26 - William Livingston (NJ)

#26 - William Livingston (NJ)
Birthplace: Albany, NY
Age at Convention: 63

1) Religion
-- Associated with Calvinists and opposed dominant Anglicans
-- As a young man, spent time with Mohawks as an aide to a missionary

2) Slavery
-- Active in the anti-slavery movement
-- Chaired the comittee that reached a compromise on slavery
-- Set his own 2 slaves free
-- Wrote the following regarding his desire to be a member of a New York anti-slavery society: "I would most ardently wish to become a member of it [the society in New York] and... I can safely promise them that neither my tongue, nor my pen, nor purse shall be wanting to promote the abolition of what to me appears so inconsistent with humanity and Christianity... May the great and the equal Father of the human race, who has expressly declared His abhorrence of oppression, and that He is no respecter of persons, succeed a design so laudably calculated to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke."

3) Upbringing
-- Raised by maternal grandmother until age 14
-- Graduated from Yale in 1741
-- Great grandson of John Livingston

References:
1) http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/convention/delegates/livingston.html
2) http://www.geocities.com/livvyboy/William-Livingston.html
3) http://www.christiananswers.net/q-wall/wal-g003.html

Running tabulation:
1) Religiously Active (20) or Primarily Secular (10)
2) Abolitionist (14), Partial Abolitionist (12) or Non-Abolitionist (4)
3) Wealthy (12) or Middle-Class/Poor (18)