Aaron Burr Treason

We are all aware of Burr's famous duel with Hamilton but were you aware of the treason charges brought against him? The charge trying to steal land in the Louisiana Purchase. The evidence was a letter "supposedly" written by Burr. In the end the grand jury discovered the letter was written by Wilkinson in an attempt to frame Burr. Wilkinson defended his letter saying it was a copy he made because he'd lost the original. In the end Burr was not guilty and was never convicted of anything but the damage had been done.

You can read more about this trial at Reports of the trials of Colonel Aaron Burr

You can also read the subpoena given to Thomas Jefferson to testify at the trial. Located at the Library of Congress.

Whilllaluh

I stumbled on this word while working on my 19th century Wagons & Carriages book. Apparently it is an Irish expression used in relation of the death of an individual and said as a lamentation over the dead.

I came across this while reading an excerpt from "The Barouche Driver & His Wife" ©1807. ON a quick search you can find in Google books 66 results of the word. I didn't take the time to see if several of those were repeat books, as is often the case with Google Books.

I mention this tidbit because of it's unique nature for Irish characters and it's relationship to 19th century use.

The Mumbles Train

Below is a link to a fascinating tidbit of history, the first railway service. This train began to transport people on March 25, 1807. The train in Wales went from Swansea Bay to Mumbles. Note that trains were first pulled by horses.

Here's a link to read all about it.

First Practical Steamboat

In 1801 William Symington developed and designed a new steam engine and was built by John Allan. Lord Dundas being a primary sponsor of the project was honored by the naming of the boat as the Charlotte Dundas after Lord Dundas' daughter. The first sailing was on a canal in Glasgow, Jan. 4, 1803. Symington was never paid for his work on the Charlotte. It wasn't until 1807 when Robert Fulton and Livingston built the first commercial steamboat in New York that the industry truly developed.