Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.
Election Day
Today, 250 years ago, was election day for the two Ulster County representatives to the General Assembly of the Province of New York. [March 7 was election day for New York City, but each county selected their own Election Day. I think it was March 8 or 9 in Ulster because the store was closed on those days as Colden needed to make the lengthy trip to Kingston for the election.] This was the only province-wide elected body. The governor, the judges, and the senate were all appointed. The privilege to vote for a Representative to the Colonial General Assemby was extended only to freeholders with assets above a certain threshold.
Cadwallader Colden II was a candidate to represent Ulster County. His frequent Legal Counsel, George Clinton, was also running for one of the two seats from Ulster. George was of the Clinton family from nearby Little Britain. He was a young 28 years-old compared to Cadwallader's 46 years of experience. [Fingerhut, Survivor]
It is likely that the voting was not by secret ballot, but was done in person at a gathering place in Kingston, the county seat.
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This article is one in a series of a daily accountings of Colden Store transactions. Be sure you read the first installment for an introduction to the store. You should also read this article which appeared in the Journal of the Orange County Historical Society.
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From this date, the trajectories of these two men diverged from being collaborators in the courtroom to adversaries in politics and war.
George Clinton won the election and would continue to represent Ulster until he was elected the State's first Governor in 1777 and served as Commander in Chief of the State's Militia during the seven years of the war. He served as governor for many terms and then served as Vice President of the United States under Jefferson and Madison. Although largely forgotten, this General of the Revolution and Founding Father is without a doubt the most influential Clinton from the State of New York.
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| George Clinton. Courtesy of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. |
Colden did not win a seat in the Assembly, but he won the election for Supervisor of the Precinct of Wallkill. He was also appointed a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas as was his friend and "Purchaser of Large Quantities of Rum", Peter DuBois (see prior blog). Both DuBois and Colden would spend the Revolutionary years in exile in New York City while Clinton led the militia of New York and governed the new State.
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| Results of election in New York City newspaper, New-York Weekly Mercury of March 21, 1768. |
DuBois died in exile before the end of the war. Colden fled from New York City to New Jersey when General George Washington and Governor Clinton rode their horses victoriously into New York City in 1783 to reclaim the last piece of the United States held by the British.
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| Washington and Clinton reclaiming New York City on November 25, 1783. |
There were no transactions at the store on Wednesday, March the 9th, as Colden made his way back from Kingston. Maybe he looked forward to consolation from his neighbors at the store on Thursday. He was not disappointed as twice the normal number of shoppers visited the store on that day.
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