(11 January c.1757 – 12 July 1804) Essayist, lawyer, officer in the Continental Army and US Treasury Secretary. A field commander and staff officer to Washington during the Revolutionary War, he was later appointed to the Confederation Congress. Having spent some time practising law, and becoming a member of the state legislature of New York he was chosen as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention. Author of many of the ‘Federalist Papers’ in defence of the new constitution. Later appointed by Washington to be US Secretary of the Treasury. Died in a duel with Aaron Burr in which he threw away his shot.

(30 January 1754 – 12 December 1829?) Lawyer, judge and slave owner. As well as a lawyer he owned a large plantation, though he may not have used slave labour. Kept a handful of slaves as servants in his New York house. For a brief period during the Revolutionary War he was secretary to Philip Schuyler. Afterwards he joined the New York State Assembly and served for a time as Speaker. He was a delegate to the Confederation Congress, Mayor of Albany and Chancellor of New York. He attended the Constitutional Convention but left early due to objection to federalism.

(27 January 1738 – 9 September 1801) Judge, legislator and slave owner. Trained as a surveyor and then lawyer, he joined the New York Provincial Congress and helped to draft the first New York state constitution. He was then appointed to the New York Supreme Court and sent as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention. He left early, opposing the conventions aims. Later ran unsuccessfully to be Governor of New York. As many a wealthy New Yorker, he owned a small number of house slaves.