Jonathan Dayton (politician)

Jonathan Dayton

Jonathan Dayton (born October 16, 1760 in Elizabethtown , Province of New Jersey , † October 9, 1824 ibid) was an American politician from the state of New Jersey . He was the third Speaker of the US House of Representatives and later a Senator .

Life

His father was Elias Dayton , a trader and well-known local politician. He graduated from New Jersey College in 1776. The former college in New Jersey is now Princeton University . During the Revolutionary War he fought in the Third New Jersey Regiment and was only 19 years old when he received the rank of captain . After the war, he began to study law. Dayton married Susan Williamson and they had two daughters, but the date of their wedding is unknown.

Political career

Dayton was present as envoy from New Jersey in 1787 when the United States Constitution was signed, which came into force in 1789. He was the youngest of all participating envoys. In 1789 he was elected to the House of Representatives, but did not take up his mandate until the second election in 1791. During his time in the House of Representatives, he was the speaker of the fifth and sixth Congresses from 1795 to 1799 . Like most federalists , he supported Alexander Hamilton's fiscal policies and the suppression of the Whiskey Rebellion . After serving in the House of Representatives, he became Class 2 Senator from 1799 to 1805 .

End of career

Dayton's career came to an abrupt end after he was charged with high treason in 1807 . He was involved in the conspiracy of Aaron Burr , who wanted to unite the Spanish-speaking areas of North America into one state in 1806 . After Dayton's release from prison, he never made it back onto the political scene. He died on October 9, 1824 in his hometown of Elizabethtown, New Jersey. He is buried in St. John's Episcopal Cemetery in Elizabethtown.

Namesake

The city of Dayton in Ohio was named after him because he owned about 1,000 km² of land there at the time and also, without hesitation, advocated the construction of the Miamican Canal . In fact, he never set foot in town. In addition, was Jonathan Dayton High School in Township Springfield named after him.

Web links

• Jonathan Dayton in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)