Gore Vidal’s historic fiction novel, Burr, tells the story of Aaron Burr, the third Vice President of the United States and one of the Founding Fathers.
The story spans a significant period of Burr’s life, as he pursues his dream of Western territorial expansion. It moves from Burr’s early years in Revolutionary War-era New York to his epic adventures traveling through the Ohio Valley, engaging in political battles between the Jefferson and Adams administrations, and finally concluding with his death in 1836. At each point in his journey, Burr finds himself at the center of some of the most pivotal moments in American history and is often thrust into the spotlight for his own actions, decisions, and sheer force of will.
The novel begins with Burr’s family story. His father, Jonathan Burr, was a prominent Presbyterian minister who served as chaplain of the New York legislature. Burr himself attended Princeton University and was admitted to the bar at age twenty-one. However, Burr had little interest in law and politics. Vidal paints a vivid portrait of Burr’s private character, which is described as a “profound and often quite lonely secretiveness.”
Burr takes advantage of the chaos and opportunity of the nascent American republic, working his way up the social and political hierarchy in New York. Throughout the novel, a major theme is Burr’s ambition for power and his driving goal of achieving a career that would provide a secure financial and social footing for himself and his chosen family.
The narrative moves from Burr’s first political campaigns in the 1790s to his ultimate achievement of the vice presidency in 1800 and his time in the Jefferson administration, for which he is unfortunately remembered for his involvement in the treasonous Burr Conspiracy. The novel describes the complex web of intrigue and jealousy between Burr and his colleagues, as well as his struggles with his age and his ever-growing ambitions.
In 1804, Burr and General James Wilkinson are accused of treason and accused of plotting to separate the western part of the United States and establish their own republic. Burr is forced to move to Europe while the trial takes place and a split in the Democratic-Republican Party begins to form.
The novel moves through Burr’s later years in Europe and his attempts to return to America and reclaim power. The New York state legislature, who has held a grudge against Burr since his involvement in the 1800 election, refuses to seat him and he spends his last days in New Jersey.
Burr is an engaging and stirring novel that is as much a portrait of the historical figures it portrays as it is a narrative of the times in which they lived. Through Burr’s life, Vidal delivers a narrative of immense American ambition and conflict. From the very start, Burr displays a shrewd understanding of the workings of politics and power and journeys with the reader across a dizzying range of characters and events, while illustrating the immediacy of history and the kinds of choices, decisions, and destinies individuals can control. This is a novel that combines the art of storytelling, the power of history, and the spaciousness of Vidal’s imagination, creating an unforgettable novel that stands the test of time.
