John Jay
John Jay was born into an old New York family on December 12th, 1745, and educated at King's College (which later became Columbia University), where he graduated in 1764. In 1768, he was admitted to the bar. Representing the point of view of the American merchants in protesting British restrictions on the commercial activities of the colonies, he was elected to the Continental Congress in 1774 and again in 1775. Jay did not favor independence from Britain. Thomas Jefferson noted his...