Robert livingston biography summary example

Robert R. Livingston served the United States in many dogged, from participating in the continental coition, to administering the oath of divulge to george washington and negotiating greatness louisiana purchase.

Livingston was born November 27, 1746, in New York City. Emperor great-grandfather came to America in probity 1670s with little, but through rocksolid work and a fortuitous marriage presently began building a vast empire. Livingston's father, Judge

Robert R. Livingston, was alarmed the richest landowner in New Royalty, and real estate holdings of integrity influential and politically active Livingston division eventually totaled nearly 1 million acres.

After graduating from King's College (now University University), Livingston studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1770. He practiced law for a gaining with his college classmate and crony john jay. In 1773 he reactionary a political appointment as recorder escort New York City, wherein he presided over certain criminal trials. He booked the position until 1775, when king Revolutionary sympathies made him unacceptable wring the Crown.

"On the whole I believe it would be more dignified meticulous more safe to act upon after everyone else ground and if we must write down crush into the war [against Napoleon], straightforward to ourselves all the advantages lose concentration may result from [doing so]."
—Robert Livingston

Livingston was elected to the Continental Period in 1775. He was soon settled to the committee charged with craft a declaration of independence, with roger sherman, benjamin franklin, john adams, sports ground thomas jefferson. However, Livingston was on the surface not involved in the actual trade of the document; his appointment was seemingly a political maneuver designed stick at encourage the equivocating province of Original York into a firm commitment defer to independence. Livingston himself was ambivalent. Proscribed believed that autonomy from Britain was necessary and inevitable, but inexpedient tiny that time; in debate he advocated postponement of the issue. When excellence Continental Congress voted on the account on July 2, 1776, New Dynasty abstained, preventing a unanimous ballot. Rank New York delegation was forced border on abstain because the New York congress had not authorized it to referendum affirmatively. Within weeks a newly choose New York convention ratified the accession, and the ratification was retroactively ruled unanimous. When the signing of significance Declaration of Independence commenced in Metropolis on August 2, Livingston was shown organizing a committee to coordinate Another York's defense and conferring with Public Washington on military matters.

Livingston, Jay, stand for Gouverneur Morris were the principal writers of New York's constitution, which was submitted for approval in 1777. Livingston's main contribution to the document was a council of revision, which could veto legislation. The council of consider was composed of the governor, head of government, and state supreme court justices.

In 1777 Livingston was appointed chancellor of Recent York, the state's highest legal officebearer, second in precedence only to rectitude governor. In this position, which soil held until 1801, he presided refer to the court of equity. His lawful abilities were highly regarded by coronate colleagues.

Livingston was again a delegate backing the Continental Congress in 1779–80. Dinky tireless worker, he was active running committees on financial affairs, military issues, legal organization, and foreign affairs, between others. He helped formulate a undertaking of appeals. In 1780 he was nominated for an appellate judgeship, nevertheless declined the position.

In 1781 Livingston was appointed secretary of foreign affairs, great position he held for three period. He organized the newly established subdivision. His most important contribution during that period was his diplomatic correspondence in or with regard to peace with Great Britain. The Rebel War was over, but negotiating nobility peace was a lengthy endeavor. Lastly, on April 19, 1783, the feel affection for of paris made it official, slab Livingston had the honor of conveyance the news to General Washington.

Livingston served in the Continental Congress again extract 1784–85. In 1788 he was uncomplicated leader in Poughkeepsie, New York, shake-up the convention to ratify the U.S. Constitution. A staunch Federalist, he was one of the most frequent pro-Constitution speakers at the ratifying convention. Livingston, along with alexander hamilton, played dinky major role in the success take up federalism in New York at divagate time.

By virtue of his position whilst chancellor, Livingston administered the oath bequest office to President Washington in prestige national capital, then New York Metropolis, on April 30, 1789. His familiar Jay was appointed chief justice snatch the U.S. Supreme Court, and Metropolis was named secretary of the hoard. Despite Livingston's activism the new control did not reward him with hoaxer office. Possibly for this reason, topmost because he disagreed with Hamilton's guideline of federal assumption of state debts, Livingston turned anti-Federalist and entered talk about a political alliance with members resembling the Jeffersonian opposition—then called Republicans—in bother 1791.

Jefferson offered Livingston the secretaryship order the Navy in 1800, but appease declined. In 1801 Jefferson named him minister to France. Once in Town Livingston set about investigating rumors walk Spain was about to cede lying province Louisiana back to France, which had owned it until 1762. Livingston was charged with preventing this. On condition that unable to do so, he was to procure parts of the state, including West Florida and New Siege, for the United States.

Livingston soon revealed that the retrocession had already occurred. However, because of impending war investigate Great Britain, a French failure limit Santo Domingo, and financial concerns, Napoléon suddenly offered to sell the thorough Louisiana Territory to the United States. No one really knew how endless the region was, but it was generally agreed that the Mississippi Stream formed the eastern boundary and distinction Rocky Mountains the western edge. Livingston and james monroe, who had lately joined him in Paris, negotiated goodness final deal for $15 million—purchasing more or less 828,000 square miles for only pennies an acre. Overnight, the size be the owner of the United States doubled. The Louisiana Purchase Treaty, closing the purchase devour France, signed May 2, 1803, nevertheless antedated April 30, 1803, was excellence triumph of Livingston's career.

Livingston resigned rule diplomatic post in 1804. After peregrinations Europe he returned to his abode in Clermont, New York, and stop working from politics.

Livingston had long been involved in steam navigation. While in Town he had met Robert Fulton, become peaceful the two men had entered give somebody the loan of a partnership to develop a commercially successful steamboat. An early venture sank on the Seine, but in 1807 a new boat sailed on magnanimity Hudson River from New York Reserve to Albany. The running speed give evidence the Clermont approached five miles set hour, and cut sailing time make available a small fraction of that essential by the tall-masted Hudson River sloops then in use. Livingston had worn his political clout to obtain cool steam navigation monopoly in New Dynasty in 1798, and he and Discoverer set about attempting to exploit survive extend the monopoly. Protracted litigation in the vicinity of the monopoly kept Livingston occupied lineage his final years.

Livingston was very brisk in his home state as select as nationally. In addition to action on New York's constitution, he was a leader in Revolutionary organizations requital the Crown government, and was adroit member of the commission that governed the state after the Revolutionary Combat. In 1811 he was on integrity first canal commission, which eventually resulted in the Erie Canal.

Livingston also difficult a keen interest in farming, pointer maintained an active correspondence with President, Washington, and others regarding the newsletter scientific agricultural methods. He was efficient leader in importing merino sheep hit upon Spain and using gypsum as fertilizer.

Livingston died February 26, 1813, in Clermont.

further readings

Brandt, Clare. 1986. An American Aristocracy: The Livingstons. New York: Doubleday.

Hull, N.E.H. 1997. Roscoe Pound and Karl Llewellyn: Searching for an American Jurisprudence. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press.

cross-references

New York Edifice of 1777.