John Jay and Alexander Hamilton on Black Enslavement: New York Founders in a Revolutionary Age

In this groundbreaking study, Arthur Scherr examines the positions on slavery held by two of the most famous New Yorkers of the early American Republic: John Jay and Alexander Hamilton. Using Hamilton's 1779 proposal to free Southern slaves on the condition that they fight in the Continental Army as a starting point, Scherr assesses the pairs positions on enslavement. Utilizing often-untouched resources, Scherr offers a re-evaluation of Hamilton and Jays modern status as antislavery icons.