happen but he does know its going to be a bad situation with him and burr. So to answer the question, i think clearly, you can enter a duel without a suicidal impulse because the chances are decent that youre going to get shot. And so you have to keep, that has to be on your mind. I mean, i will say that they will come i dont want i find it staggering, staggering that anybody could engage in this. If i had a copy of my book i would have, i dont have, but i would read a little passage, describing what it was like. But the thing is they stood like this. Basted sideways. In order to minimize the outline. They wore a cape to make it unclear whether actual body was. They put their shoulder up like this to try to protect their chin, all to no effect, you know . They are just 10 yards apart, you know . Its only out of this wild anxiety in the moment that people are unable to aim and shoot. The whole thing is just so crackers that its hard to think of it in logical terms. Anything else . Yes. You have to use the mic apparently. Do you think that hamilton, giving away his shot, thought that burr would give away his shot . You know, i think thats a very good idea but you think he would Say Something about it. Because it may just look like gunfire, and it did. Again, its all about the craziness of this setup of honor going berserk, people feeling such an monumental desire to defend something that is distracting from Everything Else but i think thats the setup for some rather inconsistent behavior. Each has again think about it. By what standard of honor can you kill somebody . I mean, at all. This is not a wartime or theres no tactical threat to you. Its really, again, you cant yt get in ahead of the people but but looking at it from where we do, this is bizarre. And its hard for a bizarre situation like that to untangle its logic because we just cant see it. We cant grasp the fundamental motivation. At least i cant. I can describe it. I can discuss it but i cant get it and i could never place myself in that situation to that of think anybody in this room could either. Yes. [inaudible] yes. [inaudible] well, allies a, called betsy, both names i use competitive in the book i use, she was the daughter of general schuyler who was one of albany families that sort of ruled new york and thatt was this posting a rich land owner, he was a heavy in the revolution army. When she appeared before hamilton absolute Christmas Party in the wilderness during the war, that hes transfixed. You dont know what you seem to easy same money we see seeing beauty or is ceasing kindness are what . Its not obvious and yet written this odd letter that i go on about in the book to his great friend john lord in which he described in detail the characteristics of the woman that he seeks. Its a particularly complicated letter, first because its so literal that it seems childish, you know . Its almost like this inch bust and that in chips, like that. But he had written another letter to lawrence that all the earmarks of a really heavy schoolboy crush, in which he referred to his love for lawrence that would be on the love you for anybody else. Its actually a letter that gave right, captured for the internet to show that hamilton was gay. Possible. We are all a little day. Well, not all of us. But any rate, thats all to say that his interest in tryin elizs complex. One of the moral features of the universes in which he she was the most kindest, most forgiving, most understanding woman that one could ever know. What she put up with is extraordinary. There was the most embarrassing revelation about this love affair he had with a friend, basically. And that she forgave him for that. She didnt even mention it as far as we know. That about him to come back to the bosom of the family, and that when he died in this duel that killed her to witness and experience having seen her oldest son be killed in exactly this manner before, but it mustve been she lives at the best of her days bent on redeeming and affirming his memory. And that no man stood higher in the annals of history and Alexander Hamilton. Its a glorious thing. Well, john, thank you for a wonderful 3 well, john, thank you for a wonderful talk. Very enjoyable, so scintillating. My question is about the idea of duels. And to what extent were duels commonplace . Was this duel between two high positions government officials unusual in 1804 . No, it was not that usual. I dont know exactly what the account was but i would venture to say that in a 30 year period surrounding 1804, that the probably 100 duels that were fought in the Greater New York ar