Those familiar with the name Theodosia are no doubt fans of the musicalHamilton , in which Aaron Burr sings to his daughter in “ Dear Theodosia , ” " When you smile , you knock me out , I precipitate asunder / And I thought I was so smart . " In tangible life , Theodosia , born on June 21 , 1783 , got her name from her mother , who died , in all likelihood of malignant neoplastic disease , in 1794 . Aaron gave Theodosia the best possible educational activity , and she went on to have an implausibly interesting life-time ; here are a few thing you might not have know about her .
1. SHE WAS CONSIDERED A PRODIGY.
After readingA Vindication of the Rights of Womenby Mary Wollstonecraft , Aaron Burr decided to invoke his daughterwith the best education . ( Aaron ’s passion for raising Theodosia decent is evenreferenced inHamilton . ) " She was reading Horace and Terence in the original Latin , learning the Hellenic grammar , speaking French , read Gibbon , practicing on the piano , taking lessons in terpsichore , and learning to skate , " James Parton said in hisbiography of Aaron Burr . She also had reportedly understand all ofDecline and Fall of the Roman Empireby the time she was 10 . Her Department of Education was truly progressive for the prison term , and consort to Charles Felton Pidgin in his 1908 biography of Theodosia , “ She was the first woman in America to have what may be called a college education . Her personal charm , her good temper , her moral valiance , and her educational acquisition title her to the designation which we have give her THE FIRST GENTLEWOMAN OF HER TIME . ”
2. SHE MAY HAVE BEEN CLOSE TO EXPLORER MERIWETHER LEWIS.
The relationship between Theodosia and Lewis has beenthe subjectof tabloid level speculation for over a hundred years . Thetraditional storyis that the two met at a dinner hosted by Thomas Jefferson ; discourse the possibility of finding living model of the mastodon , ivory of which were just being institute , on Lewis ’s upcoming sashay ; and decease on to have dinners and razz dates together before Theodosia marry in 1801 and Lewis embarked on his military expedition in 1803 .
It ’s a nice story , but just that — a storey . Quite apart from the fact that mastodonsweren’t name as suchuntil 1806 , Theodosia married in February 1801 , while Lewis was in the Army and still stationed at Detroit . Lewis would n’t arrive in Washington until March , a full month after Theodosia marry . It ’s also unlikely that the two would be blab about an expeditiousness that was still years away . Finally , the two probably never really interact that much . AsRichard Côtépoints out inTheodora Burr Alston : Portrait of a Prodigy , when Theodosia visit Washington in October 1803 , Lewis and Clark werealready in Illinois . So while the two may have make out each other , reports of a romance have been greatly exaggerated .
3. HER HONEYMOON DESTINATION WAS THE START OF A TREND.
On February 2 , 1801 , 17 - year - older Theodosia married a wealthy southerner name Joseph Alston ; shortly after , they blend in on their honeymoon to Niagara Falls . Now a coarse localisation for weddings or honeymoons , at the time , Theodosia and Joseph werethe first celebrity coupleto make the destination their honeymoon retreat . Today , Niagara Falls is nicknamed “ The Honeymoon Capital of the World . ”
4. IF THINGS HAD GONE HER FATHER’S WAY, SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN A QUEEN.
In 1805 , one class after the famous duel with Hamilton , Aaron Burr cover a refutable plan : He was hoping to annex part of North America and hold himself the monarch . This would have made Theodosia next in dividing line to become Queen of Mexico ; finally , her boy , Aaron Burr Alston , born in 1802 , would have inherited the throne . Obviously , Aaron ’s architectural plan did n’t pan off out , and he was latertried for treason .
5. SHE WROTE LETTERS TRYING TO GET HER FATHER OUT OF EXILE.
In 1808 , after being found not guilty , Aaron Burr went to Europe in a ego - imposed exile to escape creditors and a public that was turning against him . But he soon found that without a passport , he was unable to return to the United States . Theodosiawrote lettersto those in might she thought could help , including first lady Dolley Madison and Secretary of Treasury Gallatin . In her letter to Madison , she write ,
While Theodosia ’s efforts did n’t directly bestow her father home , the responses she received testify that the government would n’t provide any obstacle to Aaron Burr ’s eventual return in 1812 . Back in the United States , Burr practiced law in New York City .
6. SHE WAS THE FIRST LADY OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
Her husband Joseph Alston became Governor of South Carolina in December of 1812 , making Theodosia the first lady . regrettably , she only held the position for 21 daysbefore catastrophe struck …
7. IN 1813, SHE DISAPPEARED FOREVER.
Aaron Burr had experience some pretty crude days , but they would all pale in comparison to what happened between 1812 and early 1813 . In June 1812 , just weeks after render from Europe , his only grandson pass of malaria . A few months later , Theodosia board thePatriot , which had previously beenused in the warfare of 1812 , to go see her male parent — but the ship never reached New York . The boat disappeared , taking 29 - year - old Theodosia Burr Alston with it [ PDF ] .
To this sidereal day , the destiny of thePatriotremains a mystery , but the most popular possibility is that the boat was overcome by plagiarist . Despite speculation , the point of Theosodia ’s death and disappearance are probable to remain indecipherable . After she disappear , Aaron Burr was quotedsaying he felt “ severed from the human race . ”
8. SHE CONTINUES TO INSPIRE PEOPLE TODAY.
Hamiltonisn’t the only admonisher of Theodosia ’s legacy . Her name has lived on through many others , including still film star Theda Bara , whosereal namewas Theodosia Burr Goodman . She starred in moving picture likeA Fool There Was(1915 ) andCleopatra(1917 ) . Theodosia was also a subject in Robert Frost ’s verse form , " Kitty Hawk " :
In more late twelvemonth , Theodosiainspired a corsetmade by creative person and costume house decorator Camilla Huey for her 2013 exhibit " The Loves of Aaron Burr : Portraits in Corsetry and Binding . " WithHamiltonbringing her name back into the mainstream , this probably wo n’t be the last we hear of Theodosia Burr Alston .
