Aaron Burr: Biography of the Third President of the United States

Tragedy struck early in Aaron's life, leaving indelible marks on his character. His father died when Aaron was barely two years old, followed by his mother's death just a year later. His grandfather Jonathan Edwards died shortly thereafter, leaving Aaron and his sister Sally orphans by the age of four. They were taken in by their uncle Timothy Edwards, but this arrangement proved less than nurturing. Timothy Edwards was a stern disciplinarian who showed little warmth toward his charges, creating an environment that may have contributed to Aaron's later reputation for emotional detachment and self-reliance.

The young Burr displayed remarkable intellectual precocity, entering Princeton University at age thirteen in 1769. This was not entirely unusual for the era, but Aaron's academic performance was exceptional even by the standards of colonial higher education. He studied classical languages, philosophy, mathematics, and theology, though he showed little interest in following the family tradition of religious ministry. Instead, he was drawn to secular learning and the emerging ideas about natural rights and government that were beginning to permeate colonial intellectual circles.