什麼是伯爾

Burr, Aaron

美國政治人物，第三任副總統（1801～1805）。美國革命期間在華盛頓將軍麾下當參謀至1779年。1782年起在紐約當律師，事業成功。1789～1791年擔任州總檢察長，1791～1797年任參議員。1800年競選總統。投票結果與傑佛遜不相上下，於是讓眾議員選舉定奪；由於漢彌爾頓（Alexander Hamilton）堅決反對伯爾，遂使傑佛遜當選為總統，伯爾屈居副總統之位。伯爾對漢彌爾頓的行為感到憤恨，加上1804年漢彌爾頓又阻止提名伯爾為紐約州州長，在漢彌爾頓發表了批評伯爾的個性的一些言論後，伯爾向漢彌爾頓提出挑戰決鬥。結果漢彌爾頓受了致命重傷，伯爾逃往費城。他在那裡和威爾金森將軍有所接觸，後來與之策劃入侵墨西哥。1807年因叛國罪在馬歇爾面前受審，馬歇爾對憲法的狹義解釋使伯爾無罪釋放。由於處在陰雲籠罩下，伯爾前往歐洲，他企圖說服英國和法國當局去征服佛羅里達，但沒有成功。1812年返回紐約，重執律師業。

1756～1836年

Burr, Aaron

U.S. politician, third vice president of the U.S. (1801-5). Born in Newark, N.J., he served in the American Revolution on George Washington's staff until 1779. He had a successful law practice in New York from 1782 and served as state attorney general 1789-91 and in the U.S. Senate 1791-97. He ran for president in 1800. The electoral-vote tie between Burr and Thomas Jefferson sent the election to the House of Representatives; Jefferson was chosen after Alexander Hamilton endorsed him; Burr became vice president. Resentful of Hamilton's action and his later effort to block Burr's nomination for governor of New York in 1804, he challenged Hamilton to a duel following some remarks about Burr's character. He mortally wounded Hamilton and fled to Philadelphia. There he contacted Gen. James Wilkinson, with whom he planned an invasion of Mexico. He was tried for treason in 1807 before John Marshall, whose narrow interpretation of the constitutional charge led to acquittal. Under a cloud, Burr left for Europe, where he tried in vain to interest English and French authorities in his scheme to conquer Florida. In 1812 he returned to New York to resume his law practice.