<p><span class="deck"> Andrew Jackson challenged Thomas Hart Benton in a bloody frontier brawl, but they later formed a political team which left its mark on America.</span> </p>
<p><span class="deck"> “It is astonishing that the murderous practice of duelling should continue so long in vogue,” said Benjamin Franklin. Yet continue it did, often with peculiarly American variations</span> </p>
<p><span class="deck">In the most famous duel in American history, Aaron Burr is usually seen as the villain, Alexander Hamilton as the noble victim. But was it really that simple?</span></p>
<p><span class="deck">Sociologists continue to be vexed by the pathology of urban violence: Why is it so random, so fierce, so easily triggered? One answer may be found in this nation's Southern past.</span></p>
<p>Strict codes of conduct marked the relationships of early American politicians, often leading to duels, brawls, and other—sometimes fatal—violence.</p>
