Who was John Jay?
Q: Who was John Jay?
A: John Jay was an American politician, statesman, slave owner, and diplomat. He was a Supreme Court Chief Justice and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.
Q: What role did he play in the Continental Congress?
A: Jay served in the Continental Congress and was elected President of that body.
Q: What foreign policy did he help shape?
A: During and after the American Revolution, he helped to fashion American foreign policy by serving as a minister (ambassador) to Spain and France, helping to secure favorable peace terms from the British and French.
Q: What other documents did he co-write with Alexander Hamilton and James Madison?
A: He co-wrote the Federalist Papers with Alexander Hamilton and James Madison.
Q: When did he serve as Chief Justice of the United States?
A: Jay served on the U.S. Supreme Court as the first Chief Justice of the United States from 1789 to 1795.
Q: What treaty did he negotiate with Britain?
A: In 1794 he negotiated the Jay Treaty with Britain.
Q: How did Jay attempt to end slavery in New York?
A: A leader of the new Federalist party, Jay was governor of New York from 1795 to 1801 and was a leading opponent of slavery and slave trade in New York. His first attempt to pass emancipation legislation failed in 1777 but eventually succeeded in 1799 when he signed a law that emancipated slaves in New York; all were freed before his death.
