John Jay is an interesting and honestly kinda funny figure in American history. He had many successes in his life, but also stumbled onto many accomplishments and did fail quite a bit in hilarious manners.
Some exceptional moments from John Jay's life:
- started college at 15, showing a promising future in law.
- Took the position of President of the Continental Congress in 1778, three days after he became a delegate, because no one else wanted to. This is a common theme.
-Was appointed Minister to Spain, failed to get Spain to recognize American independence, but did get a 170k loan from Spain, which was nice.
-While at the negotiations for the Treaty of Paris, John Jay was the only delegate from America to refuse the first treaty offered by Britain, supposedly only because Newfoundland fishing rights was not included. Jay loved his fish, after all. This lead the treaty to be delayed to the fall.
-Jay returned from the trip in 1784 to
discover he had been appointed Secretary of Foreign Affairs. Because his diplomatic skills were so... successful? He did not even know until he had returned from negotiations. Another theme.
-While being Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Jay decided to assist Madison and Hamilton with writing the Federalist Papers, writing 4 papers. However, while attempting to singlehandedly stop a mob (well, Madison assisted, so double-handedly), he was hit upside the head with a rock, knocking him out. It was at that point that John Jay decided that the LAST thing he could do while bedridden with an injury was WRITE. He then decided to suck it up and wrote the 67th paper, leading his total to 5. He still claims 1/3rd of the authorship however.
-In 1789, George Washington offered Jay the expanded position of the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, now known as the Secretary of State. Jay declined, believing there were... better things for Jay's career? As a response to this declination, Washington offered him the position of Chief Justice of the United States, something he attempted to offer to a few people. Jay accepted... spending the next 3 years essentially creating the rules for the supreme court. Lots of paperwork. Good job, Jay.
-Also when Chief Justice, Alexander Hamilton asked him, as the Chief, to endorse his bill to assume state debts and create a National Bank. Jay, Hamilton's good friend... decided to keep the Court neutral on the matter, removing very serious political clout.
-This is truly Jay's highlight. In 1794 Washington, citing John Jay's extensive experience, issued him to negotiate a treaty with Britain, in order to stop the attack and seizure of American trade ships by Britain. John Jay enthusiastically accepted, and traveled to Britain. He returned with what he (and mostly only he) liked to call the "John Jay Treaty." In it, John Jay was successful in... making Britain evacuate all their forts in North America. Very little was ACTUALLY about trade ships or the like. The attack of trade ships eventually became the cause of the War of 1812. People wrote graffiti damning Jay and anyone not damning Jay, and the unpopularity of the treaty led to an organized opposition to the Federalists.
- Upon returning from the John Jay Treaty Trip, Jay discovered he was once again given a position of power, becoming Governor of New York. He accomplished many things, including campaigning for the abolition of slavery... despite owning 8 slaves until he freed them when New York state law required him to.
-In his death, when John Jay was to be buried, he wanted a new cemetery to be built that he were to be buried in, called Jay Cemetery. Jay is the ONLY grave in this cemetery. Thus ends the fantastic legacy of this man.
There are many times this beautiful man changed history. What could he have done differently, and what could make him somehow more successful? I'm personally aiming for a John Jay presidency. Anything that could particularly cause this?