The Strange Fate of Theodosia Burr

Theodosia Burr Alston was the daughter of Aaron Burr, Vice-President of the United States and the man who killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel. Theodosia led a tragic life, with the loss of her health due to a complicated childbirth, her father a pariah after that fateful duel, the death of her young son, and a probable case of cancer. Her husband, Joseph Alston, was elected governor of South Carolina in 1812, so he could not accompany her on her annual migration to her father's home in New York. Aaron Burr arranged for her to travel on a boat named the Patriot. The schooner launched from Georgetown in February of 1813, and was never seen again.

There were many theories about what happened to the Patriot, most having to do with pirates. Theodosia was said to have been forced to walk the plank to her death. The Patriot may have been attacked by the British. Or it could have been a storm that sunk the ship. Other tales had the young woman surviving the ship's demise. Some men have even confessed to witnessing the end of the Patriot. And there have been some intriguing clues unearthed over the years. Read about the life and mysterious death of Theodosia Burr Alston at Atlas Obscura.