411 REFERENCE · Wikipedia
1795 New York gubernatorial election
Reference material by Wikipedia contributors. This retains its source identity and is not 411 news reporting.
none
January 2025
November 2013
1795 New York gubernatorial election New York 1778 Presidential no 1792 New York gubernatorial election 1792 1798 New York gubernatorial election 1798 April 1795 x150px John Jay (cropped).jpg John Jay Federalist Party (United States) 13,481 53.79% 3x4.svg Robert Yates Democratic-Republican Party 11,892 46.21% 1795 New York gubernatorial election results map by county.svg 300px County resultsJay: #8da9e2 50–60% #678cd7 60–70% #4170cd 70–80% #3358a2 80–90% #244079 >90% Yates: #73bc84 50–60% #3fa457 60–70% #008c21 70–80% Governor George Clinton Democratic-Republican John Jay Federalist Party (United States)
The 1795 New York gubernatorial election was held in April 1795 to elect the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of New York. Incumbent Governor George Clinton, who had served continuously since independence in 1777, did not seek a seventh consecutive term in office. Chief Justice of the United States John Jay, who had narrowly lost to Clinton in the contested election of 1792, was elected over Chief Justice of New York Robert Yates.
Background
After the 1792 election was decided by the canvassing committee's decision to disallow votes from Ostego County which would have given John Jay the majority over George Clinton, partisanship and opposition to Governor Clinton in New York escalated.Jenkins 1846 49–53 Shortly after the 1792 race was resolved, Clinton also entered national politics by challenging John Adams for the vice presidency.
Federalists won a triumphant majority in the 1793 and 1794 legislative elections, and Federalist sentiment grew after the Genet affair.Jenkins 1846 49–53 In late January 1795, shortly after the legislature re-elected Rufus King to the United States Senate, Clinton declined to run for re-election, suspending a thirty-year career in politics. Lieutenant Governor Pierre Van Cortlandt, who had served alongside Clinton since the American Revolution, also declined to run for re-election, citing his advanced age.Jenkins 1846 49–53
Qualifications
Under Article VII of the New York Constitution of 1777, only certain male freeholders and certain freemen of Albany or New York City could vote:Jenkins 1846 36
VII. That every male inhabitant of full age, who shall have personally resided within one of the counties of this State for six months immediately preceding the day of election, shall, at such election, be entitled to vote for representatives of the said county in assembly; if, during the time aforesaid, he shall have been a freeholder, possessing a freehold of the value of twenty pounds, within the said county, or have rented a tenement therein of the yearly value of forty shillings, and been rated and actually paid taxes to this State: Provided always, That every person who now is a freeman of the city of Albany, or who was made a freeman of the city of New York on or before the fourteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five, and shall be actually and usually resident in the said cities, respectively, shall be entitled to vote for representatives in assembly within his said place of residence.
Federalist caucus
Candidates
John Jay, Chief Justice of the United States and former United States Secretary of State
Caucus
For the first time, the Federalists met in a nominating caucus. Jay was the favorite of the party, given his national prominence and sympathy from his 1792 defeat. Some Federalists did fear political backlash against the potentially unpopular peace treaty with Great Britain which Jay was negotiating at the time, but this treaty was not expected to be publicly known until after the election.Jenkins 1846 55 Jay was nominated without his knowledge.Jenkins 1846 55
Republican nomination
Candidates
Robert Yates, Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court and Federalist nominee in 1789
Nomination
Yates was nominated by the Republican party after considerable difficulty, despite the fact that he had challenged Clinton in 1789.Jenkins 1846 55
General election
Candidates
John Jay, Chief Justice of the United States and former United States Secretary of State (Federalist)
Robert Yates, Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court and Federalist nominee in 1789 (Republican)
Declined
Aaron Burr, United States Senator
Aaron Burr was again suggested as a third-party candidate, but a majority in both factions were opposed to him.Jenkins 1846 55
Results
1795 New York gubernatorial electionThe Tribune Almanac 1841
John Jay
Federalist Party
13,481
53.79%
4.11
Robert Yates
Democratic-Republican Party
11,892
46.21%
4.11
25,373 100.00%
Aftermath
Jay was sworn into office on July 1, one day before news of his treaty with Great Britain became public in the United States. Public displays of violent opposition erupted, including a burning effigy of the new Governor in Philadelphia. Opposition was so strong that Federalists lost a congressional election in their stronghold of New York City.Jenkins 1846 56
See also
New York gubernatorial elections
New York state elections
References
Bibliography
https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OKQXxWCJ07kC/ History of Political Parties in the State of New-York Jenkins John Stilwell 1846 Alden & Markham Auburn, N.Y.
1795
New York
Gubernatorial
Category:John Jay