Sarah_Livingston_Jay

Sarah Van Brugh Livingston was born on August 2, 1756 to Susannah French Livingston, a wealthy landowner and William Livingston, a well-educated, wealthy, lawyer, and patriot. Her father, William Livingston was one of the signers of the United States Constitution at the 1787 Constitutional Convention held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was a delegate from the State of New Jersey where he then served as its first elected governor. William Livingston was a Dutch American through his mother’s side. His mother was Catherine Van Brugh, the daughter of Albany, New York mayor Pieter Van Brugh. William was also a brother of Philip Livingston, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Since he came from a wealthy family, he benefited from private tutors for his education through the equivalent of our current high school level. He entered Yale University in 1738, and graduated in 1741, when he was only 18 years old. While he was at Yale, he developed a strong interest in art, languages and poetry. Livingston went on to study law, as a clerk under James Alexander and William Smith, both considered to be the best legal minds of that day. Both Alexander and Smith were champions of civil rights, and their influence on Livingston became clear as he grew more mature. In 1748, Livingston was admitted to the bar and opened a law practice in New York City, where he became known as a strong supporter of civil rights, specifically freedom of religion and freedom of the press. In 1747, Livingston married Susannah French, the daughter of a wealthy New Jersey land owner. The couple had a large family, even for that time, consisting of 13 children. In 1772, the Livingston family moved to Elizabethtown [now Elizabeth], New Jersey where they built a large country home to house their growing family. The house known as Liberty Hall still stands there today. Because of her father’s education and strong political background he found it necessary to educate his children through informal private tutors and to keep them politically aware of what was going on around them. Sarah served as her father’s secretary. Sarah’s childhood and adolescence were designed to educate and prepare her for the many social and political roles that she would experience in her future. The socially elite Sarah grew into a beautiful, well-educated, politically aware, and socially strong young woman. All of these qualities attracted many highly regarded suitors. Regardless of the attention from these men; Sarah had her eye on a New York politician and lawyer. John Jay showed promise of an extraordinary life at a very young age. He attended a high society boarding school in New Rochelle, New York at age eight, and proceeded to King's College (now Columbia University) at age fourteen. He graduated with highest honors in 1764 and continued to the study of law under Benjamin Kissam. He was admitted to the Bar of New York in 1768. In early 1774 he was one of the most prominent members of the New York Committee of Correspondence and choice suitor of Sarah Livingston. Despite their difference in age Sarah age 18 and John age 29; on April 28, 1774 Sarah Van Brugh Livingston married the love of her life John Jay. The couple’s hopes for a peaceful life together were almost immediately shattered by the rising developments that led to the American Revolution. Sarah Jay was a strong support to her husband. John Jay was elected to the First Continental Congress only months after marrying Sarah. Public responsibilities frequently separated him from his young bride. The newlyweds remained in touch through letters, John addressing Sarah as Sally, and she addressing him as Mr. Jay. Both agonized over the separations, which continued intermittently for years. The happy marriage of John and Sarah Jay produced six children: Peter Augustus, born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, in 1776; Susan, born and died in Madrid after only a few weeks of life, in 1780; Maria, born in Madrid in 1782; Ann, born in Paris in 1783, William and Sarah, born in NYC in 1789 and 1792 respectively. By looking at the birthplaces of their children, John and Sarah played active parts of the struggle for independence, doing what needed to be done, wherever it needed to be done. The women of this time were twofold. Their men were gone for long periods of time. They were also not getting paid through much of the time. They were out taking care of their obligations and believe whole heartedly that this was their obligation. Their wives were home taking care of the house and children often having to move or stay with family to be safe from the British. The women were known for their qualities such as physical strength, courage, mental toughness, intelligence, and resourcefulness. Sarah proved her capabilities over and over during and post war. Sarah wrote many letters to her husband and her family it is only through the existence of these letters that we learn the true involvement she had on her husband and the rise of independence in this New Country. Sarah was very intelligent to only talk about politics in the privacy of her letters to her family and her husband, rather than to be outspoken and cause mayhem. This kept her in check with her role as an elite wife, loving mother, and graceful hostess to the many Thursday night dinners that she was also in charge of. Sarah never did anything to jeopardize her husband’s popularity. She was tied to the notion that her efforts while valiant and necessary, were merely in support of her husband in all aspects of bringing us a new nation. Through her letters she offered only the faintest attempts to reach out and grasp her rights as equal in the male dominated society.