John Jay

John Jay was born in New York City in 1745 to a wealthy merchant family and graduated from King's College, now Columbia University. He became a lawyer and served in the Continental Congress, becoming its president in 1778. He helped write the first constitution of New York and served as its chief justice. As minister to Spain and then as a negotiator in Paris with Benjamin Franklin and John Adams, he helped conclude the Treaty of Paris of 1783, which ended the American Revolutionary War. He then served as secretary for foreign affairs under the Articles of Confederation. To support ratification of the Constitution, he joined Alexander Hamilton and James Madison in writing The Federalist Papers, contributing five essays. George Washington appointed him the first chief justice of the United States in 1789. In 1794 he negotiated the Jay Treaty with Britain, which was unpopular with many Americans. He served two terms as governor of New York, where he signed a law for the gradual abolition of slavery in 1799. He died in Bedford, New York, in 1829.

John Jay is also an author in the library: author page and works.

Faith: A member of the Church of England and later of the Episcopal Church. Source: Wikipedia