Stephen Van Rensselaer

Stephen Van Rensselaer
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Name	Stephen Van Rensselaer
Birth date	November 1, 1764
Birth place	New York City, New York
Death date	January 26, 1839
Death place	New York City, New York
Occupation	Patroon, Lieutenant Governor of New York
Spouse	Catherine Livingston
Children	Catherine Van Rensselaer, Stephen Van Rensselaer III

Stephen Van Rensselaer was a member of the Van Rensselaer family and served as the Lieutenant Governor of New York from 1813 to 1814, and again from 1817 to 1821, under Governor of New York Daniel D. Tompkins and DeWitt Clinton. He was also a Patroon of the Rensselaerswyck manor, which included parts of present-day Albany County, Columbia County, and Rensselaer County. Van Rensselaer was a prominent figure in the Dutch Reformed Church and served as a Trustee of the Dutch Reformed Church in New York City. He was also a member of the New York State Assembly and the New York State Senate, and served as a Delegate to the New York State Constitutional Convention in 1801 and 1821, alongside other notable figures such as Alexander Hamilton and John Jay.

● Early Life and Education

Stephen Van Rensselaer was born on November 1, 1764, in New York City, New York, to Stephen Van Rensselaer II and Catherine Livingston, a member of the prominent Livingston family. He was educated at Harvard University and later studied law under Richard Varick, a Judge of the New York Court of Common Pleas. Van Rensselaer was also influenced by his uncle, Philip Livingston, a Signer of the Declaration of Independence and a prominent figure in the American Revolution. He was a member of the Society of the Cincinnati, a Hereditary society founded by George Washington and other American Revolutionary War officers, including Henry Knox and Marquis de Lafayette.

● Career

Van Rensselaer's career in politics began in 1789 when he was elected to the New York State Assembly, where he served alongside other notable figures such as Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton. He later served in the New York State Senate and was a Delegate to the New York State Constitutional Convention in 1801 and 1821. Van Rensselaer was also a strong supporter of the United States Constitution and the Federalist Party, and he worked closely with other prominent Federalists, including John Adams and John Jay. In 1813, he was appointed Lieutenant Governor of New York by Governor of New York Daniel D. Tompkins, and he served in this position until 1814, and again from 1817 to 1821 under DeWitt Clinton.

● Landholdings and Legacy

As the Patroon of the Rensselaerswyck manor, Van Rensselaer owned and managed a large tract of land that included parts of present-day Albany County, Columbia County, and Rensselaer County. He was a member of the Hudson River Valley aristocracy and was known for his progressive views on Agriculture and Education. Van Rensselaer was also a strong supporter of the Erie Canal project, which was championed by DeWitt Clinton and other prominent New York politicians, including Martin Van Buren and William H. Seward. The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, founded in 1824 by Amos Eaton and Stephen Van Rensselaer III, is named in his honor, and it is located in Troy, New York, near the Rensselaerswyck manor.

● Personal Life

Van Rensselaer married Catherine Livingston in 1783, and they had several children, including Catherine Van Rensselaer and Stephen Van Rensselaer III. He was a member of the Dutch Reformed Church and served as a Trustee of the Dutch Reformed Church in New York City. Van Rensselaer was also a member of the New York Society Library and the American Philosophical Society, and he was a strong supporter of the Arts and Sciences. He was friends with other notable figures, including Robert Fulton, Samuel Morse, and James Fenimore Cooper, and he was a patron of the Albany Institute of History & Art and the New York Historical Society.

● Later Life and Death

Van Rensselaer died on January 26, 1839, in New York City, New York, at the age of 74. He was buried in the Van Rensselaer family cemetery in Albany, New York, alongside other members of his family, including Stephen Van Rensselaer II and Catherine Livingston. Van Rensselaer's legacy as a Patroon and a politician continues to be felt in New York State, and his name is still associated with the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and other institutions in the Hudson River Valley. He is remembered as a progressive and visionary leader who played a significant role in shaping the history of New York State and the United States, alongside other notable figures such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln.