No longer a picturesque sandbar in the Mississippi River, this dueling spot is now a rail yard under the Poplar Street Bridge. Here are five of the United States' most infamous dueling sites, all of which you can visit today: Some of the best remembered duels, however, are those that ended in tragedy. Counterintuitive, he says, dueling was originally conceived of as a way to reduce overall violence in society-a practice aimed at reducing crimes of passion in favor of a more structured and regulated revenge process. Early pistols were inaccurate and often misfired, but as weapons grew more sophisticated, he says, they also grew more deadly, leading to a sharp decline in the practice. Raymond says dueling faded out in the 1880s, and suggests that it ended because the intent was not always to outright kill someone. “Classically one of the likeliest ways to end up in a duel was to ‘give the lie direct’ that is, publicly accuse another gentleman of lying.” Of course, the challenged did not need to accept the duel, but declining would peg them as a coward and harm their reputation. Raymond, a swordsman and dueling expert, tells. “Public insults, romantic clashes, political disputes, cheating at cards… all could be cause for an encounter,” Eric S. The reasons for dueling ranged from completely trivial to truly serious. The goal of dueling was not necessarily death-according to the Code Duello, the duel was to end at first blood or nerve-rattling wound. A formal challenge noting the cause had to be issued every duelist had a “second,” the person who handled logistics and tried to settle the duel without bloodshed a meeting had to be arranged at a secluded place the challenged chose the weapons, either matched pistols, swords or knives a prominent community member served as a judge and restrictions were necessary to reduce possible death. Neither died, though both suffered minor wounds.Įach duel had to follow the Code Duello, a set of rules governing the fights.

The first two duelists were servants in Plymouth (which had only been founded the year before), Edward Doty and Edward Lester, who fought each other with swords. The bloody custom was brought over from Great Britain in 1621.

Over 200 years later, visitors might not realize that they can still visit the secluded New Jersey dueling ground where Hamilton and his son both died-and that the spot is just one of several infamous locations where America's early leading men met to defend their honor.īy the time Hamilton died in 1804, dueling had become a fixture in the United States. Alexander Hamilton’s last three words-“Pray for me,” according to some-could do nothing to save him from fast-approaching death, the result of a deadly duel between him and Vice President Aaron Burr in 1804.

Duels & Deception by Cindy Anstey