On July 11. 1804, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr squared off to duel. Long term rivals and competitors, they agreed to put an end to their animosities in a very genteel shoot-out.

According to History.com, such affairs of honor were usually worked out peacefully “before any actual firing of weapons.”

Hamilton’s “second,”—assistant—for the duel, said Hamilton concluded the duel was morally wrong, and deliberately shot into the air. But Burr’s attendant asserted Hamilton fired at Burr—and missed.

“What happened next is agreed upon: Burr shot Hamilton in the stomach and the bullet lodged next to his spine. Hamilton was returned to New York, and he died the following afternoon.”

Eventually, Burr would lobby vigorously for America’s independence, and become Thomas Jefferson’s first vice president:

As History.com describes it, “Jefferson grew apart from him, and he did not support Burr’s renomination to a second term in 1804. That year, a faction of New York Federalists, who had found their fortunes drastically diminished after the ascendance of Jefferson, sought to enlist the disgruntled Burr into their party and elect him governor. Hamilton campaigned against Burr with great fervor, and Burr lost the Federalist nomination and then, running as an independent for governor, the election. In the campaign, Burr’s character was savagely attacked by Hamilton and others, and after the election he resolved to restore his reputation by challenging Hamilton to a duel.”

The Grateful American Book Prize recommends John Sedgwick’s War of Two: Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, and the Duel that Stunned the Nation, by John Sedgwick.

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Flavored Lemonade

Since everybody’s tastes differ, leave out a pitcher of lemonade and a mason jar of blueberries, raspberries, strawberries or mango puree, letting people mix in the fruit to suit their tastes. (About 1-2 tbsp per glass adds a sweet, tropical taste.)

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STRAWBERRY SALSA & BAKED CINNAMON CHIPS

INGREDIENTS

Strawberry Salsa

• 1 lb fresh strawberries, chopped
• 2 whole kiwi, peeled and chopped
• ½ a lime, juiced

Baked Cinnamon Chips

• 4 Homemade Whole Wheat Tortillas
• 1 teaspoon unrefined coconut oil, melted
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon and 1 teaspoon raw coconut sugar in shaker bottle

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Wash and chop the fruit for the salsa, mix it together in a bowl, and add the lime juice. If it needs a little sweetness you can add a teaspoon of honey or pure maple syrup, but the fruit will usually be sweet enough on it’s own.
3. Brush both sides of the tortillas with melted coconut oil. Then stack them all together and cut into 8 triangles.
4. Arrange the triangles in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with foil. If they overlap, they won’t crisp as well.
5. Sprinkle each triangle lightly with the cinnamon mixture. Flip them over and sprinkle the other side too.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 8-12 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through, and make sure you check the chips often so that they don’t burn. They are finished when the edges get dry and crispy. The center will still be slightly flexible, but they will crisp even more as they cool.
7. Allow to cool slightly and test the texture. If they aren’t quite crisp enough, return to the oven for 2-3 minutes.
8. Once they are mostly cool, remove from the pan and enjoy with your fresh salsa! Keep leftovers of salsa in the fridge and eat quickly, after about 24 hours the fruit will breakdown and get soupy. Keep leftover chips in a sealed ziplock bag.