Potus Geeks Summer Reruns: The Duel that Alexander Hamilton Never Had With James Monroe
[Originally posted on March 9, 2011.]
In June of 1797, James Monroe and his family returned to the United States. Monroe had recently been recalled as Ambassador to France. part of a purge of office holders who were not Federalists. According to Monroe's biographer Harlow Giles Unger and to Monroe himself, the future fifth President had done an exemplary job in keeping the French content while pledging US neutrality, at the same time as John Jay concluded a one-sided treaty with the British. Monroe had also engineered the release of the Marquis de Lafayette and his wife and son from captivity as well as an ungrateful Thomas Paine.
One of Monroe's critics was Alexander Hamilton. He had written Monroe a scathing letter, and then paid Monroe a visit in New York while Monroe was back home visiting his in-laws. The two men exchanged angry words after Hamilton called Monroe a liar and Monroe called Hamilton a scoundrel. The scene was rife with testosterone as Hamilton challenged Monroe to a duel and Monroe accepted the challenge without hesitation. Hamilton's brother-in-law John Baker Church got the two men to calm down and it looked as if the slights were forgiven. Monroe followed up with a letter to Hamilton explaining his actions as ambassador, but this only served to reignite the bad feelings between the two. The two exchanged angry words again and the duel was back on.
An amazing coincidence is that Monroe asked Aaron Burr to be his second. What is even stranger is that it was Burr who talked the two men out of the duel. Unger explains as follows at page 132 of The Last Founding Father:
"A friend since their days together in the U.S. Senate, Burr had fought heroically with the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War. As an Anti-Federalist he was no friend of Hamilton, but nonetheless urged Monroe to send Hamilton a conciliatory letter of sorts. 'Seeing no adequate cause, why should I give a challenge to you' Monroe wrote, 'I own it was not my intention to give or provoke one. If on the other hand you meant this last letter as a challenge to me, I have then to request that you will say so.' Knowing Monroe to be an expert marksman, Hamilton - at Burr's urging - relented, saying 'any further step would be improper.' Ironically, Burr succeeded in preventing a duel that might have saved him from his own confrontation with Hamilton seven years later - almost to the day."
In June of 1797, James Monroe and his family returned to the United States. Monroe had recently been recalled as Ambassador to France. part of a purge of office holders who were not Federalists. According to Monroe's biographer Harlow Giles Unger and to Monroe himself, the future fifth President had done an exemplary job in keeping the French content while pledging US neutrality, at the same time as John Jay concluded a one-sided treaty with the British. Monroe had also engineered the release of the Marquis de Lafayette and his wife and son from captivity as well as an ungrateful Thomas Paine.
One of Monroe's critics was Alexander Hamilton. He had written Monroe a scathing letter, and then paid Monroe a visit in New York while Monroe was back home visiting his in-laws. The two men exchanged angry words after Hamilton called Monroe a liar and Monroe called Hamilton a scoundrel. The scene was rife with testosterone as Hamilton challenged Monroe to a duel and Monroe accepted the challenge without hesitation. Hamilton's brother-in-law John Baker Church got the two men to calm down and it looked as if the slights were forgiven. Monroe followed up with a letter to Hamilton explaining his actions as ambassador, but this only served to reignite the bad feelings between the two. The two exchanged angry words again and the duel was back on.
An amazing coincidence is that Monroe asked Aaron Burr to be his second. What is even stranger is that it was Burr who talked the two men out of the duel. Unger explains as follows at page 132 of The Last Founding Father:
"A friend since their days together in the U.S. Senate, Burr had fought heroically with the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War. As an Anti-Federalist he was no friend of Hamilton, but nonetheless urged Monroe to send Hamilton a conciliatory letter of sorts. 'Seeing no adequate cause, why should I give a challenge to you' Monroe wrote, 'I own it was not my intention to give or provoke one. If on the other hand you meant this last letter as a challenge to me, I have then to request that you will say so.' Knowing Monroe to be an expert marksman, Hamilton - at Burr's urging - relented, saying 'any further step would be improper.' Ironically, Burr succeeded in preventing a duel that might have saved him from his own confrontation with Hamilton seven years later - almost to the day."