Sometimes when we talk with people about the Aaron Burr house museum initiative, usually when we are out on the street gathering signatures and whatnot, we come across people who are not that happy to hear about the little effort that our group is undergoing. Some people don’t seem to be that trilled hearing about turning Aaron Burr house into a museum because they aren’t that trilled about the Aaron Burr, the person. This begs the questions, should we preserve historical landmarks, even when they are from sketchy individuals?
Should we preserve historical landmarks, even when they are from sketchy individuals?
Aaron Burr isn’t exactly an angel. He did commit murder and there are several other shady things that he has been accused of. We’re well aware of the treason charges and trial, but you also need to know that he has been cleared of all those charges, and that there are also a lot of good that Aaron Burr, the person, has done.
He was a prominent figure in the war, and he also had some very advanced stances when it comes to womens rights and equality (the likes that the Founding Fathers didn’t even have). He has also financially helped many orphaned children in his life. Of course if we only look at the bad that Aaron Burr did, we would also be against commemorating Aaron Burr in any way. But that’s not the whole picture. If we don’t remember our history, we are doomed to repeat it, to paraphrase the famous quote. By making the Aaron Burr house a museum, we would make sure that future generations remember what happened with Aaron Burr, so that they don’t repeat the same mistakes again. That’s another way to look at this whole situation. Join us at the West Village Historical Society, contact us if you don’t agree with our sentiments and tell us why. Until then, all the best from the whole team.
