Washington City: Printed by Westcott & Co., 1807. In three volumes. First edition. 8vo. 147, (1), (3)-135, (3); 465; 418, l, (4) pp.; pp. 35-42 repeated in first volume. Full contemporary brown sheep, decorated in blind, rebacked to style, red morocco spine labels, stamped in gilt, boards and extremities lightly worn and rubbed; all edges trimmed; contemporary ownership signature on title-page of first and second volumes; ownership ink stamp on front paste-down of second and third volumes; spotting and scattered staining to text. Howes B-1013; Sabin 9433; Eberstadt 134-68; Graff 506; Tompkins, Burr 18

First edition of all three volumes of the account of the trial of Aaron Burr for treason, "the most exciting trial held in this country during the first half of the nineteenth century." (Graff) Considered "the rarest and best account of the trial" (Eberstadt), it is Burr's own report on the proceedings, and is almost always found without the third volume.

Burr was rejected by his own party, the Democratic-Republicans, for opposing Thomas Jefferson in the 1800 presidential election runoff in the House of Representatives, and was then shunned by the Federalists for killing Alexander Hamilton in a duel. Seeking better fortunes, Burr went West, which included a rogue military adventure to seize lands belonging to Spain in Louisiana and Mexico, with incentive given to the Western states to join his plot. However, Burr's longtime friend, General James Wilkinson, decided to abandon this dubious plan and instead informed the the federal government. President Jefferson did not look kindly on his former Vice President's conspiracy to entice the Western states to leave the Union and join with him as he colonized new lands with the support of England. Jefferson alerted Congress and ordered Burr's arrest. Firm in his belief that Burr was a traitor, Jefferson had him charged as such, but luckily for Burr, Chief Justice John Marshall was Jefferson's longtime political foe and would preside over Burr's trial, where he was eventually acquitted. A pariah, after the trial Burr fled to Europe, where he laid low for a number of years, and later returned to America where he lived out his remaining days in relative obscurity while he practiced law.