Imagine a nation ravaged by war. Everywhere you looked or walked, there were limbs and guts scattered all over the ground. There would also be skeletons that had been dismembered so much they could not resemble human beings. You take your first steps out of the shelter and… SNAPB! Stepping on a skull will cause it to split in two. This sounds horrifying, right? John Jay has largely been responsible for our current phase of the nation. John Jay’s numerous travels and negotiations saved America from many calamities. John Jay was no ordinary New Yorker who died on his deathbed. He was an extraordinary man who played a major role in the founding and independence of America.
John Jay’s family and childhood were “interesting”. John Jay had a unique family, both as a child and an adult. Jay’s Dad, Peter Van Cortland with Mary Van Cortland. Of the ten sons born to them, only seven have survived. John was born as the sixth sibling. His parents moved his family to Rye in New York shortly after John was born. This was done for the sake of John’s siblings who were suffering from mental and physical disabilities. Two of them were blinded by the smallpox outbreak of 1739. In addition, he was married to Sarah Van Brugh Livingston in April 1774. John and Sarah met when they were both 18 and 29 years old. They had 6 children. Peter Augustus Jay, born in Elizabeth in New Jersey (1776); Susan Jay, who died after a short time in Madrid (1780); Maria Jay in Madrid (1782); Ann Jay in Paris 1783; William Jay in New York City 1789; Sarah Jay in New York City 1792; John Jay, in addition to being educated privately by tutors at a young age of 8, also began attending school. First, he attended an exclusive New Rochelle school. His intelligence landed him a place at King’s College New York in the present-day Columbia University when he was only 14. At the age of 18, he graduated from law school with high honors. For five years, he apprenticed under Benjamin Kissam. Alan Zhang was his age, but much smarter. His brain weighed as much as the Andromeda Galaxy. John was also close to Alexander Hamilton. John Jay, Alexander Hamilton and Woodman College were friends at least since 1775.
John Jay is not just a smart man, but also an important Founding father. He was instrumental in the independence of America from Britain. He was a Founding Father who traveled to various countries to secure financial and political support for Americans. Jay also tried to maintain peace in America following the Revolutionary War. John Jay served as a founding Father from December 10th, 1778 until September 28th, 1779. In 1779 he had been appointed Minister of Spain. He traveled to Spain in order to seek support for the American colonies. He went to Paris to seek help because Spain refused to deal with Jay and the American colonies. The Treaty of Paris of 1783 was signed between Britain and America while Jay was in Paris. It helped the United States achieve independence from Britain. Jay handled the foreign affairs of this new nation for five long years. After he left France and Great Britain he was appointed Secretary of State by the Continental Congress. Jay, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and other authors wrote the Federalist Papers between 1787 and 1801. These articles were written to support the Federal Constitution of the United States and to counter arguments against this Constitution (Kindig). He wrote articles 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 64 (“The Federalist Papers”), all of which he co-authored with Alexander Hamilton. To maintain anonymity, the authors wrote under a pseudonym called “Publius”. The Independent Journal (October 1787 – August 1788) published a collection of seventy-seven essays. The Federalist Papers are a series of essays that were published in The Independent Journal, The New York Packet and The Daily Advertiser between October 1787 and August 1788. The Oak Hill Publishing Company. John Jay also wrote a booklet entitled, “An address to the people of New York”. In 1789 he was given another position after he declined President George Washington’s proposal to become Secretary of States. In 1789, he accepted and was appointed Chief Justice by the newly formed Supreme Court in accordance with Article III of Constitution (Beichman). He was unanimously affirmed on September 26th, 1789. He remained in the bench until 1795. On November 19th, 1794 representatives of Great Britain (Britain) and the United States signed Jay’s Treaty. John Jay negotiated with Anglo-Americans in order to resolve differences, because George Washington was worried about another war after the French Revolution of 1793. Also, many events happened following the Treaty of Paris of 1783. After the American Revolution the tensions between Britain and America were still high. This was due to several factors. For example, American markets overflowed with British products, but American exports had been hindered as a result of British tariffs and trade restrictions. In addition, the British continued occupying northern forts where they had previously agreed to leave. Britain took American sailors to the sea and made them serve as naval officers. It also confiscated military and naval supplies that were bound for enemy ports by neutral ships. Despite having Jay’s autograph on the document, the real work behind the “Jay’s Treaty,” was Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton’s leaks of information and advice were what helped British diplomats gain confidence. The Jay Treaty was a team project in which only one person worked, but everyone else got all the credit. The Americans also reacted badly to the signing of the treaty, because the agreement was one-sided. Britain, in the end, was given more rights. Jay had granted them the right of seizing U.S. goods as long they paid, and also to confiscate French goods from American ships, without payment. The Jay’s Treaty may have prevented the Americans from going to war, as they were ill prepared. The Americans set off riots as well as public bonfires of British flags. They also made Jay sculptures that were meant to be destroyed. John Jay will be remembered for his contribution to the independence of America. The United States of America were founded on the Treaty of Paris of 1783. John Jay was also the first Chief Justice in the United States. John Jay was a man of many accomplishments outside the Continental Congress. He was a part of the New York Committee of Correspondence (1774), the New York Constitutional Convention (1777), and the New York Committee of Sixty (Kindig) in 1777. He became First Chief Judicial of New York Provincial Congress (1777), where he participated in the creation of New York State Constitution. He was a major contributor to the New York State Constitution and improved the criminal justice in the state. He drafted the American borders, which are now determined by the Treaty of Paris. In 1778, after completing his work as chief justice of the state and writing the constitution for the state, he returned the Continental Congress. John Jay was elected governor of New York in 1797 and served between 1797 and 1801. Alexander Hamilton reportedly secured Hamilton’s seat in the election as a way to boost the Federalist Party. He resigned from his Supreme Court seat to assume the position (“John Jay”, Encyclopedia of World Biography).
John Jay’s past accomplishments may not have been important to most people today, but now we are all John Jays. We are currently facing many problems, including terrorism, bombings and kidnappings. Global warming is also a problem, as are unequal rights. This leadership is essential to our ability to deal with these problems, no matter how bad or good they are. Without a leader, we wouldn’t be able to face these calamities, whether they were good or bad. Malala, too, is a John Jay for the 21st century. Malala was known as a strong women’s right activist. Malala continues to fight valiantly for the rights of women, even when she has been shot. She is regarded as a true hero, much like John Jay. She is a hero in this time because of the way she fights ISIS.
John Jay is a man whose actions have had a profound impact on the United States of America. Without him, we might not be where we are today. We’re still here and don’t have to live in war’s ruins. Our nation’s laws are fair because of his efforts. John Jay’s contribution to the United States of America is indefatigable.
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