New-York Historical Society to Recreate the Hamilton-Burr Duel

If you can't get your hands on Hamiliton tickets, this event might just be the next best thing. Summer of Hamilton at the New-York Historical Society continues this Sunday, July 10 at 1pm and 3pm with a recreation of the infamous duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, according to a press release.

The theatrical performance—My First Friend, My Enemy: The Hamilton and Burr Duel—will be performed in New-York Historical’s Smith Auditorium by actors from American Historical Theatre. It recounts how the duel unfolded—from the escalating letters the political rivals wrote to one another to their fateful meeting in Weehawken, New Jersey, and its aftermath—on the eve of its anniversary on July 11.

The program, free with Museum admission ($20 for adults; $6 for kids 5-13; free for kids 4 and under), will feature actors from American Historical Theatre portraying Hamilton and Burr, as well as their seconds William P. Van Ness and Nathaniel Pendleton. The legendary adversaries will read out the letters that led to the event. The seconds will then outline the regulations of the duel before the confrontation itself is recreated. Finally, the audience will hear Hamilton’s final, touching letter to his wife Elizabeth, written in advance in the event of his death.

This event is just one of the exciting events planned during the Summer of Hamilton, a Museum-wide celebration of the life and legacy of Alexander Hamilton. The exhibit features artifacts and documents from the collections of the New-York Historical Society and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, allowing visitors to discover even more about the super-popular American hero.