A man without a country?

Question

What made Nolan willing to betray his own country?


Explain the meaning of the words Nolan wanted on his tombstone.


I read the story and am having trouble finding some of the answers. Please help.

Answer 1

He didn't really "betray" his country; he "disowned" it.
"The Man without a Country" concerns Philip Nolan, who, while on trial with Aaron Burr for conspiracy, shouts, "Damn the United States! I wish I may never hear of the United States again!" Taking him at his word, the court-martial condemns him "from that moment Sept. 23, 1807" never to hear his country's name again. A perennial prisoner aboard a U.S. naval vessel, Nolan "for that half-century and more" is "a man without a country." On his death bed, now a fervent patriot, he finally learns about his country's history since his punishment began. "
By the way, Aaron Burr was acquited of the charge of treason:

"This article discusses Aaron Burr (1756-1836), the American politician. For his father, the second president of Princeton University, please see Aaron Burr, Sr. (1716-1757).
Aaron Burr, Jr. (6 February 1756 – 14 September 1836) was an American politician, Revolutionary War hero and adventurer. He served as the third Vice President of the United States (1801–1805). As a politician, a soldier and a man Burr has been both zealously defended and bitterly denounced. Despite the passage of two centuries, his legacy and Burr himself remain enigmatic.
A formative member of the Democratic-Republican Party with a political base in New York, Burr served in the New York State Assembly (1784–1785, 1798–1801), as New York State Attorney General (1789–1791), United States Senator (1791-1797), and for one term as Vice President of the United States (1801–1805) under President Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826). A candidate for President in 1800, Burr tied Jefferson with 73 electoral votes, sending the election into the U.S. House of Representatives. After 36 ballots, Jefferson was elected President and Burr, Vice President. As Vice President, Burr was President of the Senate, and in such role, presided over the impeachment trial of Samuel Chase.
During an unsuccessful campaign for election to Governor of New York in 1804, Burr was relentlessly defamed in the press, often by the writings of Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804), a long-time political rival. Taking umbrage at remarks made by Hamilton at a dinner party, Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel on 11 July 1804, at the Heights of Weehawken in New Jersey at which he mortally wounded Hamilton. Arguably the most famous duel in American history, the duel had immense political ramifications. Burr, who survived the duel, was indicted for murder in both New York and New Jersey (though these charges were either later dismissed or resulted in acquittal), and the harsh criticism and animosity directed towards him would bring about an end to his political career in the East. Further, Hamilton's untimely death would fatally weaken the fledging remnants of the Federalist Party, which combined with the death of George Washington (1732-1799) five years earlier, was left without a strong leader.
After Burr resigned the Vice-Presidency in 1805, he journeyed into the American West, particularly in the lands in the Ohio River Valley and the Louisiana Purchase. While historians are uncertain as to Burr's particular activities, he was accused in turns of having committed treason, of a conspiracy to steal Louisiana Purchase lands away from the United States and crown himself a King or Emperor, or of an attempt to declare an illegal war against Spanish possessions in Mexico (a process known then as filibustering). Burr was arrested in 1807 and brought to trial on charges of treason, for which he was acquitted. After several years in self-imposed exile in Europe, Burr returned to practicing law in New York City and lived a largely reclusive existence until his death."

Burr also killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel:

"Burr was later charged with multiple crimes, including murder, in New York and New Jersey, but was never tried in either jurisdiction. He fled to South Carolina, where his daughter lived with her family, but soon returned to Washington to complete his term as Vice President."


"HE LOVED HIS COUNTRY AS NO OTHER MAN HAS LOVED HER; BUT NO MAN DESERVED LESS AT HER HANDS."
But during his punishment, he came to realize how much he loved his country,