Nikki Hirschkind and John Urban Quezada           

Cyrus Mulready

HON374: The Materials of History, Thought, and Art

November 2024

                       Aaron Burr Broadside and Its Historical Significance 

Caption

To the Independent Electors of the State is one of the earliest records of American political propaganda, authored by Aaron Burr and his campaign team during the 1804 election for New York governor. It delivers a solid defense against the Clinton and Livingston families and highlights Morgan Lewis’s unfit candidate during the time of the race. This document delves into the complex history of early American governance, New York politics, and the intense rivalry between Burr and Alexander Hamilton.

Physical Description

The 1804 Aaron Burr campaign poster features distinct characteristics common to early 19th-century political broadsides. The poster stands at 11.5 inches wide by 17.75 inches tall and is protected in a clear glass frame with a solid black border. The typography is arranged into 6 squared sections that sit underneath the heading, “To the Independent Electors of the State”. The broadside was printed on cotton and linen-based paper, which is typical of early American printing materials, and has a slightly rough texture. It appears yellowed and browned due to aging and the acidic quality of 19th-century fabric, which tends to darken over time. The edges are uneven or frayed from handling, which may have occurred when the broadside was posted or carried around. The design is relatively simple compared to later political posters, which feature more cartoons, vibrant colors, and expressive imagery.

Example of Later Political Campaign Posters; 1896 Election 

Poster for William McKinley and Garret Hobart

Example of Later Political Campaign Posters; Richard Nixon, 1968

Provenance

This broadside is preserved as part of the collection at Historic Huguenot Street, a historical site in New Paltz, New York. Originally, it was displayed in public areas such as town halls, shop windows, and post offices to reach a broad audience, including Burr’s adversaries. The exact ownership history remains unknown despite curatorial research, but the broadside’s history is linked to prominent families in the area. The Clinton family, which resided in the Orange County region, and the Livingstons, who lived on a massive property in Columbia County, were common figures in Burr’s life. Given the Hasbrouck family’s aristocratic status and connection to these families, it is possible that the broadside was kept within this political circle and stored in an attic before reaching its current location.

Narrative

In 1791, Aaron Burr, a Democratic-Republican, defeated Federalist Philip Schuyler, Alexander Hamilton’s father-in-law, for a U.S. Senate seat representing New York. This victory, backed by the Clinton and Livingston families, dealt a significant blow to Hamilton and the Federalist Party. However, Burr’s success was short-lived as he lost re-election to Schuyler due to Hamilton’s rising influence. 

By 1800, political parties established unofficial tickets, in which the intended presidential candidate would get one more vote than the intended vice president. This was done because the Constitution before the 12th Amendment elected the winner president and the runner up vice president. The Democratic Republicans won the election, but the plan was not executed which resulted in a tie between Jefferson and Burr. Rather than adhering to the terms of the party agreement, Burr sought to persuade representatives to elect him as president. Hamilton, on the contrary, urged representatives to support Jefferson, arguing that Burr was the substandard candidate. After 36 rounds of voting, Hamilton’s influence beat Burr’s campaign, which deepened the rivalry between the two. This conflict contributed to the passage of the 12th Amendment in 1804, which separated votes for president and vice president.

1804 was a challenging year for Burr as he sought to revive his political career. It was clear that Jefferson was running for reelection and that Burr wasn’t going to be on the ticket. George Clinton, a member of the famous Clinton family, chose to not seek reelection as governor of New York, and Burr saw this as an opportunity to gain back some power. Despite being a well-known New York politician and lawyer, Burr couldn’t beat his opponent, Morgan Lewis, who was backed by the heavily influential Clinton and Livingston families. The reason these two families changed their positions on Burr has a lot to do with party loyalty. In 1791, the families supported Burr because they were at odds with Hamilton, who was one of their biggest rivals. In 1804, however, Burr was seen as a disgrace that only the fringe political groups supported, hence why they supported prominent Democratic-Republican Morgan Lewis. Hamilton led Federalist opposition to Burr’s nomination in the election, with Democratic-Republicans like Governor George Clinton and his nephew, DeWitt Clinton, working against him. DeWitt, who was the current mayor of New York at the time, used the American Citizen to issue scandalous allegations from the 1800 election. The newspaper was edited by James Cheetham, who was an ally of the Clinton and Livingston families. Cheetham called Vice President Burr a traitor to his party and president. He mocked Burr for his failure to win renomination as Jefferson’s running mate and publicized his business in purchasing prostitutes all over New York City. Burr launched an aggressive counterattack in response, which included the broadside To the Independent Electors of the State, which was published by his campaign team. The broadside urged voters to see that he was the stronger opponent and also accused the Clinton and Livingston families of being corrupt political aristocrats. Although the message was aimed in direct response to the comments of these families, it raised many concerns within the voter base, especially since Burr said that he could fill a newspaper with the full list of names and crimes. Despite his best efforts, Burr had no chance of regaining his power in a major public office. Cheetham’s attacks and the influences of Hamilton and the Clinton and Livingston families were too powerful to overcome. He suffered a great defeat in the governor’s race and faced the aftermath of Hamilton’s remarks about him in the press. The longstanding feud between Hamilton and Burr culminated in a duel on July 11, 1804, where Hamilton was fatally wounded. Burr’s actions effectively ended his political career, with his legacy remaining in his role in Hamilton’s death.

References

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