What Is Treason????

The revelation that an American was involved with Afghanistan's Taliban regime has sparked much debate on the issue of treason. While the U.S. federal government has never executed someone convicted of treason, the U.S. has tried about 30 treason cases in the nation's history.

The Constitution defines treason in article III, section 3 as:

Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort.

The framers of the Constitution added that in order for someone to be convicted of treason, two witnesses must testify to that fact or the accused must confess. Congress has the power to decide the punishment for a convicted traitor.

One of the earliest treason trials was of Aaron Burr, an ambitions lawyer and politician who served as a colonel in the Revolutionary War. In 1800 he ran for president, tying Thomas Jefferson, and leading the House of Representatives to settle the matter, which they did by appointing Jefferson president and Burr vice president. Apparently, this didn't satisfy Burr. After his term as vice president, Burr bought land and collected followers to either establish a new republic with Burr as president or to invade Mexico or both. In 1807, Burr was tried for treason and acquitted.

Another famous treason trial was that of abolitionist John Brown. In 1859, he led a raid on the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. He intended to raise an army and end slavery in the American South by force. Despite his noble goal, Brown's methods resulted in several deaths. As a result, he was found guilty of murder, treason, and of inciting slave insurrection and was hanged. However, he was convicted by the state of Virginia, not the federal government.

Not all those tried for treason have committed violent acts. In 1947, Hans Max Haupt was convicted of treason and sentenced to life in prison for aiding his son who was a spy for Germany during World War II. The son, Herbert Hans Haupt, was tried, convicted, and executed by a military tribunal. The elder Haupt helped his son find a job, gave him a place to live, and bought him a car, all while knowing that his son was working as a German spy. The government argued that the father supported his son's espionage by committing acts of aid and comfort to the enemy. Haupt's trial was the last treason case heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.

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