LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commemorating the 200th Anniversary of the death
of former Vice President and Governor of the State of New York, George
Clinton

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to commemorate the
200th Anniversary of the death of George Clinton, and to honor his life
on Friday, April 20, 2012; and
WHEREAS, George Clinton was born on July 26, 1739, in Little Britain,
New York, to Charles Clinton, an Irish immigrant and a member of the New
York colonial Assembly; and
WHEREAS, With his father as his political inspiration, George enlisted
in his father's regiment to fight in the French and Indian War at the
age of 18; and
WHEREAS, Following the war he began to study law, his true passion in
life, practicing in his hometown and opening several offices in Ulster
County; and
WHEREAS, In 1768, George Clinton served in the New York State provin-
cial assembly where he fervently championed the colonial cause until
1775, when he was chosen as a member of the second Continental Congress;
and
WHEREAS, In 1770, he married Cornelia Tappen, a resident of Kingston,
New York, described as a pretty Dutch girl; and
WHEREAS, It was while serving as a member of Congress that George
Clinton first met George Washington, a representative from Virginia; and
WHEREAS, George Clinton and George Washington forged a lifelong
friendship in both war and peace; and
WHEREAS, On December 19, 1775, he was commissioned a Brigadier General
of the combined Orange and Ulster Militia; and
WHEREAS, The following year, both Westchester and Dutchess Counties
were added to his command and he was ordered to protect the Hudson High-
lands; and
WHEREAS, He successfully fortified the Highlands and was commissioned
a Brigadier General in the Continental Army; and
WHEREAS, On April 20, 1777, the New York Convention, meeting in King-
ston, adopted the New York State Constitution; and
WHEREAS, Under this new constitution, George Clinton was elected the
first Governor of New York State on July 9, 1777; and
WHEREAS, The fortunes of war often caused the evacuation and removal
of forces and legislative bodies from harm's way; and
WHEREAS, The Continental Congress was forced to be removed from the
City of Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, British forces in October of 1777 did cause the burning of
the state capital at Kingston; and
WHEREAS, Sir Henry Clinton, the British Commander did storm the
defenses of the Hudson Highlands; and
WHEREAS, British casualties numbered 350 in their assault; and
WHEREAS, General George Clinton barely escaped capture by the British
in his heroic defense of the Highlands; and
WHEREAS, His defense of the Highland forts contributed to the
disruption of the British campaign to divide the colonies in two; and
WHEREAS, General Washington continued to rely on the support and
friendship of George Clinton throughout the conduct of the war; and
WHEREAS, Clinton continued throughout the war to serve both as Gover-
nor and as General; and
WHEREAS, Both Washington and Clinton desired to strengthen the role of
Congress in its relation to the Continental Army; and

WHEREAS, Governor Clinton also sought to strengthen the standing and
economy of New York State; and
WHEREAS, He referred to New York in a letter to Congress: "We are the
Seat of War and Witness of its Distresses"; and
WHEREAS, Governor Clinton and General Washington toured upstate New
York in July-August of 1783; and
WHEREAS, Both Washington and Clinton formed a real estate partnership;
and
WHEREAS, On November 25, 1783, Governor Clinton and Commander in Chief
George Washington rode side by side in triumph into a liberated New York
City; and
WHEREAS, His concern for the New York economy caused him to oppose the
national tariff proposal of 1783; and
WHEREAS, He grew increasingly alarmed that the national government
might overwhelm the prerogatives of state government; and
WHEREAS, He became a prominent opponent of the new Federal Constitu-
tion because of these concerns; and
WHEREAS, He was a delegate and presiding officer at the New York
ratification convention in Poughkeepsie; and
WHEREAS, He favored a conditional ratification dependant on a series
of amendments; and
WHEREAS, He encouraged his party members to vote their preference; and
WHEREAS, The Constitution was ratified in Poughkeepsie in 1788; and
WHEREAS, The anti-federalists party looked to nominate George Clinton
as Vice President under George Washington; and
WHEREAS, Popular enthusiasm for the new government and Clinton's well
known opposition to the Constitution defeated their efforts; and
WHEREAS, In 1790, Washington, Jefferson and Clinton traveled together
from New York City to Rhode Island; and
WHEREAS, This is the occasion of the famous Letter to the Hebrew
Congregation of George Washington; and
WHEREAS, Washington declared that the new government "gives to bigotry
no sanction"; and
WHEREAS, In 1791, Clinton and Burr joined Jefferson and Madison on a
tour of upstate New York, including Lake George; and
WHEREAS, This trip is considered by many the foundation of the Democ-
ratic-Republican Party; and
WHEREAS, The alliance between New York and Virginia was a crucial
element in the success of anti-Federalist candidates; and
WHEREAS, As a part of the 1788 Constitutional Convention for New York,
property requirements were suspended for the franchise; and
WHEREAS, Polling places were established in every precinct in every
county for the first time; and
WHEREAS, The vote was by secret ballot; and
WHEREAS, Peter Van Gaasbek was the leader of the Ulster County Clinto-
nian Party; and
WHEREAS, On March 28, 1788, George Clinton and his brother, James,
were elected on a slate of representatives to the Constitutional Conven-
tion; and
WHEREAS, A vigorous debate of the merits of the proposed constitution
was engaged; and
WHEREAS, A Bill of Rights was proposed by Governor Clinton and his
allies as a condition to ratification; and
WHEREAS, On July 26, 1788, by a vote of 30 to 27, New York delegates
ratified the Constitution "in full confidence that certain amendments be
adopted"; and

WHEREAS, The Clinton Circular Letter calling for the adoption of
amendments to the Constitution was instrumental in proposing the Bill of
Rights; and
WHEREAS, George Clinton became nationally known for his role in the
Constitutional debate and was regarded for national office; and
WHEREAS, George Clinton did receive some support in the national
elections; and
WHEREAS, He was narrowly elected for a fifth term as Governor in 1789;
he increasingly looked to form national alliances; and
WHEREAS, Clinton's nephew DeWitt Clinton was appointed to serve as his
secretary; and
WHEREAS, An alliance with Livingston and Burr increased his political
influence in New York at the expense of the Federalist faction; and
WHEREAS, The election for Governor in 1791 was particularly spirited
and controversial and the term was a difficult one; and
WHEREAS, Clinton's daughter Cornelia married the French Minister to
the United States, Edmund Charles Genet; and
WHEREAS, George Clinton declined to seek reelection in 1796, retiring
to his farm in Greenwich; and
WHEREAS, On March 15, 1800, his wife, Cornelia Clinton, died; and
WHEREAS, He was nominated and elected to the New York State Assembly;
and
WHEREAS, In 1801, he was again nominated to serve an additional term
as Governor of New York State; and
WHEREAS, President Thomas Jefferson wrote to Governor Clinton in 1801:
"there is no one whose opinion would command with me greater respect
than yours, if you would be so good as to advise me"; and
WHEREAS, The Jefferson - Clinton alliance continued to provide for the
leadership in the Republican movement during Jefferson's first term in
office, despite the work of Aaron Burr; and
WHEREAS, In 1804, Vice President Aaron Burr shot Alexander Hamilton in
a duel; and
WHEREAS, In the national elections of 1805, President Thomas Jefferson
and Vice President George Clinton were elected by 162 to 14 electoral
votes; and
WHEREAS, Clinton was considered for the Presidency once again at the
end of Jefferson's term; and
WHEREAS, Jefferson and Madison worked to preserve the office of Presi-
dent for the state of Virginia; and
WHEREAS, George Clinton, although advanced in age commanded the
respect of his party and was elected to serve as Vice President for an
additional term; and
WHEREAS, In 1811, Vice President Clinton cast the deciding vote in the
Senate not to re-charter the Bank of the United States; and
WHEREAS, After suffering infirmities of advanced age and service to
his country, George Clinton died of pneumonia in Washington, DC, on
Monday, April 20, 1812, at 9:00 am; and
WHEREAS, His death was commemorated by popular outpouring of grief in
both Washington and New York City as he was laid to rest in the Congres-
sional Cemetery; and
WHEREAS, It is fitting and right that we should observe and commem-
orate his death at the end of his long and faithful service to his coun-
try; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 200th Anniversary of the death of former Vice President
and Governor of the State of New York, George Clinton; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of George Clinton.