Secretary of State, Edward Livingston, Signed Promissory Note, 1801 SOLD
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Promissory Note signed, “To Daniel Phoenix, Treasurer / Pay to Nicholas Lawrence Two hundred and thirteen Dollars and Six Cents for the City Watch November 9th 1801. / By order of Common Council / Edward Livingston / Mayor / City of New York / No. 67.” Beautiful watermark of seal of New York. Remnants of red seal in left corner; signed on verso, “$426.12 Nicholas Lawrence.” Fine.
Edward Livingston (1764 – 1836) was born on his family’s estate at Clermont, New York. He studied at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), graduating in 1781. Following his admission to the bar in 1785, he practiced law in New York City. Livingston was a Representative of New York and served from 1795 to 1800. He next served as U.S. Attorney for the District of New York and Mayor of New York City from 1801 to 1803. In 1804 Livingston moved to New Orleans and practiced law. He served as an aide-de-camp to General Andrew Jackson during the Battle of New Orleans.
President Jackson asked for the resignation of his entire cabinet in 1831 in order to neutralize his feud with Vice President John Calhoun and Calhoun’s supporters within the cabinet. Jackson appointed Livingston, Secretary of State upon the advice of outgoing Secretary of State, Martin Van Buren on May 24, 1831. Livingston brought considerable legal expertise to the office but operated under strict presidential constraints upon his authority. Livingston’s authority was actually broader regarding domestic affairs; notably, he rewrote Jackson’s famous Nullification Proclamation of 1832, which responded to a crisis over states’ authority to nullify federal law.
Livingston struggled with Britain’s interest in suppressing slavery, protesting the British Government’s decision not to return U.S. slaves who reached British soil. On the day of Livingston’s resignation as Secretary of State, President Jackson appointed him U.S. Minister to France.
Edward Livingston (1764 – 1836) was born on his family’s estate at Clermont, New York. He studied at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), graduating in 1781. Following his admission to the bar in 1785, he practiced law in New York City. Livingston was a Representative of New York and served from 1795 to 1800. He next served as U.S. Attorney for the District of New York and Mayor of New York City from 1801 to 1803. In 1804 Livingston moved to New Orleans and practiced law. He served as an aide-de-camp to General Andrew Jackson during the Battle of New Orleans.
President Jackson asked for the resignation of his entire cabinet in 1831 in order to neutralize his feud with Vice President John Calhoun and Calhoun’s supporters within the cabinet. Jackson appointed Livingston, Secretary of State upon the advice of outgoing Secretary of State, Martin Van Buren on May 24, 1831. Livingston brought considerable legal expertise to the office but operated under strict presidential constraints upon his authority. Livingston’s authority was actually broader regarding domestic affairs; notably, he rewrote Jackson’s famous Nullification Proclamation of 1832, which responded to a crisis over states’ authority to nullify federal law.
Livingston struggled with Britain’s interest in suppressing slavery, protesting the British Government’s decision not to return U.S. slaves who reached British soil. On the day of Livingston’s resignation as Secretary of State, President Jackson appointed him U.S. Minister to France.
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