Scope and Content

This series contains an array of materials. There is correspondence from Jay as well as correspondence from his family. There are also ephemera items as well as a stay of execution from 1799 when Jay was governor of New York. Of particular interest is the draft of Federalist #64. Along with Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, Jay wrote a number of essays meant to persuade Americans to adopt the Constitution. At the time, the essays were published under the name Publius. Before his death, Alexander Hamilton wrote a list out identifying the number essay with its author. He indicated that Jay had written #64. Later, Madison claimed to have written it. In 1863, Jay's grandson, another John Jay, was going through family belongings and found a draft of #64 tied up in old copies of the   Independent Journal, which was a newspaper in which the essays had originally been printed. Wanting to set the record straight, John Jay, grandson, sent the draft to the New-York Historical Society. The draft itself is now a part of the bound volume collection under BV Jay, John, but this series contains photostat copies of the draft.