The Burr Conspiracy: Uncovering the Story of an Early American Crisis Hardcover - 2017 - 1st Edition

"Did Aaron Burr conspire to overthrow the government, dismember the union, or make himself emperor of Mexico? Lewis's compelling history shows how frustrated efforts to answer these questions reflected deep--and amply justified--anxieties about America's future. The Burr Conspiracy offers a dazzling portrait of the new nation in the grip of a profound existential crisis, and a mirror for our own critical times."--Peter S. Onuf, coauthor of "Most Blessed of the Patriarchs": Thomas Jefferson and the Empire of the Imagination

"An impressive piece of work. Lewis weaves together countless pieces of evidence to tell a tale that goes far beyond the Burr Conspiracy, exploring how Americans at the time made sense of the conspiracy and plumbing the larger implications."--Joanne B. Freeman, author of Affairs of Honor: National Politics in the New Republic

"Lewis has produced a masterful and insightful account of the Burr Conspiracy that brilliantly redirects our focus from the events to the robust spin that participants and observers placed on the episodes from the beginning. By shifting from actions to interpretations, he offers the best take we are likely ever to have on the supposed conspiracy."--Alan Taylor, author of American Revolutions: A Continental History, 1750-1804