The Constitution and New York Adjusting to Circumstances: New York's Relationship with the Federal Government, 1776-1788 John P. Kaminski Director, The Center for the Study of the American Constitution University of Wisconsin-Madison
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n April 20, 1777, the newly declared state of New York adopted its first constitution. Unarguably, it was one of the most conservative forms of government established by any of the thirteen rebellious colonies. Aristocratic New Yorkers looked forward to electing their leader, Philip Schuyler, as the state's first governor in June 1777; but much to their dismay George Clinton, an upstart militia officer from Ulster County, was the people's choice. This election was a harbinger of politics in New York for the next quarter century. Clinton's primary source of support came from the yeoman farmers of the northern counties of Orange, Ulster, Albany, Washington, and Montgomery. His opposition was primarily centered in New York City, the city of Albany, the town of Hudson, and the lower counties of Kings, Queens, Richmond, and Westchester.
George Clinton (1739-1812), the son of an Irish immigrant, was an Ulster County lawyer. He fought in the French and Indian War and was a militia brigadier general in the Revolution. He served as a delegate to Congress in 1775 and was elected the state's first governor in 1777. After six consecutive three-year terms from 1777-1795, he chose not to run, partly because defeat seemed inevitable. He was elected president of the state ratifying convention, and as such he did not vote on the final question. In 1800 he was again elected governor and served until 1804, when he became Thomas Jefferson's vice president. He continued in that office until his death, serving his last four years under President James Madison. Drawing by Charles Balthazar Julien Fevret de Saint-Memin, courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 7
