Livingston, William

Livingston, William: see under Livingston, family.

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Livingston, William

(born Nov. 30, 1723, Albany, N.Y.—died July 25, 1790, Elizabeth, N.J.) American politician. He served in the New York legislature (1759–60), wrote political pamphlets and newspaper articles, and helped prepare a digest of New York laws for the period 1691 to 1756. He moved to New Jersey in 1772 and represented the colony in the Continental Congress (1774–76). As New Jersey's first governor (1776–90), he was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention and led his state to an early ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

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Livingston, William (1723–90) legislator, governor; born in Albany, N.Y. After graduating from Yale in 1741, he chose law instead of the family business, joining the liberal New York firm of James Alexander, noted for championing freedom of the press. In a series of newspaper and magazine articles (1751–52), Livingston attacked a plan to charter King's College (New York City) under the Episcopalians, becoming a leader of the Whigs supporting the separation of church and state. His party won control of the Assembly in 1758, but lost power in 1769 when the "Sons of Liberty" demanded more radical opposition to the Stamp Act. Retreating to his country estate in New Jersey, he soon reemerged as a leader, joining a Committee of Correspondence before representing New Jersey at the First and Second Continental Congresses. In 1776, he briefly commanded the New Jersey militia. As New Jersey's first governor (Fed., 1776–90), he opposed paper currency and treated Loyalists moderately. As a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1787, he supported the compromises that would ease its acceptance.