History, Natural History & the Arts
Very little is known about Matthias Bernard Hildreth, who holds the distinction of being the first person to serve as Attorney General of New York in two separate terms.
Serving as the 9th Attorney General from 1808 to 1810, he worked during a period when New York was under Governor George Clinton’s leadership and the United States was edging toward the War of 1812. [Read more…] about Matthias Hildreth: First Attorney General to Serve Separate Terms
New York State’s seventh Attorney General was John Anthony Woodworth, a native of Rensselaer County. Born November 12, 1768 in Schodack, he graduated from Yale in 1788, and studied law in the Albany office of John Lansing, Jr., who later became Chancellor of New York.
He was a member of the Woodworth political family and was married to Catharine Westerlo (1778–1846, sister of Rensselaer Westerlo, and half-sister of Stephen Van Rensselaer III). [Read more…] about Rensselaer County’s John Woodworth: New York’s 7th Attorney General
The 6th Attorney General of New York State, Ambrose Spencer was born on December 13, 1765, in Salisbury, Connecticut. He attended Yale and graduated from Harvard University in 1783 at just 17 years old.
He studied law with John Canfield (ca.1740-1786) in Sharon, Connecticut and also with John Bay in Claverack, Columbia County, NY, and then with Ezekiel Gilbert in nearby Hudson. [Read more…] about Ambrose Spencer: Libel, Blasphemy & Reform
Born on April 14, 1766, in Newark, New Jersey, Josiah Ogden Hoffman was destined for a life that intertwined law, politics, and a significant legacy.
After receiving his legal education in his uncle’s law office, Hoffman rose to prominence as a skilled litigator, often crossing paths with notable figures like Alexander Hamilton and steamboat pioneer and one-time Chancellor of New York James Kent. [Read more…] about NY’s Sixth Attorney General Josiah Ogden Hoffman
New York State’s fifth Attorney General Nathaniel Lawrence was born on July 11, 1761, in Queens County. He had a strong career of as a revolutionary soldier and in public service, before dying young.
Leaving Princeton College behind, he answered the call to arms, serving as a lieutenant in the American Revolutionary War. His bravery came at a cost however. Captured during the fall of Fort Lafayette (a fortified island in The Narrows of New York Harbor), Lawrence spent two grueling years confined on a British prison ship. [Read more…] about Nathaniel Lawrence: Rev War POW Turned NY Attorney General
Morgan Lewis (1754-1844) served as New York’s Attorney General from 1791 to 1792, making significant contributions to New York State during its formative years. He later served as the third Governor of New York, among other prominent political, military and social positions.
Born in 1754 in the city of New York, Lewis served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. From September 1, 1776, to the end of the war he was a colonel and the Quartermaster General for the Northern Department. [Read more…] about Morgan Lewis: A Remarkable Military & Political Career
Aaron Burr (1756-1836) is perhaps best known as the infamous Vice President who took a rather dramatic turn in American history and shot and killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel in 1804.
But before he became a household name for all the wrong reasons, Burr served as New York’s third Attorney General from 1789 to 1791. He was known for his legal savvy and charm, navigating the post-Revolutionary legal landscape as something of a rogue. [Read more…] about Aaron Burr As New York State’s Third Attorney General
Richard Varick (1753-1831) served as New York’s second Attorney General from 1788 to 1790 and is often regarded as a “forgotten founding father” due to his significant yet overlooked contributions during the American Revolution.
Born in Hackensack, New Jersey, he studied law in the offices of John Morin Scott during the years 1771 to 1774 and was admitted to the bar in the city of New York on October 22, 1774. [Read more…] about Richard Varick: AG, Recorder of NYC, Assembly Speaker and NYC Mayor
Egbert Benson (1746-1843), serving as New York’s first Attorney General from May 8, 1777, to May 14, 1788, was a pivotal figure in the state’s early legal history.
Appointed in the heat of the Revolutionary era, Benson’s role was essential in guiding New York through its transition from colonial rule to statehood. [Read more…] about Egbert Benson: New York’s first Attorney General
Use your bank’s “bill pay” option (or just send a check)
Thanks for your support! These are difficult times. Without your support we cannot publish the Almanack.
*Donations are not tax deductible.
(Click the X in the top right corner this box to not see this message again for 7 days).
