The U.S. Bill or Rights is one of the pillars of the United States' brand of democracy. Many in America today would argue that they do not go far enough, or that they are being eroded by the powers that be, but you cannot deny that they have made a significant difference in the lives of millions over the past 200 years.

The original bill of rights contained the first 10 ammendments to the U.S. Constitution, and were introduced to the first Congress by James Madison in 1789. They protect speech, religion, guns, private property, unlawful imprisonment, and due process. They basically say that the government can not take away your Awesome. If you have an awesome car, you can keep it; an awesome voice, you can use it; an awesome gun, you can shoot it.

There are many others like it world wide, some are rough copies of it, others much simpler. But in that this site resides in the United States, and that much of the ideas on the site were created by the people from the United States, I think its safe to assume we'd have a lot less awesome in this world without the Bill of Rights.

A celebrated hero of the Revolutionary War, Aaron Burr was a US senator from New York who came within a hair's breadth of becoming the 3rd US president when in the 1800 election he received the same amount of electoral vote as Thomas Jefferson. Congress broke the tie in favor of Jefferson, and Burr had to settle for the vice presidency.

In July of 1804, Burr became most famous for shooting Alexander Hamilton dead in a duel at Weehawken, NJ. Because dueling was illegal in New Jersey and New York, Burr was charged with murder in both states. Despite this, he returned to Washington, DC, where he was immune from prosecution, and finished out his term as vice president.

Burr then turned his attention to the West where he tried to raise interest in a military expedition to liberate Mexican territories from Spain. Though his true motives are uncertain, Burr was arrested in 1807 on charges of treason and was accused of attempting to break away the territories of the United States west of the Mississippi, combine them with Texas, Louisiana, and parts of Mexico and make himself emperor of a new sovereign nation.

Though aquitted of all charges, Burr's political future was ruined and he fled to Europe for several years where he kept a journal of his many sexual conquests, and again attempted (unsuccessfully ) to raise funds for an expedition to liberate Texas and Mexico from Spain. Burr returned to New York City in 1812 after the murder charges against him were dropped. He reestablished his successful law practice, married a woman ten years his elder, and finally died in 1836 at the age of 80.

In 1861, a book titled The Amorous Intrigues and Adventures of Aaron Burr offered readers a saucy and salacious retelling of Burr's life with a special focus on the naughty parts. He is also rumored to have been Martin Van Buren's biological father.

- Text by Thad B. Awesome