Theodosia Bartow Burr Alston

As a young girl Theodosia Burr had the unusual opportunity of a rigorous education. Her father—lawyer and eventual vice president Aaron Burr—insisted that she study Latin, Greek, English composition, and mathematics, as well as more traditional female accomplishments. At age ten, after the death of her mother, Theodosia became her father’s hostess. As mistress of Burr’s estate outside of New York City, she entertained such notables as Mohawk chief Joseph Brant and the future French king Louis-Philippe, as well as many American statesmen. She soon gained a reputation for her intelligence, education, and charm. After her 1801 marriage to wealthy South Carolina planter Joseph Alston, Theodosia’s life took a tragic turn. Suffering through illness and the death of her son, she herself was lost at sea traveling north to see her controversial father, to whom she remained steadfastly loyal.