Aaron Burr Jr. was born in 1756 in Newark, New Jersey, as the second child of the Reverend Aaron Burr Sr.,
a Presbyterian minister and second president of the College of New Jersey, which became Princeton University.
His mother Esther Edwards Burr was the daughter of noted theologian Jonathan Edwards and his wife Sarah.
Burr had an older sister Sarah ("Sally"), who was named for her maternal grandmother.
She married Tapping Reeve, founder of the Litchfield Law School in Litchfield, Connecticut.

Burr's father died in 1757 while president of Princeton College.
Burr's grandfather, Jonathan Edwards, succeeded Burr's father as president and came to live with Burr and his mother in December 1757.
Edwards died in March 1758 and Burr's mother, and grandmother also died within the year, leaving Burr and his sister orphans when he was two years old.
Young Aaron and Sally were then placed with the William Shippen family in Philadelphia.
In 1759, the children's guardianship was assumed by their 21-year-old maternal uncle Timothy Edwards.
The next year, Edwards married Rhoda Ogden and moved the family to Elizabeth, New Jersey.
Burr had a very strained relationship with his uncle, who was often physically abusive.
As a child, he made several attempts to run away from home.

At age 13, Burr was admitted to Princeton as a sophomore, where he joined the American Whig Society and the Cliosophic Society, the college's literary and debating societies.
In 1772, he received his Bachelor of Arts degree at age 16, but continued studying theology at Princeton for an additional year.
He then undertook rigorous theological training with Joseph Bellamy, a Presbyterian, but changed his career path after two years.
At age 19, he moved to Connecticut to study law with his brother-in-law Tapping Reeve.
In 1775, news reached Litchfield of the clashes with British troops at Lexington and Concord, and Burr put his studies on hold to enlist in the Continental Army.
Aaron Burr Jr. was born in 1756 in Newark, New Jersey, as the second child of the Reverend Aaron Burr Sr., a Presbyterian minister and second president of the College of New Jersey, which became Princeton University. His mother Esther Edwards Burr was the daughter of noted theologian Jonathan Edwards and his wife Sarah. Burr had an older sister Sarah ("Sally"), who was named for her maternal grandmother. She married Tapping Reeve, founder of the Litchfield Law School in Litchfield, Connecticut.
Burr's father died in 1757 while president of Princeton College. Burr's grandfather, Jonathan Edwards, succeeded Burr's father as president and came to live with Burr and his mother in December 1757. Edwards died in March 1758 and Burr's mother, and grandmother also died within the year, leaving Burr and his sister orphans when he was two years old. Young Aaron and Sally were then placed with the William Shippen family in Philadelphia. In 1759, the children's guardianship was assumed by their 21-year-old maternal uncle Timothy Edwards. The next year, Edwards married Rhoda Ogden and moved the family to Elizabeth, New Jersey. Burr had a very strained relationship with his uncle, who was often physically abusive. As a child, he made several attempts to run away from home.
At age 13, Burr was admitted to Princeton as a sophomore, where he joined the American Whig Society and the Cliosophic Society, the college's literary and debating societies. In 1772, he received his Bachelor of Arts degree at age 16, but continued studying theology at Princeton for an additional year. He then undertook rigorous theological training with Joseph Bellamy, a Presbyterian, but changed his career path after two years. At age 19, he moved to Connecticut to study law with his brother-in-law Tapping Reeve. In 1775, news reached Litchfield of the clashes with British troops at Lexington and Concord, and Burr put his studies on hold to enlist in the Continental Army.
Aaron Burr