Found 14 collections related to New York (State) -- Politics and government -- 1775-1865

Abraham Yates Jr. (1724-1796) of Albany, New York, was an American lawyer, politician, and political essayist of the Founding Era. He was an Anti-Federalist during the Confederation and Constitutional periods, known for his writings as "Rough Hewer" and "Sidney" in the New York press. Yates held many elected and appointed offices, notably Albany alderman (1753-1773), high sheriff of the city and county of Albany (1754-1759), chairman of the Albany Committee of Correspondence (1775-1776), and member of the four New York Provincial Congresses and the State's first legislative convention (1775-1777), chairing the committee to write the State's constitution. He then served as New York State senator (1777-1790), Continental Loan Officer for New York (1779-1786), delegate to the Confederation Congress (1787-1788), and mayor of Albany (1790-1796). The Abraham Yates Jr. papers, 1688-1920s (bulk 1754-1795), chiefly span his professional and political activities in New York from 1754 until his death in 1796, reflecting his work as sheriff, lawyer, Revolutionary War patriot, public official, political essayist, and avocational historian. The papers comprise correspondence, documents, and printed matter, 1688-1825; a letter book kept while Continental Loan Officer, 1779-1782; journals, including a record of his time as sheriff during the French and Indian War, 1750s-1790s; drafts of his political and historical writings for publication, 1783-1796?; research materials serving his legal, political and historical endeavors, 1750s-1790s; and papers concerning the Manor of Rensselaerswyck, 1761-1700s. Also present are early 20th-century typescript copies of materials in the collection. less

The New York State Office of the Comptroller was established in 1797. The Comptroller is the State’s chief fiscal officer. The collection consists of a memorandum book (1 volume) dating from 1799 to 1826, kept by Comptrollers Archibald McIntyre (1772-1858) and William Learned Marcy (1786-1857), relating to their oversight of public appropriations. McIntyre was a New York State assemblyman who served as comptroller from 1806 to 1821. Marcy was comptroller from 1823 to 1829 and state governor from 1833 to 1838. McIntyre's entries include extracts of laws enacted 1797 to 1811, with related transactions occurring 1799 to 1811, and an accounting of financial reports. Entries concern lotteries to fund public works and other initiatives, notably the construction and improvement of major roads, such as the Great Genesee Road, and navigation improvements for the Hudson River and other waterways. Education expenses and the purchase of the Elgin Botanical Garden from David Hosack in 1810 are also mentioned. Entries are followed by memoranda of tasks and queries made by William Learned Marcy, 1824 to 1826. Similar notes by McIntyre, 1816 to 1818, begin from the reverse end of the volume, turned over. Entries during the McIntyre administration appear to be written in two different hands. less

The collection consists chiefly of papers of members of the Gansevoort, Lansing and Melville families and reflects the social, business, and political interests of the families, their friends and associates. Also included are some papers of members of the Sanford, Van Schaick and other prominent families of the Hudson and Mohawk Valley areas of New York State. The papers include accounts, correspondence, maps, and land, court, and military records, as well as personal collections of photographs and artifacts documenting the families' history. Notable individuals represented int the collection are Revolutionary War officer Peter Gansevoort, Jr. (1749-1812), his son Peter Gansevoort (1788-1876), a New York State Assemblyman, Senator, and Judge Advocate General, Henry Sanford Gansevoort (1835-1871), Union officer in the Civil War, and author Herman Melville. less