Today in History: John Jay

John Jay, head-and-shoulders portrait
Today in History–December 12–the Library of Congress features founding father John Jay, born on this day in 1745. Jay had a long, full political career including president of the Continental Congress, author of several Federalist Papers, and first Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Learn more about John Jay by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access related primary sources.

John Jay, One of the Nation’s Founding Fathers, Was Born from America’s Library

John Jay image set

John Jay correspondence

John Jay books & articles

John Jay historical newspaper coverage 1789-1829

George Washington nominations for first Supreme Court

Close reading: Correspondence Between Washington and John Jay, August and September 1779

Close reading: Excerpts from the Address to the People of the State of New York by Hon. John Jay (1788 full text)

Jay’s Treaty primary source set

Today in History: The Federalist Papers

The Meaning of the Federalist Papers Citizen U lesson plan