In the summer of 1804, two of America’s most eminent statesmen squared off, pistols raised, on a bluff along the Hudson River. That two such men would risk not only their lives but the stability of the young country they helped forge is almost beyond comprehension. Yet we know that it happened. The question is why? This week we talk with John Sedgwick, author of War of Two: Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, and the Duel that Stunned the Nation, about the long-standing conflict between Founding Father Alexander Hamilton and Vice President Aaron Burr, which eventually ended in Hamilton’s death. We also discuss the impact of Hamilton’s death on the country, why people even dueled in the first place, and how similar our political divides were even back then.

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