John Jay

Article summary

John Jay ( , 1745 – May 17, 1829) was an American statesman, diplomat, signatory of the Treaty of Paris, and a Founding Father of the United States. He served from 1789 to 1795 as the first chief justice of the United States and from 1795 to 1801 as the second governor of New York. Jay directed U.S. foreign policy for much of the 1780s and was an important leader of the Federalist Party after the ratification of the United States Constitution in 1788. Jay was born into a wealthy family of merchants and New York City government officials of French Huguenot and Dutch descent. He became a lawyer and joined the New York Committee of Correspondence, organizing American opposition to British policies such as the Intolerable Acts in the leadup to the American Revolution. Jay was elected to the First Continental Congress, where he signed the Continental Association, and to the Second Continental Congress, where he served as its president. From 1779 to 1782, Jay served as the ambassador to Spain; he persuaded Spain to provide financial aid to the fledgling United States. He also served as a negotiator of the Treaty of Paris, in which Britain recognized American independence. Following the end of the war, Jay served as Secretary of Foreign Affairs, directing United States foreign policy under the Articles of Confederation government.…

Key claims

1. date of birth: 1745-12-23 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
2. date of birth: 1704 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
3. date of birth: 1658 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
4. date of establishment: 1771 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
5. date of establishment: 1790 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
2. The record states that the date of birth is "1745-12-23". What evidence would count against this claim?
3. The record states that the date of birth is "1704". What evidence would count against this claim?
4. The record states that the date of birth is "1658". What evidence would count against this claim?
5. The record states that the date of establishment is "1771". What evidence would count against this claim?
6. The record states that the date of establishment is "1790". What evidence would count against this claim?
7. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
8. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1378290928