| Jonathan Dayton |
|
|
In office
December 7, 1795 – March 4, 1799 |
| President | George Washington
John Adams |
| Preceded by | Frederick Muhlenberg |
| Succeeded by | Theodore Sedgwick |
|
In office
March 4, 1791 – March 3, 1799 |
| Preceded by | James Schureman
Elias Boudinot |
| Succeeded by | Mark Thomson
John Condit |
|
In office
March 4, 1799 – March 3, 1805 |
| Preceded by | Richard Stockton |
| Succeeded by | Aaron Kitchell |
|
| Born | October 16, 1760 (1760-10-16)
Elizabethtown, New Jersey |
| Died | October 9, 1824 (1824-10-10) (aged 63)
Elizabethtown, New Jersey |
| Political party | Pro-Administration
Federalist |
| Spouse(s) | Susan Williamson |
| Alma mater | College of New Jersey |
| Profession | Law |
| Religion | Presbyterian |
Jonathan Dayton (October 16, 1760 – October 9, 1824) was an American politician from the U.S. state of New Jersey. He was the youngest person to sign the United States Constitution and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, serving as the fourth Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and later the U.S. Senate. Dayton was arrested in 1807 for treason in connection with Aaron Burr's conspiracy, he was never put on trial, but his national political career never recovered.
Dayton was born in Elizabethtown (now Elizabeth) in New Jersey. He was the son of Elias Dayton, a merchant who was prominent in local politics. He graduated in 1776 from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University). During the Revolutionary War Dayton served under his father in the 3rd New Jersey Regiment and attained the rank of captain by the age of 19.
After the war, Dayton studied law and established a practice, dividing his time between land speculation, law, and politics. After serving as a delegate to the Continental Congress and Constitutional Convention (of which he was the youngest member, at the age of 26[1]), he became a prominent Federalist legislator. He was a member of the New Jersey General Assembly from 1786-1787, and again in 1790, and served in the New Jersey State Council (now the New Jersey Senate) in 1790.
Dayton was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1789, but he did not take his seat until he was elected again in 1791. He served as speaker for the Fourth and Fifth Congress. Like most Federalists, he supported the fiscal policies of Alexander Hamilton, and suppression of the Whiskey Rebellion. He supported the Louisiana Purchase and opposed the repeal of the Judiciary Act of 1801.
Dayton met with Aaron Burr in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and became involved in a "conspiracy" in which Burr later had been accused of intending to conquer parts of what is now the western United States. (This was never proven.) An illness prevented Dayton from accompanying Burr's aborted 1806 expedition, but in 1807 Dayton was arrested for treason. He was released and never brought to trial but his national political career never recovered.
He married Susan Williamson and had two daughters but their marriage date is unknown.
After resuming his political career in New Jersey, he died in 1824 in his hometown and was interred in an unmarked grave now under the present St. John's Episcopal Church in Elizabeth which replaced the original church in 1860.
[edit] Dayton, Ohio
The city of Dayton, Ohio, was named after him because he owned 250,000 acres (1,000 km²) of land in Ohio and because he supported the building of the Miami Canal without hesitation.[2] However, Jonathan Dayton never set foot in the city.
[edit] Legacy
The Jonathan Dayton High School in Springfield Township, Union County, New Jersey and the Dayton neighborhood of Newark, New Jersey are named in his honor.
[edit] Political career
- New Jersey General Assembly, 1786–1787, 1790
- Delegate to Federal Constitutional Convention, 1787
- Delegate to Continental Congress, 1787–1788
- New Jersey State Council, 1790
- United States House of Representatives, March 4, 1791 – March 4, 1799
- Speaker of the House, Fourth and Fifth Congresses
- Chairman of Committee on Elections, Third Congress
- United States Senate, March 4, 1799 – March 4, 1805
- New Jersey Assembly, 1814–1815
[edit] External links
