WHEN THE CAPITAL OF NEW YORK CAME TO POUGHKEEPSIE - 1778 By William P. Mc Dermott As the year opened, many of the eighty-eight newly elected lawmakers were preparing to travel the wintery roads to begin an indefinite stay in the "Little Town"1 of Poughkeepsie. On December 15, 1777, Governor George Clinton had issued a Proclamation2 directing the legislators to convene in Poughkeepsie on January 5, 1778. Their arrival, together with assistants and family, would suddenly swell Poughkeepsie's population by nearly 10%. Dutchess County and Poughkeepsie already were feeling the pressure of population change. The threat of war had frightened many into moving north before the British attacked New York. And the attack when it came left many New York City and Long Island citizens homeless. These refugees travelled by foot or horse up river to Dutchess. Where to put all these people caused considerable concern. But where to put the newly elected lawmakers, caretakers of a new state at war, presented an even more serious problem. Where would they sleep? Where would they do their legislative homework? Reasonable accommodations were needed while the lawmakers toiled over state, local and even national problems. Poughkeepsie residents must have felt under seige when the lawmakers came in 1778. And the "Indifferent Accommodations"3 would barely be vacated in mid-November when 200 weary troops from Fishkill would take their place. Who were these men, where did they come from? They were men of varied social and economic backgrounds from fourteen counties in the state. Farmers, mill owners, lawyers, merchants, tavernkeepers and men of wealth represented the people who had elected them for their first terms just a few months earlier. In accordance with the New York State Constitution, each county was represented by from two to ten assemblymen.4 The contingent of seven from Dutchess was the third largest in the state. Senatorial seats were filled on a district basis much as is the case at present. Six senators represented the Middle District comprised of Dutchess, Ulster and Orange counties. Many of the senators would become acquainted with Poughkeepsie as they returned each year during their four year term. A number of assemblymen would not see Dutchess again after their one year terms expired in 1778. Most of the legislators would stay only as long as the legislature was in session. Three meetings were held in 1778 from January 5 to April 4, June 9 to June 30 and October 13 to November 6. While it is true that the first laws of the newly independent state of New York were passed during these meetings, the legislature had already been in session in the fall of 1777. Let's look back for a moment to review the events of the previous year. On March 12, 1777, after almost eight months, a committee of thirteen men appointed by the Convention of the Representatives of the State of New York presented their first draft of the new Constitution.5 This draft of New York's first Constitution was reviewed and revised by the Convention as a whole during the next five weeks.
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