DeWitt Clinton

DeWitt Clinton
Portrait by Rembrandt Peale (1823)
6th Governor of New York
In office January 1, 1825 – February 11, 1828
Lieutenant	James Tallmadge Jr. Nathaniel Pitcher
Preceded by	Joseph C. Yates
Succeeded by	Nathaniel Pitcher
In office July 1, 1817 – January 1, 1823
Lieutenant	John Tayler
Preceded by	John Tayler (acting)
Succeeded by	Joseph C. Yates
47th, 49th and 51st Mayor of New York City
In office 1811–1815
Preceded by	Jacob Radcliff
Succeeded by	John Ferguson
In office 1808–1810
Preceded by	Marinus Willett
Succeeded by	Jacob Radcliff
In office 1803–1807
Preceded by	Edward Livingston
Succeeded by	Marinus Willett
Lieutenant Governor of New York
In office 1811–1813
Governor	Daniel D. Tompkins
Preceded by	John Tayler (acting)
Succeeded by	John Tayler
United States Senator from New York
In office February 9, 1802 – November 4, 1803
Preceded by	John Armstrong Jr.
Succeeded by	John Armstrong Jr.
Personal details
Born	(1769-03-02)March 2, 1769 Little Britain, New York, British America
Died	February 11, 1828(1828-02-11) (aged 58) Albany, New York, U.S.
Political party	Democratic-Republican
Other political affiliations	Federalist (1812)
Spouses	Maria Franklin ​ ​ (m. 1796; died 1818)​ Catharine Jones ​ (m. 1819)​
Children	10, including George W. Clinton
Education	Princeton University Columbia University (BA)
Signature

DeWitt Clinton^[a] (March 2, 1769 – February 11, 1828) was an American politician and naturalist. He served as a United States senator, as the mayor of New York City, and as the sixth governor of New York. In the last capacity, he was largely responsible for the construction of the Erie Canal.^[1][2] Clinton was a major candidate for the American presidency in the election of 1812, challenging incumbent James Madison.

A nephew of two-term U.S. vice president and New York governor George Clinton, DeWitt Clinton was his uncle's secretary before launching his own political career. As a Democratic-Republican, Clinton won election to the New York State legislature in 1798 before briefly serving as a U.S. Senator. Returning to New York, Clinton served three terms as the appointed Mayor of New York City and the lieutenant governor of New York State. In the 1812 presidential election, Clinton won support from the Federalists as well as from a group of Democratic-Republicans who were dissatisfied with Madison. Though Madison won re-election, Clinton carried most of the Northeastern United States and fared significantly better than the previous two Federalist-supported candidates. After the presidential election, Clinton continued to be affiliated with the Democratic-Republican Party.

Clinton was governor of New York from 1817 to 1822 and from 1825 to 1828, and presided over the construction of the Erie Canal. Clinton believed that infrastructure improvements could transform American life, drive economic growth, and encourage political participation. He heavily influenced the development of infrastructure both in New York State and in the United States as a whole.^[3]

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