Livingston's Signature: Was It On The Us Constitution?

William Livingston, a noted lawyer, essayist, and political polemicist, was a delegate from New Jersey to the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, where he was one of the signers of the U.S. Constitution. Livingston, who was born in 1723 in Albany, New York, and graduated from Yale College in 1741, became a successful lawyer in New York City. He was also an early opponent of British policies, writing a series of newspaper essays critical of the Stamp Act, and played a key role in founding the New York Society Library. Livingston served as the first Governor of New Jersey from 1776 or 1777 until his death in 1790.

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William Livingston's role at the Constitutional Convention

William Livingston was a noted lawyer, essayist, and political polemicist from New York. He was born on November 30, 1723, in Albany, New York, and belonged to a wealthy family. Livingston received his early education from local schools and tutors, after which he enrolled at Yale in 1737 and graduated in 1741. He went on to study law in New York City and became a lawyer in 1748.

Livingston played a key role in founding the New York Society Library in 1754, which still exists today. He also co-founded a weekly journal, the Independent Reflector, in 1752, along with fellow lawyers William Smith Jr. and John Morin Scott.

In 1774, Livingston was elected to serve as one of New Jersey's delegates to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, a position he held until June 1776. During this time, he also served as a brigadier general of the New Jersey militia from 1776 to 1783. Livingston was then appointed the first Governor of New Jersey in 1777 and was reelected annually until his death in 1790.

Livingston's role at the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia is described by James Madison as relatively passive in the debates, but he was placed on important committees where he had influence. Livingston was one of the signers of the U.S. Constitution and is recognized as one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.

Livingston's early life and education

William Livingston was born in 1723 in Albany, New York. His father, Philip Livingston, was the 2nd Lord of Livingston Manor, and his mother, Catherine Van Brugh, was the only child of Albany mayor Pieter Van Brugh. Livingston had several older siblings, including Robert Livingston, 3rd Lord of Livingston Manor, Peter Van Brugh Livingston, New York State Treasurer, and Philip Livingston, a member of the New York State Senate. Livingston's maternal grandmother raised him until he was 14, after which he spent a year living with a missionary among the Mohawk Indians in the Mohawk Valley at Fort Hunter. During this time, he prepared for college under the guidance of Henry Barclay, an Anglican missionary catechist and Yale College graduate.

Livingston's early education included local schools and tutors. In 1737, he enrolled at Yale College and graduated in 1741. He then moved to New York City, where he studied law and became a law clerk for the esteemed lawyer James Alexander. However, Livingston left Alexander's office in 1746 due to a disagreement before completing his apprenticeship. He subsequently joined the office of William Smith Sr. and was admitted to the bar in 1748, commencing his legal practice in New York City. Livingston went on to establish himself as a lawyer, essayist, and political polemicist. He actively engaged in the colony's contentious provincial politics, making his most significant contributions as a writer of polemical pamphlets and newspaper essays.

In 1745, Livingston married Susannah French, the daughter of a prominent New Jersey landowner. The couple had 13 children together. Livingston also pursued other endeavours during this period, including the founding of a weekly journal called the 'Independent Reflector' in 1752, in collaboration with fellow Presbyterian lawyers William Smith Jr. and John Morin Scott. They were collectively referred to as "The Triumvirate" by their contemporaries.

Livingston's career as a lawyer and essayist

William Livingston was a noted lawyer, essayist, and political polemicist from New York. Born in Albany, New York, Livingston was a scion of one of the colony's most wealthy and influential families. He received his early education from local schools and tutors. At age 13, he was sent to live and prepare for college with the Anglican missionary catechist and Yale College graduate Henry Barclay. Livingston enrolled at Yale in 1737 and graduated in 1741. He then moved to New York City, where he studied law and became a law clerk for the eminent lawyer James Alexander. Livingston left Alexander's office in the spring of 1746 due to a disagreement and joined the office of William Smith Sr. He became a lawyer in 1748 and began practising in New York City.

In 1752, Livingston founded a weekly journal, the Independent Reflector, along with fellow Presbyterian lawyers William Smith Jr. and John Morin Scott. The three were known as "The Triumvirate". Livingston also played a key role in founding the New York Society Library in 1754, which is still in existence today. During the 1760s, he was a vocal opponent of British policies, writing a series of newspaper essays titled "An American Whig" that criticized the Stamp Act. He also opposed plans to establish an Anglican bishopric in the colonies. Livingston retired from New York politics and law in 1772 and moved to his new home, "Liberty Hall," in Elizabethtown, New Jersey. However, he was soon drawn back into public life as relations with Britain deteriorated, and he became actively involved in the resistance movement in New Jersey. He led the colony's Committee of Correspondence and served as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress.

Livingston was also an essayist and writer of polemical pamphlets and newspaper essays. He contributed significantly to colonial politics through his writings, particularly during his time in New York. Livingston also authored a commentary on the government of England and its comparison to the United States Constitution, titled "Examen du Gouvernement d’Angleterre comparé aux Constitutions des Etats-Unis". This work was cited approvingly by Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyès in his pamphlet "What Is the Third Estate?". Livingston's literary and political reputation was well-known throughout the colonies, and he played an important role in shaping the ideas that make up the United States government.

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Livingston's involvement in the militia

William Livingston was a noted lawyer, essayist, and political polemicist from New York. He was also elected the first Governor of New Jersey and served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention. Livingston was a signatory to the United States Constitution.

Livingston was involved with the New Jersey Militia in various capacities. The New Jersey Provincial Congress offered Livingston command of its state's militia, which he declined. Livingston, however, did serve as a brigadier general of the New Jersey Militia. He was also a delegate to the Second Continental Congress and led the colony's Committee of Correspondence and its militia. Livingston commanded the New Jersey Militia from 1776 until 1783, which required him to correspond regularly with General George Washington. Livingston supported Washington throughout the war, even when others campaigned for his dismissal following defeats at Brandywine and Germantown in the fall of 1777.

Livingston's involvement with the militia began before the American Revolution. He had spent about twenty years in New York City as a lawyer and politician and had written many satirical essays that often angered people. In 1772, Livingston retired from New York politics and law and moved to Elizabethtown, New Jersey, where he built a large house called "Liberty Hall." However, his plans for a quiet life were soon disrupted as tensions with Britain escalated. Livingston's reputation as a political and literary figure was well-known throughout the colonies, and his fellow New Jerseyans quickly drafted him into the resistance movement. Livingston's involvement in the militia was short-lived, as he was soon elected by the New Jersey legislature to be the first Governor of New Jersey in 1776.

Livingston's family and personal life

William Livingston was born in Albany, New York, on November 30, 1723, to Philip Livingston, the 2nd Lord of Livingston Manor, and Catherine Van Brugh, the only child of Albany mayor Pieter Van Brugh. Livingston had three older siblings: Robert Livingston, the 3rd Lord of Livingston Manor; Peter Van Brugh Livingston, the New York State Treasurer; and Philip Livingston, a member of the New York State Senate.

Livingston received his early education from local schools and tutors. At age 13, he was sent to live and prepare for college with the Anglican missionary catechist and Yale College graduate Henry Barclay, who lived among the Iroquois in the Mohawk Valley at Fort Hunter. Livingston enrolled at Yale in 1737 and graduated in 1741. He then moved to New York City, where he studied law and became a law clerk for the lawyer James Alexander. In 1748, Livingston became a lawyer and began practising in New York City.

In 1745, Livingston married Susannah French, the daughter of landowner Philip French III and Susanna (née Brockholst) French. Livingston and Susannah had 13 children, including one who died in infancy. Livingston started constructing a large country home known as Liberty Hall to house his growing family. The house still stands today and has been designated a National Historic Landmark. It is operated as a museum within the Liberty Hall Campus of Kean University.

William Livingston died on July 25, 1790, in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and was originally buried at Trinity Church in Manhattan. On May 7, 1844, he was reinterred at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. Livingston's descendants include Julia Kean, wife of United States Secretary of State and New York Governor Hamilton Fish; Thomas Kean, the 48th Governor of New Jersey; historian Edwin Brockholst Livingston; and Henry Brockholst Ledyard, mayor of Detroit.

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