Jay’s Failure to Address the Question of Slavery as Governor of New York

Despite his executive activism in other areas, as governor of New York from 1795 to 1799, Jay did not recommend a slave emancipation law. He apparently failed to reply to a passionate letter in January 1796 from William Hamilton, a free black abolitionist, urging him to act. At this time, he wrote a famous letter denouncing the French Revolution, and warning against rapid social and political change. He showed no enthusiasm for France’s immediate abolition of slavery in its colonies in 1794. As governor from 1795 to 1801, Jay was more concerned about defending the state against French subversion than with abolishing slavery. Democratic-Republican votes defeated his proposal to amend the US Constitution to prohibit immigrants from holding government office. He considered the Republicans atheists who would abolish the Christian religion if they had the power.