All language subtitles for The UnXplained-S04E19-The Secrets of the Founding Fathers

WILLIAM SHATNER:
A secret society

that plotted
America's independence.

A heavenly vision

received by George Washington.

And secret documents
that may have been hidden...

in the White House.

In the United States,

the foundation for freedom
and democracy was laid

by a group of men
who are referred to

as "the Founding Fathers."

But more than two centuries

after their bold vision
came to life,

new information has emerged

about the complexities,
the agendas, and the secrets

of these important
historical figures.

What truths have remained
in the shadows

about the men
who formed America?

Well, that is what
we'll try and find out.

♪ ♪

More than a hundred
English colonists storm out

of the Old South Meeting House

and march
toward the nearby harbor.

The protestors,
known as "the Sons of Liberty,"

are not happy
with the British crown.

RICHARD SPENCE:
The Sons of Liberty
were a kind of

proto-revolutionary group,
and one of the things

that they're angry about
is the price of tea.

The colonists had been getting
their tea from smugglers,

but then the British crown
basically turned around, and...

and it handed a monopoly

on tea trade
to the East India Company.

And the tea provided
to the colonies

by the East India Company
was cheaper, and so,

when the East India Company
came in, all these little

mom-and-pop smuggling operations
were put out of business.

Well, that made people angry.

Their economic interests
were threatened.

SHATNER:
As the story goes,
the Sons of Liberty stormed

the British East India
Company's ships,

and dumped more than 90,000
pounds of tea into the harbor,

destroying property
that today would be worth

over $1.5 million.

This revolutionary act
of defiance became known

as "the Boston Tea Party."

SPENCE:
Some people argue
the American Revolution began

in 1773
with the Boston Tea Party.

By the time of the Revolution,

the British colonies
had a population

approaching
three million people.

And theoretically, the colonies
existed to enrich the empire.

On the other hand,
the people living

in those colonies believed
that they had settled there,

and that its economy existed
to enrich them.

And this is what
the conflict arose over.

And that, then,
would eventually roll over

into the revolution itself.

The American Revolution
was a very new thing,

a very dramatic thing.

This was the first
colonial revolt

in the modern world.

The inhabitants of British
North America were supposed

to populate this new world

and run it for the benefit
of the home country.

And at the end of the 18th
century, they said, "No."

Human nature gave
people rights,

and that governments had
to respect them,

and if they didn't, it was
legitimate to change them

or even overthrow them.

SHATNER:
The leaders
of the American Revolution

included icons
such as George Washington,

Thomas Jefferson,
Benjamin Franklin

and Alexander Hamilton,
among many others.

These visionaries, collectively
known as the Founding Fathers,

advanced the American ideals
of democratic government,

despite the fact that,
at the time,

opposing the king of England
was both bold

and dangerous.

CHRIS HODAPP:
The Founding Fathers lived

in a period
of divine right of kings,

where a king's decision

was equal to getting
the word of God handed down.

And so, really, it became a time
of questioning existing

divine-right-of-king
style government,

expressing the belief
that you didn't have

to have royalty
running a country.

SPENCE:
The Founding Fathers--

they were all men of education,

some degree of wealth
and influence

who were, in many cases,
secret in their activities,

because if you're going to plot
a rebellion against the king,

secrecy is necessary,
because if not,

you'll all be hanging
within about a week's time.

And this is where you bring
in our friends, the Freemasons,

because what aids secrecy

better than a secret society?

SHATNER:
The Fraternal Order
of Freemasons

is a secretive brotherhood
that traces its origins back

to the 13th century,

when European stonemasons
formed the organization

as a way of bringing together
like-minded

and free-thinking individuals.

Centuries later, when English
colonists came to the New World,

many of them established
local Freemason groups

and congregated
in meeting places

that were known as "lodges."

AKDRAM ELIAS:
The purpose of Masonic lodges

in the American colonies was
really very important.

It was the place where pillars

of their local community
would come together.

There are some
very prominent Freemasons

among the Founding Fathers
of the United States.

You have people
like George Washington,

Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock,

and Paul Revere
was one of them, as well.

SPENCE:
As a whole, Freemasonry tended

to be kind of broadly connected
with free thinking,

fellowship and a clear rejection

of monarchy
and titles of nobility.

Another thing which
Freemasonry would contribute

to this whole idea
of revolutionary conspiracy

was the inherent secrecy
of the organization.

The secrets of Freemasonry
are only for initiated members.

You're never supposed
to talk about that.

And when you have
revolution involved,

they're necessarily
not just secret,

but actually conspiratorial
about what they were doing.

SHATNER:
Some historians have suggested

that Freemasonry was more
than just a secret society

that was used to conceal
revolutionary activities.

It may also have been
the inspiration

for a hidden agenda

that involved the spiritual
beliefs of the Founding Fathers.

ARTURO DE HOYOS:
We have to remember,

at the time
that Freemasonry developed,

that these men were Christians.

So, Freemasons must believe
in a supreme being,

you have to have a hope
in the immortality of the soul.

This is something
that's spoken of in the Bible.

And this is something
that dominated the world

for thousands of years,

and was extremely important
to our Founding Fathers.

The American Revolution

was dedicated, in their mind,
you know, to the one true God.

SHATNER:
Did some of
the Founding Fathers believe

that the American Revolution
was a kind of spiritual crusade,

undertaken in the name of God?

There are those who believe
that the answer is "yes,"

and as evidence,
they point to the wording

of the Declaration
of Independence.

Signed on July 4, 1776,

the document proclaimed

that the colonists were free
from Britain,

and stated that human beings
have inalienable rights

given to them, not by a king,

but rather by God,
their creator.

DE HOYOS:
The signers of the
Declaration of Independence

were all aware that they were
committing treason.

They put their names
in bold letters,

and they said so on the
Declaration of Independence.

That's very much
an American idea.

That sense of fighting
for a just cause.

And the people who were members
of the Freemasons

in the Revolutionary War
believed

that this was divine work.

Were the Founding Fathers
inspired not only by politics

when plotting America's
independence,

but also by secret
spiritual traditions

that dated back centuries?

It may sound farfetched,
but what if I told you

that George Washington himself

might have received
a divine vision

that turned the tide
of the Revolutionary War?

SHATNER:
Inside a Masonic lodge,

a 20-year-old man
sits blindfolded,

surrounded by Freemasons
dressed in dark robes.

He takes a blood oath
to join their secret brotherhood

and will remain a member
until his death.

This young initiate
is none other

than the future first president
of the United States...

George Washington.

George Washington,
when he joined the lodge

at Fredericksburg,

he had come into
a large amount of property.

His father died,
and then his older brother died.

And so he joins the Masons
because he wants

to be in the company
of other important men.

And freemasonry was
an important aspect

of his life
in those early years.

He brought Masonic philosophy
into the way

he commanded troops, as well.

COE:
During the revolution,

George Washington
is often described

as some sort of
founding superhero.

We see Washington
in so many of the portraits

of the Founding Fathers,

sort of towering above people,

and part of the reason is
he was taller than most people,

and he had presence.

SHATNER:
As commander in chief
of the Continental Army,

George Washington became
the most visible leader

of the American Revolution.

Today, he is often referred to

as the father
of the United States.

But while Washington's influence

on American history
is well known,

there is much about him

that remains shrouded
in mystery.

Washington was
famously secretive

about his personal life.

However, we know that he was
raised by a single mother

who read the Bible,
and very few other books.

He could quote from the Bible.

For example,
Washington will say,

"It's Providence
that this should happen,"

or that God intended him
to do something.

BROOKHISER:
Washington's God,

and we know this
from his correspondence,

intervenes in history,
watches over history.

He's this all-powerful force
looking over humanity

and human history,
and capable of helping you out

if you behaved well,

and if you asked for his help.

SHATNER:
Is it possible that,

as both a Freemason
and devout Christian,

George Washington
secretly believed

that God would intervene
on behalf of the colonists

in the American Revolution?

Perhaps the answer can be found

by examining how Washington
was able to lead his army

through its lowest point.

After numerous bloody battles
against British forces,

General George Washington
decides

to encamp the Continental Army
for the winter.

For the next several months,

Washington and his troops will
have to endure the bitter cold.

BROOKHISER:
The problem at Valley Forge was

the Army was just not
being supplied with anything.

They didn't have enough food,

they didn't have
enough clothing.

The accommodations
that they built at the camp

were put up at the last minute.

SPENCE:
When you get people

crowded together in unsanitary
conditions with low nutrition,

you will have
a significant mortality rate.

So, in the Valley Forge
situation,

the Continental Army is
at a fairly low point,

and during that six months,
20% of its ranks will die.

SHATNER:
The conditions at Valley Forge
were so severe

that Washington wrote...

But then,

in the Continental Army's
darkest hour,

Washington reportedly
sought help from a higher power.

COE:
As the story goes,
Washington got on his knees.

You know, he kneeled
at Valley Forge,

and he asked God for help.

GEIGER:
The man who first
reports Washington praying

at Valley Forge was
a man who lived there.

He was a Quaker
named Isaac Potts.

And he's the one who says, "Oh,

"I saw him, I was behind a tree.

I saw the Commander-in-Chief,
and he's kneeling in prayer."

Washington certainly would have
prayed at Valley Forge

because it was terrible.

It was desperate.
I think he took the situation

very seriously and hoped

that Providence
might improve it.

SHATNER:
There were also reports
that Washington

not only prayed
at Valley Forge,

but also had
a divine encounter.

A soldier named Anthony Sherman
claimed to witness Washington

saying that he received
confirmation

that his prayers
had indeed been heard.

GEIGER:
The report was that,
at Valley Forge,

that Washington said to
an officer that he had seen

a vision of an angel
talking to him.

The vision given to him
by this angel was

the angel essentially
waved his hand,

and on one side of America
was an ocean and Europe,

and on the other side
was an ocean and Asia.

And so that the angel had
revealed to George Washington

this vision that America
would go from coast to coast.

SHATNER:
What occurred after
Washington's alleged vision

was very curious.

Against all odds,

and despite losing 2,000 men

to cold, starvation
and disease,

the Continental Army survived
the winter at Valley Forge.

And then, only ten days
after leaving the encampment,

Washington and his troops
won a decisive victory

over the British at
the Battle of Monmouth.

Many Americans came to believe
that Washington's prayer

had miraculously changed
the colonists' fortunes.

GEIGER:
This idea of Washington
praying in the woods,

for a young nation
that was still a fragile nation,

it gave us this idea that
God heard Washington praying.

And so there's a reason
to believe that maybe

our nation would survive.

The idea that George Washington
received a prophetic vision

that changed the course
of American history

is an extraordinary
possibility to consider.

But there are other secrets
of the Founding Fathers

that, while not
quite as otherworldly,

are no less intriguing.

For instance,
historians are still debating

the true identity of
one of the Revolution's

most important spies,
who went by the code name

Agent 355.

SHATNER:
The British Army scores
a decisive victory

over General George Washington
and the Continental Army.

The British take control
of the city

and make it
their military headquarters.

In the Summer of 1776,
the Revolutionary War is

not off to a good start
for the Americans.

New York is one of
the largest cities

in the American colonies
at the time.

As a result, Washington needs
to retake New York.

And so this demonstrates
a really-- a critical need

for intelligence to know
what the enemy is doing,

what the forces
are comprised of,

what their intentions are.

He needs information.

SHATNER:
To obtain the intelligence
that he desperately needs

to retake New York City,
Washington created

an intelligence network
made up not of soldiers,

but rather ordinary citizens

living in and around New York.

The group became known
as the Culper Spy Ring.

We're not sure
how the Culper Spy Ring

got its name.

But the one thing
we do know

is that Washington's main spy
was a farmer

named Abraham Woodhull.

And they gave him
the code name Samuel Culper.

OLLY:
Abraham Woodhull enlisted
a small group

of perhaps a half a dozen men

who conveyed
military intelligence

from Manhattan
to Washington's headquarters.

And then,
because Abraham Woodhull

could not constantly
be going into New York

to gather information,
he enlisted the services

of Robert Townsend,
who was a merchant in Manhattan.

As a merchant, he could be,
really, anyplace.

He could be
down by the waterfront.

He could be in coffee shops.

He could be chatting
in a tavern with people.

So he was gathering information.

So Robert Townsend took
the name of Samuel Culper, Jr.

SHATNER:
To ensure that their messages

were not read by the British,
the Culper Spy Ring devised

ingenious methods of
sending coded messages.

The Culper Spy Ring
communicated with each other

by mostly letters.

They used numbers
to represent words,

about 700 different words.

And these numbers were written
in the messages,

and then the spy code was

given to the people
who needed to translate the code

at Washington's headquarters
or wherever.

SHATNER:
Historians have been able
to decode and decipher

many Culper Spy Ring messages
that still exist today.

But there is one message

that continues
to baffle experts.

It's a letter
that refers to a mysterious spy

who was known only as 355.

There is a spy letter,
dated August 15, 1779,

written by Abraham Woodhull,

in which he says that he's
going to go into the city,

into Manhattan,
to gather information,

with the help of a "355."

So this number, 355,

is a very tantalizing
and mysterious detail

that leads to speculation
because 355

is the numerical substitution
in the spy code for "lady."

It's so fascinating
to think about a lady spy

during the Revolutionary War
that this has

fired the imagination
of hundreds of people

that have written books
about who this spy could be.

SHATNER:
Over the years, there has been
intense speculation

as to the identity of
Agent 355 and what role

she played
in the Culper Spy Ring.

Some experts believe
there is evidence to suggest

that the woman may have been
an African-American slave

who was known as Liss.

BELLERJEAU:
Liss was born into slavery in
Robert Townsend's household,

Townsend was the lead spy

of the Culper Spy Ring,
Culper Jr.

Now, the British had promised
escaped American slaves

if they would come over
to the British side,

at the end of the war,
they could become free.

And one of
the British commanders

that was
a leading abolitionist

was a man named
Colonel John Graves Simcoe.

And in May of 1779, Simcoe was
staying in the Townsend home.

Liss got to know this commander,

and when Simcoe left the house,
she escaped with him.

SHATNER:
In recent years,
some historians have theorized

that Liss's escape
with Colonel Simcoe

was actually a ploy,

and that the real reason Liss
left Robert Townsend's house

was so that she could spy
on the British army.

BELLERJEAU:
Now, if Liss was inside
British headquarters,

serving as an enslaved person,

she could pass through rooms
and observe things,

overhear things, and
she wouldn't even be noticed.

SHATNER:
Was Liss actually
a double agent who was

secretly working
with the Culper Spy Ring?

It's an intriguing theory.

And some experts propose
that not only was Liss 355,

but also it's possible
she played an important role

in exposing America's
most notorious turncoat:

Benedict Arnold.

There was a secret meeting
of the British officers

held at a house in East Hampton.

Colonel Simcoe went out with
his troops to this meeting,

and the British talked about
how they had just secured

the deal with Benedict Arnold

to give up the fort
at West Point for money.

Now, an account was
written of this meeting

that said that an enslaved
woman in the house

was passing through a room

and overheard the men talking
about how an American general

was gonna give up
an American fort to the British.

This woman is described
as a waitress

or perhaps mistress
to Colonel Simcoe.

That's the woman
who I think could be Liss.

SHATNER:
Curiously,
less than one month after

this secret meeting took place,

Benedict Arnold was revealed to
be a traitor to the Revolution.

There are those who believe
that the timing of these events

is no coincidence,

and that Liss provided
crucial information

that made it possible
to expose Arnold.

But ultimately,
the real identity

of 355 remains unknown.

OLLY:
We know the other members
of the Culper Spy Ring.

But who was this woman
who was coded as 355?

Today, we're used to women

playing important roles
as spies.

But in the Revolutionary War,
that would have been very rare,

and so this has fascinated
people since 1779.

Will we ever find out who
the mysterious Agent 355 was?

Perhaps time will tell,
but, fortunately,

not all of the Founding Fathers'
secrets have been buried.

In fact, some may be
hidden in plain sight

on the streets
of Washington, D.C.

SHATNER:
Here, on the bank
of the Potomac River,

is a lighthouse that dates
back to the 18th century.

And hidden within
the sea wall of the house

is a rather curious monument.

It's a three-foot-tall
stone block

that was placed in this location
to mark the southern boundary

of the District of Columbia.

The boundary stones
surrounding the District,

those are still out there.

You can find
those boundary stones

all over the area.

In the middle of streets,

in people's backyards,
in parking lots.

They demarcate what is
federal territory for the city,

and what is Virginia
and Maryland.

Thomas Jefferson, actually,
was the one who said,

"Let's make the lines
surrounding the city the shape

of a diamond
sitting on its point."

So, that was his contribution.

That's why we have
the shape we do today.

SHATNER:
All told, there are
40 boundary stones

surrounding Washington, D.C.

In 1791, each stone was
carefully placed

by a group of local Freemasons
in an elaborate ritual, under

the orders of then-President
George Washington.

They form an area that is
precisely ten miles long

by ten miles wide,
defining the original borders

of the District of Columbia.

And there are those who believe

that the careful geometry
of America's capital

held deep significance
for the Founding Fathers.

SELMAN:
There are some people
who would equate

the relationship between
those boundary stones

that surround the city--
that diamond shape--

with the Masons having designed
the square and compass,

their symbol,
into the pattern of the city.

The geometry and the meaning
behind numbers and symbols

are part of what's known as
"sacred geometry,"

and was standard practice
for artists

and architects at the time.

So, it's a methodology
and a technique.

SHATNER:
Is the diamond shape
of the District of Columbia

actually a Freemason symbol
hiding in plain sight?

And if so,
what purpose does such

an unusual configuration serve?

Perhaps the answer can
be found by examining how

the Founding Fathers oversaw
the construction

of the nation's capital city

that lies within the District.

In March 1791,
President Washington

appointed French architect

Pierre Charles L'Enfant
to design the city.

HODAPP:
Washington became
deeply involved

in approving L'Enfant's designs.

He got the guy hired,
and was very, very interested

in the design of the city.

European capital cities
were chaotic,

their streets changed names
every ten feet,

and they followed strange paths
and creeks.

Well, Washington said
this new city won't be that.

It will be a utopian city,
a planned city.

And so it's not surprising
that when L'Enfant was designing

this very geometric,
very balanced federal city,

that there are many, many
layers of Masonic symbolism.

There are very few cities
in the world that are

intentionally designed as fully
as Washington.

The interesting thing
is that, quite often,

the assumption is that there's
a gridded street system,

and then these avenues
were laid on top

to connect topography
or significant points.

That's just the opposite
of what L'Enfant actually did.

He laid out
the angled avenues first,

and then the grid
grew out of that.

Washington and the founders

and Pierre L'Enfant wanted to

physically embody the geometry

in the pattern of
the city itself.

When you look at the city
top down, you will see plenty

of geometric shapes as
a result of these interactions,

so triangles, rectangles,

circles, you name it.

What's the idea behind it?

Geometry is a synonym
of masonry.

The universal symbol of
Freemasonry has the compasses,

the square, and then
you have the letter "G."

And the letter "G"
is the initial of geometry,

because we in Freemasonry
refer to the deity

as the Grand Architect
of the universe,

or the Grand Geometrician.

In other words, through symbols,
deep thoughts are conveyed.

SHATNER:
Did the Founding Fathers
encode Freemason symbols into

the streets and buildings
of Washington, D.C.?

And if so, what is
the meaning of these messages

that they left behind
for future generations?

There are those who believe
that a clue can be found

by closely examining
the U.S. Capitol building.

The city of Washington is
divided into four quadrants.

At the intersection
of the four quadrants--

it's called Point Zero--
is the United States Capitol.

The U.S. Capitol
is elevated on a hill,

and the idea here
is that this is

where the people and the states
come together,

not one person, like a king.

And it was to remind
all future members of Congress,

your mission is not about power.

Your mission is to serve
the people by promoting

their happiness, their peace
and their prosperity.

Was Washington, D.C.
designed to be a symbol

of the Founding Fathers'
beliefs?

Perhaps, but there are rumors
that they left behind

an even more important message
for future generations.

One that was concealed
in the original cornerstone

of the White House.

(man declaims)

SHATNER:
A group of Freemasons
perform a sacred ceremony

in which they lay
the first stone

used in the construction
of the White House.

The large stone is intended
to be the foundation

of the southeast corner
of the building,

and is referred to as
the "cornerstone."

When the White House
cornerstone was dedicated,

there was corn, wine,
and oil poured on top of it.

It's the corn of nourishment,

the wine of refreshment

and the oil of joy.

And that really expresses
the hopes of the Masons involved

for the success of
not only that building,

but what it represents--
the system of government,

and, by extension, the nation.

SHATNER:
It's believed that,
as part of the ceremony,

the Freemasons placed objects
of great importance

in a time capsule
that was put inside

a compartment located
within the cornerstone.

For centuries,
historians have wondered

what the Founding Fathers
may have hidden

in the White House cornerstone.

GEIGER:
We know that the Freemasons
put time capsules

in other buildings
and monuments.

And since this was
the cornerstone

of the president's house,
they might have put

something very important
in there.

One of the things
that has been speculated

is that they would have had some
alternate versions of founding

documents of America, like
a version of the Constitution

that also included in it
the Masons' vision of

how the nation
was supposed to proceed.

SHATNER:
An alternate version
of the Constitution

placed in the cornerstone
of the White House?

But what reason
is there to think

that this document existed?

Something that often gets lost
in the shuffle in the whole

history of the Revolution
is that the Constitution

and the Republic it created
wasn't the first iteration.

So, what actually came
out of the Revolution were

the Articles of Confederation,

which from 1781 to 1789

are actually what governed
the new country.

But the Articles of
Confederation didn't work,

and so they came up with
the Constitution.

But it's Plan B.

The other thing you often
have to take into account is

there were contentious factions
among the Founding Fathers.

They did not all get along.

There were bitter arguments
between them.

And so was there
an alternative Constitution?

That's certainly quite possible.

GEIGER:
Legally, a different version

of the Constitution
wouldn't mean anything.

The Constitution we have
is the one that was

ratified by the states.

Historically, it could
be utterly fascinating.

It could be earth-shattering
in terms of our understanding

about what intent was
for the nation.

The thing is we don't know.

So, you can see why people want
to find a cornerstone;

it's because they want
to know what's in there,

and what that would mean.

SHATNER:
But if there might be
an alternate version of

the Constitution hidden
in the White House cornerstone,

then it naturally begs
the question:

why hasn't anyone checked
to see if it's really there?

Well, as it turns out, people
have tried to do just that.

But curiously, the cornerstone

of the White House has
never been found.

GEIGER:
The cornerstone was supposed
to be in the southeast corner

of the White House, and
the ceremony was reported on,

and then that cornerstone
has never been seen since.

It seems to have just kind
of disappeared from history.

So, it leaves you
the question: where is it?

SHATNER:
For more than 200 years,
historians have speculated

as to where the cornerstone
of the White House is located.

In fact, when the White House
was completely gutted

for renovation work
during the 1940s,

President Harry Truman
took the opportunity

to order a thorough search
for the elusive cornerstone.

DE HOYOS:
When Truman had
the White House rebuilt,

or refurbished in the 1950s,
they found a lot of stones with

Masonic emblems on them,
and being an active Freemason--

in fact, he was the grand master
of Masons in Missouri--

he had one of these stones sent
to each of the grand lodges.

We have one at the House of
the Temple in Washington, D.C.

It's a stone that has
a Masonic mark on it,

but for the cornerstone,
who knows?

GEIGER:
Truman very much searched
for that cornerstone,

and they've never found it.

If the cornerstone
is still there,

it has never been discovered.

But maybe it's hidden somewhere
and could still be found.

If we ever find
the lost cornerstone

of the White House,
could it reveal

even more secrets
about the Founding Fathers?

It's an exciting possibility,
especially given the evidence

that it may have been
deliberately concealed.

Just like the supposed secrets
surrounding

the untimely death of
one the most celebrated

leaders of
the American Revolution...

Alexander Hamilton.

The musical Hamilton
premieres on Broadway at

the Richard Rogers theatre

and receives rave reviews.

The smash hit explores
the life of Alexander Hamilton,

who was one of America's
most important Founding Fathers.

Alexander Hamilton was
that fiery Founding Father

who came here as an immigrant
of very humble origins

and wound up one of the most
powerful people in the country.

Arguably, no single person
had a greater impact on how

the American republic functions
than Alexander Hamilton.

SHATNER:
After fighting in
the Revolutionary War,

Alexander Hamilton
became the United States'

first Secretary of Treasury,

and designed the nation's
financial system.

But Hamilton is also famous

for the unusual circumstances
of his death,

which came at the hands
of his bitter rival,

Vice President Aaron Burr.

There's an account in
an upstate New York newspaper

of a dinner party

at which Hamilton called
Aaron Burr despicable.

It comes to
Aaron Burr's attention,

he writes a letter to Hamilton

demanding an explanation.

There is an exchange of letters.

Hamilton does not satisfy Burr.

And so a duel takes place to
resolve this question of honor.

SHATNER:
On July 11, 1804,

Hamilton and Burr met

in the early morning hours
in a secluded field

in Weehawken, New Jersey.

As was the custom at the time,
Hamilton provided

both pistols for the duel.

GEIGER:
Usually, one person brings
both pistols.

They're supposed
to be identical.

Now, most duels
did not end in deaths.

Most of the time,
they would both shoot,

they would both miss,
and they would decide

that their honor
had been satisfied

and they would walk home.

When there was a call to fire,

Hamilton fired high.

But Aaron Burr was
aiming to kill.

Alexander Hamilton was shot
a mortal wound.

He died 31 hours later.

SHATNER:
The death of Alexander Hamilton
marked

the tragic passing
of an American hero.

For centuries,
Hamilton was portrayed as

a gracious gentleman
who aimed high

but was ruthlessly gunned down
by the villainous Aaron Burr.

But then, 172 years
after Hamilton's death,

new evidence came to light

that called these assumptions
into question.

The pistols that were used
in the Hamilton-Burr duel

were acquired by Chase Bank,

and they would put the pistols
out on display now and again.

In 1976, they allowed
the Smithsonian Institution

to inspect the pistols, and
they found something shocking.

One of the pistols had
a special mechanism that was

built-in to cheat in duels.

If you pushed the trigger
all the way forward,

it would create
a hair-trigger pistol

that might allow you
to shoot a hair, moment, ahead

of your opponent.

Now, what we know
is that Hamilton fired high.

Well, if you're shooting
with a hair trigger,

as you go to aim, that could
cause you to fire high.

So, the fact that he shot high

might suggest that he intended
to use the hair trigger

on the pistol
to shoot ahead of Burr,

and that caused him
to shoot high

and resulted in his own death.

SHATNER:
Did Alexander Hamilton try

to rig his duel
with Aaron Burr

and, ironically,
brought about his own demise?

It's hard to say for certain,
but the story shows

that our perception of
the Founding Fathers

changes over time,

and will continue
to evolve in the future.

The American experiment
is still in its early days.

If you compare us to England,

or France, or China,

or Egypt, we're still
a pretty brand-new country.

And so our ways of looking

at the Founding Fathers
are never static.

Some of their reputations go up,

others get a little scuffed.

But we should also remember
they put their lives on the line

and created a new nation
that would be organized

on new, improved principles,

and became a beacon
to the world.

It's difficult to look back
at the Founding Fathers

and not feel a sense of awe at
their monumental achievements.

But no matter how much we know,

or think we know,
about these men,

their towering legacy is
so larger-than-life

that it's very hard
to know the truth

about who they really were.

Which is why the secrets
of the Founding Fathers will,

in all likelihood, remain...

unexplained.

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