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Duels were not as common as we might think, but they did happen. The duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr is probably the most famous in American history, though it did not end well for either man. Abraham Lincoln once nearly dueled with a sword before he decided to apologize and call things off.

According to the rules of a duel:

  • A grave offense must have been committed.

  • Before a duel began, it was highly recommended that the men try to make peace before things turned ugly.

  • If peace could not be made, each person would select a second: someone they trusted to help if things went wrong.

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Both Benjamin Franklin and George Washington spoke out against dueling.


  • Next, each person would choose a weapon. Swords could be used, but pistols were the most popular.

  • Once it was time to duel, each man was expected to arrive on time. 

  • Standing across from each other, the men would fire a single shot. If one of the men was injured, the duel would stop.

  • The challengers would ask each other, “Satisfied?” If either said no, they would go again.

  • The duel would continue until one of the men was satisfied, or until both men agreed to make peace.

Dueling was largely banned in the 19th century, though the ban was not always enforced.