Livingston, Philip, 1716-1778

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Philip Livingston (January 15, 1716 – June 12, 1778) was an American merchant and statesman from New York City. He represented New York at the October 1774 First Continental Congress, where he favored imposing economic sanctions upon Great Britain as a way of pressuring the British Parliament to repeal the Intolerable Acts. He was also a delegate to the Second Continental Congress from 1775 to 1778, and signed the Declaration of Independence, thus becoming one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.

Born in Albany, New York, he graduated from Yale College before returning to Albany to serve a mercantile apprenticeship under his father. Through his father's influence, he obtained clerkships in Albany's local government. He then settled in New York City and pursued a career in the import business, trading with the British sugar islands in the West Indies. During King George's War (1744–1748), Livingston made his fortune provisioning and privateering. He also speculated heavily in real estate and the slave trade. In 1754, Livingston went as a delegate to the Albany Congress. There, he joined delegates from several other colonies to negotiate with Indians and discuss common plans for dealing with the French and Indian War. Livingston became an active promoter of efforts to raise and fund troops for the war.

He served as a member of the provincial house of representatives from 1763 to 1769 and in 1768 served as speaker. In October 1765, he attended the Stamp Act Congress, which produced the first formal protest to the Crown as a prelude to the American Revolution. He joined New York City's Committee of Correspondence to continue communication with leaders in the other colonies, and New York City's Committee of Sixty. When New York established the New York Provincial Congress in 1775, he was named its president. He was selected as one of the delegates to the Continental Congress. His brother William, a prominent lawyer in New Jersey, was also a delegate to the Continental Congress from 1774 to June 1776. Like many of the early Patriots, he initially did not advocate a complete break from the mother country but eventually aligned himself with the opposition to the measures the British were imposing on the colonists.

After the adoption of the new New York State Constitution, he was appointed to the New York State Senate southern district in 1777, while continuing to sit in the Continental Congress. Livingston suffered from dropsy, and his health deteriorated in 1778. Livingston died suddenly while attending the sixth session of Congress in York, Pennsylvania, and is buried in the Prospect Hill Cemetery there.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Rhode Island (Ship). Account book, 1748 Dec.-1749 Jul. New-York Historical Society
referencedIn Hugh Gaine receipt book, 1767-1799 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn Memorandum relating to the partition of Philip Livingston's interest in the Cheesecocks Patent and the division thereof among several of his children in the year 1764. [manuscript] New England Historic Genealogical Society
creatorOf Gaine, Hugh, 1726-1807. Hugh Gaine receipt book, 1767-1799. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Bradstreet, John, 1711-1774. John Bradstreet correspondence, 1756-1769. Detroit Public Library, Detroit Main Library
referencedIn Letters and documents of signers of the Declaration of Independence, 1750-1933. Houghton Library
referencedIn Philip Livingston papers, 1709-1821. New-York Historical Society
creatorOf Livingston, Philip, 1716-1778. Autograph receipt, 1776 Oct. 29. Pierpont Morgan Library.
referencedIn William Edgar papers, 1750-1870 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf New York (State). Provincial Congress. Summons, 1776 June 27, New York, N.Y. Rosenbach Museum & Library
creatorOf Livingston family. Livingston family papers, 1682-1934. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Livingston family papers, 1682-1934 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn Signers collection, 1770-1826. Johns Hopkins University, Sheridan Libraries and the Milton S. Eisenhower Library
referencedIn Livingston, Philip Ph. Petition to New York State Legislature regarding the estate of Philip Livingston, 1784 October 25. American Periodical Series I
referencedIn Frederick M. Dearborn collection of military and political Americana, Part I: The Revolution and the Administration, 1669-1958. Houghton Library
creatorOf Rosenbach, A. S. W. (Abraham Simon Wolf), 1876-1952,. Signers of the Declaration of Independence autograph collection, 1756-1818. Rosenbach Museum & Library
referencedIn Bamberger, Louis, 1855-1944,. Autograph collection, 1683-1929. New Jersey Historical Society Library
referencedIn Papers, 1719-1889. New York State Historical Documents Inventory
referencedIn Van Schaick family. Papers, 1707-1888. American Periodical Series I
creatorOf Livingston, Philip, 1716-1778. Receipt to Harry Roster, 1745 August 26. American Periodical Series I
creatorOf Livingston, Philip, 1716-1778. Autograph subscription and signatures to 2 letters : to Richard Derby, 1763 June 6-1765 June 8. Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf Van Rensselaer-Fort papers, 1708-1885 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn Cockburn, Will. A map of two tracts of land on the south side the Mohawk River the northernmost one granted to Philip Livingston & others 10th February 1762 and the other to Frederick Young & others 11th October 1765 a partition of which was made D 1767 / surveyed and run out accordingly D 1772 Will Cockburn, John Wigram, William Hume. New-York Historical Society Library
referencedIn Henry A. Willard II Collection, 1743-1888, (bulk 1770-1840) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Alexander, William, 1726-1783. Selected papers, 1767-1782. 1776-1782 (bulk). New-York Historical Society Library
referencedIn Bleecker, John R. Copy John R. Bleecker's map of Northampton Patent and adjacent lands. New-York Historical Society
creatorOf Livingston, Philip, 1716-1778. Autograph signature to a petition : to Governor DeLancey, 1758 Feb. 15. Pierpont Morgan Library.
referencedIn New York (State) 18th-century letters and documents 1685-1790 New York (State) 18th-century letters and documents William L. Clements Library
referencedIn Richard Maass Collection of Westchester and New York State, Bulk, 1645-1910, 1645-1995 (Bulk: 1645-1910) Fales Library & Special Collections
creatorOf Livingston, Philip, 1716-1778. LS : New York, N.Y., to Isaac Gouverneur, 1764 Jan. 20. Rosenbach Museum & Library
referencedIn U.S. History mss., 1612-1977 Lilly Library (Indiana University, Bloomington)
referencedIn Van Rensselaer-Fort papers, 1708-1885 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf New Jersey Historical Society. Miscellaneous manuscripts, 1664-1956 New Jersey Historical Society Library
referencedIn Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866. Jared Sparks collection of American manuscripts, 1582-1843 Houghton Library
creatorOf Livingston, Philip, 1716-1778. Letter to Samuel Storke and Thomas Gainsborough, 1736 September 15. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
creatorOf Morris, Robert, 1734-1806. Autograph letter signed : to John Ross, 1776 Sept. 27. Pierpont Morgan Library.
referencedIn Dogget family. Dogget family papers, 1648-1839. Maine Historical Society Library
referencedIn Ludlow family. Ludlow family papers, 1765-1829. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
creatorOf Livingston, Philip, 1716-1778. Document signed, 1776 June 27. Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf Livingston, Philip, 1716-1778. Autograph statement signed, 1756 Nov. 20. Pierpont Morgan Library.
referencedIn Archives at Queens Library. Revolutionary War, signers of the Declaration [vertical file] / [compiled by the Archives at Queens Library]. Queens Borough Public Library
referencedIn Maass, Richard, 1919-1998,. The Richard Maass collection of Westchester and New York State, 1645-1910 (bulk 1770-1783). Churchill County Museum
referencedIn Cockburn, Will. A map of lot no. 26 in the Hardenbergh Patent with the subdivisions which are not marked on the ground / Will. Cockburn. New-York Historical Society
creatorOf United States. Continental Congress. Secret Committee. Letter : Philadelphia, to the Assembly of Massachusetts Bay, 1776 Dec. 4. Rosenbach Museum & Library
creatorOf Livingston, Philip, 1716-1778. Note relating loan of 400 pounds borrowed by Philip Livingston from Moses King, 1736. Historic Northampton Museum & Education Center
creatorOf Livingston, Philip, 1716-1778. Autograph signature to letter : to Jellis Fonda, 1773 May 12. Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf Livingston, Philip, 1716-1778. AD, 1776 October 19 : Philadelphia. Receipt. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
creatorOf Church, Angelica Schuyler, 1756-1815. Correspondence of Angelica Schuyler Church and other family members [manuscript], 1716-1865. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Correspondence, 1732-1799. New York State Historical Documents Inventory
creatorOf William Edgar papers, 1750-1870. New York State Historical Documents Inventory
referencedIn Parker, James, 1725-1797. New Jersey manuscripts, 1669-1840. New Jersey Historical Society Library
referencedIn Autograph letter book, 1746-1879. New-York Historical Society
creatorOf Letter, 1775. New York State Historical Documents Inventory
referencedIn Autograph File, L, 1641-1976. Houghton Library
creatorOf Livingston, Philip, 1716-1778. Letter, 1775. American Periodical Series I
referencedIn Livingston family. Lease, 1751. Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
referencedIn Thomas Addis Emmet collection, 1483-1876 (bulk:1700-1800) New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Alexander, William, 1726-1783. person
associatedWith Archives at Queens Library. corporateBody
associatedWith Bamberger, Louis, 1855-1944, person
associatedWith Bradstreet, John, 1711-1774. person
associatedWith Church, Angelica Schuyler, 1756-1815. person
associatedWith Cockburn, Will. person
associatedWith Cockburn, Will. person
associatedWith Dearborn, Frederick M. (Frederick Myers), b. 1876 person
associatedWith DeLancey, Governor, person
associatedWith Derby, Richard, person
associatedWith Dogget family. family
associatedWith Edgar, William, 1736-1820. person
associatedWith Emmet, Thomas Addis person
associatedWith Fonda, Jellis, person
associatedWith Gaine, Hugh, 1726-1807 person
associatedWith Gainsborough, Thomas, person
associatedWith Gouverneur, Isaac. person
associatedWith Hubbard, John, collector. person
associatedWith Kountze, De Lancey, d. 1946, person
memberOf Livingston family family
associatedWith Livingston, Philip. person
parentOf Livingston, Philip Philip, 1741-1787. person
associatedWith Ludlow family. family
associatedWith Maass, Richard, 1919-1998, person
associatedWith Morris, Robert, 1734-1806. person
memberOf New York (State). Legislature. Senate corporateBody
memberOf New York (State). Provincial Congress. corporateBody
associatedWith Rhode Island (Ship) corporateBody
associatedWith Rosenbach, A. S. W. (Abraham Simon Wolf), 1876-1952, person
associatedWith Roster, Harry. person
associatedWith Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866 person
associatedWith Storke, Samuel, person
memberOf United States. Continental Congress corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Continental Congress. Secret Committee. corporateBody
associatedWith Van Rensselaer family family
associatedWith Van Rensselaer family. family
associatedWith Van Schaick family. family
associatedWith Willard, Henry A. (Henry Augustus), 1902- person
associatedWith William L. Clements Library corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
Kingston NY US
York PA US
Albany NY US
New York City NY US
New Haven CT US
Subject
American loyalists
Debtor and creditor
Families
Occupation
Delegates, U.S. Continental Congress
Merchants
Merchants
State Senator
Activity

Person

Birth 1716-06-12

Death 1778-06-12

Male

Britons,

Americans

English

Information

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