Aaron Burr Sr. (January 4, 1716 – September 24, 1757) was a notable
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
minister and college educator in
colonial America
The colonial history of the United States covers the history of European colonization of North America from the early 17th century until the incorporation of the Thirteen Colonies into the United States after the Revolutionary War. In the ...
. He was a founder of the College of New Jersey (now
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...
) and the father of
Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr Jr. (February 6, 1756 – September 14, 1836) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the third vice president of the United States from 1801 to 1805. Burr's legacy is defined by his famous personal conflict with Alexand ...
(1756–1836), the third
vice president of the United States
The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice ...
.
Early years
A native of
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
, Burr was born in 1716 in present-day
Fairfield to Daniel and Elizabeth Burr; his father was a wealthy farmer. He was of
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
ancestry (his grandfather Jehu Burr had been born in
Lavenham
Lavenham is a village, civil parish and electoral ward in the Babergh district, in the county of Suffolk, England. It is noted for its Guildhall, Little Hall, 15th-century church, half-timbered medieval cottages and circular walks. In the medie ...
,
Suffolk, England
Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...
, in 1625, settled in the
Connecticut Colony
The ''Connecticut Colony'' or ''Colony of Connecticut'', originally known as the Connecticut River Colony or simply the River Colony, was an English colony in New England which later became Connecticut. It was organized on March 3, 1636 as a settl ...
as a young man, and died there in 1692).
Aaron Burr attended
Yale College
Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...
(now Yale University), where he obtained a B.A. in 1735. After graduation, he studied theology in New Haven and witnessed the
First Great Awakening
The First Great Awakening (sometimes Great Awakening) or the Evangelical Revival was a series of Christian revivals that swept Britain and its thirteen North American colonies in the 1730s and 1740s. The revival movement permanently affecte ...
, a significant religious and spiritual movement of the 1730s and 1740s. He was personally acquainted with
Jonathan Edwards and his wife Sarah, daughter of
James Pierpont, who is credited with founding Yale. Edwards, a leader of the
Great Awakening
Great Awakening refers to a number of periods of religious revival in American Christian history. Historians and theologians identify three, or sometimes four, waves of increased religious enthusiasm between the early 18th century and the late ...
, was Burr's mentor and would later become his
father-in-law
A parent-in-law is a person who has a legal affinity with another by being the parent of the other's spouse. Many cultures and legal systems impose duties and responsibilities on persons connected by this relationship. A person is a child-in-law ...
.
Career
On December 21, 1736, Burr became a minister of the
Presbyterian Church of Newark,
Newark
Newark most commonly refers to:
* Newark, New Jersey, city in the United States
* Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey; a major air hub in the New York metropolitan area
Newark may also refer to:
Places Canada
* Niagara-on-the ...
,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
. He also taught Greek and Latin to youth, and co-authored ''Introduction to the Latin Tongue''. After a few years, Burr rose to prominence in the Presbyterian circles of upper New Jersey and the New York City area.
College founder
Between 1741 and 1758, a controversy over unorthodox piety fostered by the
Great Awakening
Great Awakening refers to a number of periods of religious revival in American Christian history. Historians and theologians identify three, or sometimes four, waves of increased religious enthusiasm between the early 18th century and the late ...
and how it affected traditional authority of church officers led to internal differences in the
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
and
Congregational
Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...
churches. Presbyterians became divided between the so-called conservative ''Old Side'' and dissenting, pro-Awakening ''New Side'' congregationalists—between
Old and New Lights
The terms Old Lights and New Lights (among others) are used in Protestant Christian circles to distinguish between two groups who were initially the same, but have come to a disagreement. These terms originated in the early 18th century from a spl ...
. The rift affected the faculty and student body at
Yale
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...
that was at the time an incubator for both Presbyterian and Congregational clergy. In opposition to
Thomas Clap
Thomas Clap or Thomas Clapp (June 26, 1703 – January 7, 1767) was an American academic and educator, a Congregational minister, and college administrator. He was both the fifth rector and the earliest official to be called "president" of Yale Co ...
, Yale's first president,
Jonathan Edwards, Burr, and
Jonathan Dickinson
Jonathan Dickinson (1663–1722) was a merchant from Port Royal, Jamaica who was shipwrecked on the southeast coast of Florida in 1696, along with his family and the other passengers and crew members of the ship.
The party was held captive by Job ...
, all being on the pro-Awakening side, founded the College of New Jersey (now
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...
) at
Elizabeth
Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to:
People
* Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name)
* Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist
Ships
* HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships
* ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...
,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, in 1746.
Dickinson was elected first president of the College, but died soon after in 1747. Burr, who taught at the College, then became the second president on November 9, 1748 after approval of the college charter by the New Jersey governor,
Jonathan Belcher
Jonathan Belcher (8 January 1681/8231 August 1757) was a merchant, politician, and slave trader from colonial Massachusetts who served as both governor of Massachusetts Bay and governor of New Hampshire from 1730 to 1741 and governor of New J ...
. During his tenure (1748–1757), the curriculum was settled, the student body increased from 8 in 1747 to 40–50 in 1751, and the first commencement was held. Among the first graduates was
Richard Stockton, a signer of the
Declaration of Independence
A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the ...
; five others became Presbyterian ministers.
Burr moved the College to its permanent home at
Princeton
Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nine ...
,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, where he supervised the construction of
Nassau Hall
Nassau Hall, colloquially known as Old Nassau, is the oldest building at Princeton University in Princeton, Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. In 1783 it served as the United States Capitol building for four months. At the time it was built ...
, Princeton's best-known structure and the largest building in colonial New Jersey when it was completed in 1756. In 1755, Burr was relieved of his pastoral duties in order to concentrate full-time on his work at Princeton. At age 32, he became the youngest person ever to serve as president of Princeton.
In September 1756, when the
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...
was underway, Burr wrote a sermon in which he sought to defend the ''"Priviledges
icof unadulterated Christianity; British Liberty and Property, in a delightful and fruitful Country"'' foretelling future fusion of secular and religious rhetoric in the
Revolutionary era.
Personal life
On June 29, 1752, Burr married
Esther Edwards (1732–1758), daughter of the
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
Congregational
Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...
great,
Jonathan Edwards. Together, they had two children:
*Sarah "Sally" Burr (1754–1797), who married
Tapping Reeve
Tapping Reeve (October 1, 1744 – December 13, 1823) was an American lawyer, judge, and law educator. In 1784 he opened the Litchfield Law School, the first law school in the United States, in Litchfield, Connecticut.
Early life
Tapping Reev ...
(1744–1823)
*
Aaron Burr Jr. (1756–1836), who married
Theodosia Bartow Prevost
Theodosia Bartow Prevost (November 1746 – May 18, 1794), also known as Theodosia Bartow Burr, was an American Patriot. Raised by a widowed mother, she married British Army officer Jacques Marcus Prevost at age 17. After the American Revolution ...
(1746–1794) in 1782. After her death in 1794, he married
Eliza Jumel
Eliza Jumel (née Bowen; April 2, 1775 – July 16, 1865), also known as Eliza Burr, was a wealthy American socialite. She was married to Aaron Burr and their divorce was finalized on the day of his death. Although she was born into poverty, an a ...
(1775–1865) in 1833.
Death
In the fall of 1757, Burr died in his first year in Princeton (tenth year of being the president) of fever after traveling to Massachusetts to Governor Belcher's funeral where he delivered a sermon. It was believed that his premature death had been brought on or aggravated by overwork. His remains were interred in the President's Lot at
Princeton Cemetery
Princeton Cemetery is located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. It is owned by the Nassau Presbyterian Church. John F. Hageman in his 1878 history of Princeton, New Jersey refers to the cemetery as "The Westminster Abbey of the United State ...
. His widow died seven months later, orphaning their three-year-old daughter and two-year-old son.
Descendants
His grandchildren include Aaron Burr Reeve (1780–1809), who died shortly after the birth of his only child, Tapping Burr Reeve (1809–1829),
and
Theodosia Burr (1783–1813). Theodosia was married to
Joseph Alston
Joseph Alston (1779 – September 10, 1816) was the 44th Governor of South Carolina from 1812 to 1814.
Early life and career
The son of William Alston, he was born in All Saints Parish near Georgetown, South Carolina. Alston attended the ...
(1779–1816), who served as the
44th Governor of South Carolina
The governor of South Carolina is the head of government of South Carolina. The governor is the '' ex officio'' commander-in-chief of the National Guard when not called into federal service. The governor's responsibilities include making year ...
from 1812 to 1814.
Works
* Burr, Aaron. Sermon at the Ordination of David Bostwick. New York, 1745.
* Burr, Aaron. A Discourse Delivered at New-Ark in New Jersey, January 1, 1755. New York, 1755.
* Burr, Aaron
The Watchman's Answer to the Question, What of the Night, & C: A Sermon Preached Before the Synod of New York, Convened at Newark in New Jersey, September 30, 1756 Boston, 1757.
* Burr, Aaron. The Supreme Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maintained. Boston, 1757.
* Burr, Aaron. A Funeral Sermon, Preached at the Interment of Jonathan Belcher, Esg. New York, 1757.
References
External links
*
ttp://etcweb.princeton.edu/CampusWWW/Companion/burr_aaron_sr.html Biography of Burr Sr. at Princeton University
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burr, Aaron Sr.
1716 births
1757 deaths
Fathers of vice presidents of the United States
People from Fairfield, Connecticut
People from Lavenham
Clergy from Newark, New Jersey
People of colonial Connecticut
People of colonial New Jersey
Yale College alumni
American people of English descent
Presidents of Princeton University
American Presbyterian ministers
Aaron Sr.
Burials at Princeton Cemetery
University and college founders