*** Welcome to piglix ***

John Jay (American statesman)

John Jay
John Jay (Gilbert Stuart portrait).jpg
2nd Governor of New York
In office
July 1, 1795 – June 30, 1801
Lieutenant Stephen Van Rensselaer
Preceded by George Clinton
Succeeded by George Clinton
1st Chief Justice of the United States
In office
September 26, 1789 – June 29, 1795
Appointed by George Washington
Preceded by Seat established
Succeeded by John Rutledge
United States Secretary of State
Acting
In office
September 15, 1789 – March 22, 1790
President George Washington
Preceded by Position established
Succeeded by Thomas Jefferson
United States Secretary of Foreign Affairs
In office
May 7, 1784 – September 15, 1789
Appointed by Congress of the Confederation
Preceded by Robert Livingston
Succeeded by Position abolished
United States Minister to Spain
In office
September 27, 1779 – May 20, 1782
Appointed by Continental Congress
Preceded by Position established
Succeeded by William Carmichael
6th President of the Continental Congress
In office
December 10, 1778 – September 28, 1779
Preceded by Henry Laurens
Succeeded by Samuel Huntington
Delegate to the Second Continental Congress
from New York
In office
December 7, 1778 – September 28, 1779
Preceded by Philip Livingston
Succeeded by Robert Livingston
In office
May 10, 1775 – May 22, 1776
Preceded by Seat established
Succeeded by Seat abolished
Delegate to the First Continental Congress
from New York
In office
September 5, 1774 – October 26, 1774
Preceded by Seat established
Succeeded by Seat abolished
Personal details
Born (1745-12-23)December 23, 1745
New York City, New York, British America
Died May 17, 1829(1829-05-17) (aged 83)
Bedford, New York, U.S.
Political party Federalist
Spouse(s) Sarah Livingston
Children 6 (including Peter and William)
Education Columbia University (BA, MA)
Signature

John Jay (December 23 [O.S. December 12] 1745 – May 17, 1829) was an American statesman, Patriot, diplomat, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, signatory of the Treaty of Paris, second Governor of New York, and first Chief Justice of the United States (1789–95).

Jay was born into a wealthy family of merchants and government officials in New York City. He became a lawyer and joined the New York Committee of Correspondence and organized opposition to British rule. He joined a conservative political faction that, fearing mob rule, sought to protect property rights and maintain the rule of law while resisting British rule. Jay served as the President of the Continental Congress (1778–79), an honorific position with little power. During and after the American Revolution, Jay was Minister (Ambassador) to Spain, a negotiator of the Treaty of Paris by which Great Britain recognized American independence, and Secretary of Foreign Affairs, helping to fashion United States foreign policy. His major diplomatic achievement was to negotiate favorable trade terms with Great Britain in the Jay Treaty in 1794.

Jay, a proponent of strong, centralized government, worked to ratify the U.S. Constitution in New York in 1788 by pseudonymously writing five of The Federalist Papers, along with the main authors Alexander Hamilton and James Madison. After the establishment of the U.S. government, Jay became the first Chief Justice of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1795.


...
Wikipedia

...