John Jay
American Founding Father and diplomat (1745–1829); first Chief Justice of the United States.
At a glance
Main ideas
A strong central government, Union against foreign danger, Gradual emancipation …
See all 4Books to start with
Address to the People of Great Britain, The Federalist Papers, An Address to the People of the State of New-York
See all 3Connections
Also on this page: Key facts · Links · Sources · Related pages
- Jay was an American statesman, diplomat and Founding Father.
- He was president of the Second Continental Congress and helped negotiate the Treaty of Paris, in which Britain recognized American independence.
- He wrote five of the 85 Federalist essays, mostly on foreign affairs.
- He was the first Chief Justice of the United States, from 1789 to 1795, and then governor of New York until 1801.
Why it matters
- He directed US foreign policy for much of the 1780s, and the Jay Treaty he negotiated with Britain in 1794 was among the most contested acts of the new government.
Key facts
- Born
- 23 Dec 1745 (12 Dec 1745, Julian calendar), New York City1
- Died
- 17 May 1829, Bedford, New York, three days after a probable stroke1
- Education
- King's College (later Columbia College), graduated 1764; then law clerk to Benjamin Kissam1
- Diplomat
- Ambassador to Spain from 1779 to 1782; negotiator of the Treaty of Paris; Secretary of Foreign Affairs under the Articles of Confederation1
- Chief Justice
- The first, from 1789 to 1795; the Jay Court decided just four cases in six years1
- Governor of New York
- From 1795 to 1801; signed the 1799 act for the gradual abolition of slavery1
- Slavery
- Founder and president of the New York Manumission Society (1785), yet owned five slaves in the 1790 and 1800 censuses1
Main ideas
-
A strong central government1
The Articles of Confederation were too weak; he argued for a more powerful, centralized but balanced system.
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Union against foreign danger1
His Federalist essays Nos. 2–5 are on "Dangers from Foreign Force and Influence".
-
Gradual emancipation1
He favored freeing slaves gradually rather than at once, and signed New York's gradual-abolition law.
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Against slavery's spread1
In 1819 he wrote against admitting Missouri to the union as a slave state.
Books to start with
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Connections
Links
Sources
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