Clinton, George

CLINTON, GEORGE. (1739–1812). First governor of the state of New York; Continental general. New York. Born in Little Britain, New York, on 26 July 1739, Clinton left home in 1757 to serve on a privateer. Returning home in 1760, he joined the militia company commanded by his brother, James Clinton, and took part in the capture of Montreal. After studying and practicing law for a few years, he entered the New York provincial assembly in 1768, where he became the rival of Philip Schuyler as a leader of the radical minority. In 1775 he was sent to the Second Continental Congress, but lost the opportunity of signing the Declaration of Independence because Washington ordered him to take charge of the defenses of the Hudson Highlands in July 1776. After being commissioned as a brigadier general of militia on 25 March 1777, he was also appointed a brigadier general of the Continental Army. The British threat to the Highlands did not develop until October 1777, but his defenses failed to stop Sir Henry Clinton's expedition or avert the burning of Kingston. On 20 April 1777, Clinton became the first governor of New York under the new state constitution, winning election to six consecutive terms. After General John Burgoyne's surrender in October 1777, fighting in New York state was restricted to border warfare, which forced Clinton to devote most of his energies to repelling the raids mounted by Loyalist and Indian forces from Canada. Clinton's firm opposition to Vermont's independence, which extended to twice threatening to take New York out of the war if Congress recognized Vermont, prevented coordinated defensive actions. Clinton insisted that the state of Vermont was in fact the northeastern counties of New York and he would not compromise or budge on the state's sovereign rights to these lands. On 30 September 1783 he was given the brevet rank of major general in the Continental army.

Clinton strongly opposed the federal Constitution, fearing that it would undermine New York's economic authority and his personal power within the state. Clinton published his anti-federalist views in seven "Cato" letters (so called because he signed them using the name of that Roman statesman). His reasoning made use of the French philosopher, Charles de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu's insistence that republics survive only if they are geographically small in scope. Alexander Hamilton responded to Clinton with a series of letters signed "Caesar," and, more significantly, by completely out-maneuvering the governor at the state ratifying convention in June 1788. Clinton's opposition to the Constitution almost cost him the election in 1789. In 1792 he stole the election by having his agents throw out the results from three counties. Clinton refused to run for office again in 1795 because he recognized that his defeat at the hands of John Jay was inevitable, but he allied himself with the powerful and rich Livingston family and Aaron Burr to win the governorship in 1800, moving on to serve two terms as vice president of the United States from 1805 to 1812, under Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. He died in office on 20 April 1812.

SEE ALSO Clinton, James; Schuyler, Philip John.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Hastings, Harold, ed. The Public Papers of George Clinton. 10 vols. Albany: The State of New York, 1899–1914.

Kaminski, John P. George Clinton: Yeoman Politician of the New Republic. Madison, Wisc.: Madison House, 1993.

Spaulding, E. Wilder. His Excellency, George Clinton. New York: Macmillan, 1938.

                         revised by Michael Bellesiles