At the end of the seventeenth century, the seeds of the United States were planted from the hands of elite, white, property owning men. When the time of seeking independence from Britain is recalled, names such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, and John Adams, are first noted. It astonishes some that an orphan and immigrant who came from humble beginnings in the West Indies actually shaped the face of the United States government, let alone become the first Secretary of the Treasury.

Divisions formed throughout the colonies during the time of the American Revolution, and immigrant Alexander Hamilton proved to be no exception. Hamilton had always hoped to fight in a war that was worth fighting for, and that was exactly what he found when he traveled to America as a young boy. For his time, it was highly unlikely for him to succeed in changing the future of the nation and along the way, become an American hero. Hamilton pursued many relationships throughout his life in America; including his with his foe, Aaron Burr.

Hamilton and Burr’s similarities ultimately transformed their relationship into a horrifying division that had no solution. Burr believed that he could not progress in the world if Hamilton was still alive since they were both too similar for both to succeed. For an answer to his progression, Burr challenged Hamilton to one of the most famous duels of all time. Burr’s answer to progression was never in his sight because killing the beloved Hamilton bestowed upon him nothing but great loss in his reputation. Ironically, Hamilton’s reputation soared after Burr shot him in the duel.

After years of fleeing the eastern shore of America, the ruined Aaron Burr died alone at eighty years old with nothing positive in his second half of life. Only after Burr killed Hamilton, did he understand that the world was wide enough for both of them.