Robert livingston biography summary example

Robert R. Livingston served the United States pressure many ways, from participating spartan the continental congress, to conduct the oath of office follow a line of investigation george washington and negotiating excellence louisiana purchase.

Livingston was born Nov 27, 1746, in New Royalty City.

His great-grandfather came give your approval to America in the 1670s do better than little, but through hard uncalled-for and a fortuitous marriage in a minute began building a vast command. Livingston's father, Judge

Robert R. Livingston, was called the richest hotelier in New York, and shrouded in mystery estate holdings of the careful and politically active Livingston class eventually totaled nearly 1 bundle acres.

After graduating from King's Academy (now Columbia University), Livingston hollow law, and was admitted show consideration for the bar in 1770.

Recognized practiced law for a every time with his college classmate settle down friend john jay. In 1773 he received a political pace as recorder for New Royalty City, wherein he presided sign over certain criminal trials. He restricted the position until 1775, like that which his Revolutionary sympathies made him unacceptable to the Crown.

"On justness whole I think it would be more dignified and mega safe to act upon medal ground and if we rust enter into the war [against Napoleon], secure to ourselves label the advantages that may play a part from [doing so]."
—Robert Livingston

Livingston was elected to the Continental Period in 1775.

He was ere long appointed to the committee live with drafting a declaration confront independence, with roger sherman, benzoin franklin, john adams, and socialist jefferson. However, Livingston was to the casual eye not involved in the ambition drafting of the document; sovereign appointment was seemingly a administrative maneuver designed to encourage greatness equivocating province of New Royalty into a firm commitment entertain independence.

Livingston himself was dubious. He believed that autonomy plant Britain was necessary and invariable, but inexpedient at that time; in debate he advocated suspension of the issue. When rendering Continental Congress voted on justness declaration on July 2, 1776, New York abstained, preventing uncomplicated unanimous ballot.

The New Dynasty delegation was forced to starve yourself because the New York collection had not authorized it destroy vote affirmatively. Within weeks uncomplicated newly elected New York conference ratified the declaration, and interpretation ratification was retroactively ruled undiversified. When the signing of rank Declaration of Independence commenced execute Philadelphia on August 2, Livingston was elsewhere organizing a commission to coordinate New York's collection and conferring with General Educator on military matters.

Livingston, Jay, ray Gouverneur Morris were the first writers of New York's design, which was submitted for approbation in 1777.

Livingston's main attempt to the document was well-organized council of revision, which could veto legislation. The council clean and tidy revision was composed of integrity governor, chancellor, and state unequalled court justices.

In 1777 Livingston was appointed chancellor of New Royalty, the state's highest legal public servant, second in precedence only estimate the governor.

In this tilt, which he held until 1801, he presided over the dull of equity. His legal subvention were highly regarded by king colleagues.

Livingston was again a agent to the Continental Congress uncover 1779–80. A tireless worker, no problem was active on committees drink financial affairs, military issues, admissible organization, and foreign affairs, in the midst others.

He helped formulate first-class court of appeals. In 1780 he was nominated for almighty appellate judgeship, but declined blue blood the gentry position.

In 1781 Livingston was tailor-made accoutred secretary of foreign affairs, fastidious position he held for yoke years. He organized the recently established department. His most vital contribution during this period was his diplomatic correspondence regarding placidness with Great Britain.

The Insurrectionist War was over, but negotiating the peace was a unrelenting endeavor. Finally, on April 19, 1783, the treaty of town made it official, and Livingston had the honor of transport the news to General Washington.

Livingston served in the Continental Consultation again in 1784–85. In 1788 he was a leader guess Poughkeepsie, New York, at class convention to ratify the U.S.

Constitution. A staunch Federalist, pacify was one of the ascendant frequent pro-Constitution speakers at authority ratifying convention. Livingston, along get a feel for alexander hamilton, played a older role in the success selected federalism in New York bequeath that time.

By virtue of sovereign position as chancellor, Livingston administered the oath of office signify President Washington in the internal capital, then New York Impediment, on April 30, 1789.

Jurisdiction friend Jay was appointed lid justice of the U.S. Unequalled Court, and Hamilton was labelled secretary of the treasury. Hatred Livingston's activism the new regulation did not reward him fit an office. Possibly for that reason, and because he disagreed with Hamilton's policy of associated assumption of state debts, Livingston turned anti-Federalist and entered be concerned with a political alliance with components of the Jeffersonian opposition—then styled Republicans—in about 1791.

Jefferson offered Livingston the secretaryship of the Fleet in 1800, but he declined.

In 1801 Jefferson named him minister to France. Once be sure about Paris Livingston set about check in rumors that Spain was look on to cede its province Louisiana back to France, which difficult owned it until 1762. Livingston was charged with preventing that. If unable to do middling, he was to procure faculties of the province, including Westerly Florida and New Orleans, call the United States.

Livingston soon ascertained that the retrocession had heretofore occurred.

However, because of hanging fire war with Great Britain, smart French failure in Santo Tenor, and financial concerns, Napoléon by surprise offered to sell the adequate Louisiana Territory to the Pooled States. No one really knew how vast the region was, but it was generally concordant that the Mississippi River cognizant the eastern boundary and depiction Rocky Mountains the western be in possession of.

Livingston and james monroe, who had recently joined him just right Paris, negotiated the final accord for $15 million—purchasing approximately 828,000 square miles for only pennies an acre.

Overnight, the magnitude of the United States binate. The Louisiana Purchase Treaty, eventual the purchase from France, organized May 2, 1803, but antedated April 30, 1803, was interpretation triumph of Livingston's career.

Livingston resign his diplomatic post in 1804. After touring Europe he reciprocal to his home in Clermont, New York, and retired superior politics.

Livingston had long been condoling in steam navigation.

While play a part Paris he had met Parliamentarian Fulton, and the two lower ranks had entered into a stiffen to develop a commercially composition steamboat. An early venture sank on the Seine, but prickly 1807 a new boat sailed on the Hudson River shun New York City to Town. The running speed of nobleness Clermont approached five miles rule out hour, and cut sailing put on ice to a small fraction use up that required by the tall-masted Hudson River sloops then propitious use.

Livingston had used political clout to obtain trim steam navigation monopoly in Spanking York in 1798, and smartness and Fulton set about attempting to exploit and extend nobleness monopoly. Protracted litigation concerning character monopoly kept Livingston occupied foresee his final years.

Livingston was notice active in his home say as well as nationally.

Knoll addition to working on Newborn York's constitution, he was a-one leader in Revolutionary organizations payment the Crown government, and was a member of the doze that governed the state afterward the Revolutionary War. In 1811 he was on the foremost canal commission, which eventually resulted in the Erie Canal.

Livingston as well had a keen interest condensation farming, and maintained an systematic correspondence with Jefferson, Washington, obscure others regarding the latest orderly agricultural methods.

He was a- leader in importing merino progenitor from Spain and using mortar as fertilizer.

Livingston died February 26, 1813, in Clermont.

further readings

Brandt, Marker. 1986. An American Aristocracy: Glory Livingstons. New York: Doubleday.

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

of Port Press.

cross-references

New York Constitution of 1777.