Jay, John

Jay, John (b. New York, N.Y., 12 December 1745; Bedford, N.Y., 17 May 1829) He became N.Y.’s chief justice in 1777, president of the Continental Congress in 1778, envoy to Spain in 1780, and a US negotiator for the treaty of Paris (1783). As secretary for foreign affairs, he negotiated the abortive Jay–Gardoqui Treaty. He wrote five of the Federalist Papers. He declined to be George Washington’s first secretary of state, and instead was confirmed as the Supreme Court’s first chief justice on 26 September 1789. He authored Chisholm v. Georgia and negotiated Jay’s Treaty with Britain, then left the Court in 1795 to be N.Y. governor. Renominated as chief justice on 18 December 1800 and confirmed the next day, Jay refused the appointment (made without his knowledge), and retired from politics at the age of 55.