John Jay

John Jay (December 12, 1745 – May 17, 1829) was an American politician, statesman, slave owner, and diplomat.[1] He was a Supreme Court Chief Justice and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Jay served in the Continental Congress and was elected President of that body. During and after the American Revolution, he was a minister (ambassador) to Spain and France, helping to fashion American foreign policy and to secure favorable peace terms from the British and French. He co-wrote the Federalist Papers with Alexander Hamilton and James Madison.

John Jay
John Jay (Gilbert Stuart portrait).jpg
1st Chief Justice of the United States
In office
September 26, 1789 – June 29, 1795
Nominated byGeorge Washington
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byJohn Rutledge
2nd Governor of New York
In office
July 1, 1795 – June 30, 1801
LieutenantStephen Van Rensselaer
Preceded byGeorge Clinton
Succeeded byGeorge Clinton
Acting United States Secretary of State
In office
September 15, 1789 – March 22, 1790
PresidentGeorge Washington
Preceded byHimself as Secretary of Foreign Affairs
Succeeded byThomas Jefferson
United States Secretary of Foreign Affairs
In office
July 27, 1789 – September 15, 1789
Acting
PresidentGeorge Washington
Preceded byHimself
Succeeded byHimself as Secretary of State
In office
May 7, 1784 – March 4, 1789
Appointed byConfederation Congress
Preceded byRobert Livingston
Succeeded byHimself (acting)
United States Minister to Spain
In office
September 27, 1779 – May 20, 1782
Appointed bySecond Continental Congress
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byWilliam Carmichael
6th President of the Second Continental Congress
In office
December 10, 1778 – September 28, 1779
Preceded byHenry Laurens
Succeeded bySamuel Huntington
Delegate to the Second Continental Congress
from New York
In office
December 7, 1778 – September 28, 1779
Preceded byPhilip Livingston
Succeeded byRobert Livingston
In office
May 10, 1775 – May 22, 1776
Preceded bySeat established
Succeeded bySeat abolished
Delegate to the First Continental Congress
from Province of New York
In office
September 5, 1774 – October 26, 1774
Preceded bySeat established
Succeeded bySeat abolished
Personal details
Born(1745-12-23)December 23, 1745
New York City, New York, British America
DiedMay 17, 1829(1829-05-17) (aged 83)
Bedford, New York, U.S.
Political partyFederalist
Spouse(s)Sarah Livingston
Children6, including Peter and William
EducationColumbia University (BA, MA)
Signature

Jay served on the U.S. Supreme Court as the first Chief Justice of the United States from 1789 to 1795. In 1794 he negotiated the Jay Treaty with the British. A leader of the new Federalist party, Jay was governor of New York from 1795 to 1801. He was the leading opponent of slavery and the slave trade in New York. His first attempt to pass emancipation legislation failed in 1777 and failed again in 1785, but he succeeded in 1799, signing the law that eventually emancipated the slaves of New York; the last were freed before his death.

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References

  1. Benton, Ned; Peters, Judy Lynne. "Slavery and the Extended Family of John Jay". New York Slavery Records Index. Retrieved 2020-11-16.