John Jay(1745-1829)

John Jay was a patriot revolutionary, an experienced diplomat, a

1745-1773 crucial Federalist politician, and the Founding Father of the United
Early Years of States. Born into a wealthy French Huguenot family that immigrated to
John Jay New York, Jay received a private education and entered King’s College
(later named Columbia College). After graduation in 1764, he worked
as a lawyer.
In 1774, he joined the New York Committee of Correspondence to
participate in the revolution. As a representative of the First
Continental Congress, he advocated for peace with the British and
1774-1778 helped draft the Olive Branch Petition. However, the British setting fire
Revolutionary in Virginia in 1776 irritated Jay and made him support independence.
Jay was also an influential United States diplomat who promoted the
signs of many treaties with European countries. From 1779 to 1782, Jay
convinced Spain to lend money to America; From 1782 to 1783, he
worked with Benjamin Franklin to negotiate with the British and signed
the Treaty of Paris (1783).
1779-1782 As America’s foreign relationship stabilized, Jay began to focus on
Diplomat: in
Spain interior governance. He contributed several pieces to elaborate his
Federalist political ideas in the Federalist Papers published in 1788 with
Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, advocating for a strong
federal government. Jay was nominated by George Washington as the
Chief Justice of the United States and signed the Judiciary Act of 1789.
In 1794, America’s relationship with Britain was on the edge of collapse
1782-1783 because the British navy had conflicts with American overseas merchant
Diplomat: ships. To avoid a big war, President Washington sent Jay to Britain to
Treaty of Paris negotiate and ended up signing Jay’s Treaty in 1795. The treaty
1983 claimed that the U.S. would not join Denmark and Sweden to defend
their neutral status and establish a friendly commercial relationship
with Britain, causing public outcries and the Democratic-Republicans
criticizing the Federalists for betraying France. The treaty exhausted
Jay’s popularity.
From 1975 to 1801, Jay resigned from the Supreme Court and
worked as the governor of New York. Then he exited politics and lived a
peaceful life until 1829.
1787-1788
Federalist
Politician:
Federalist
Papers

1789-1795
Federalist
Politician: First
Supreme Court
Justice

1794
Diplomat:
Jay’s
Treaty

1795-1801
Federalist
Politician:
Governor Jay