William+Livingston's+Delegate+Profile

=**__William Livingston__**= toc

__Profile Questions__

 * Question: How about a brief biography? What is your background? **
 * Answer: **In 1723 I was born in Albany New York. After about age 14 I spent a year with the Mohawk Indians with a missionary. In 1741 I graduated from Yale. In 1745 i married Susanna French who then had 13 children. I then completed my legal studies which i had been practicing through my marriage, even though my family had hoped i entered the fur trade at Albany. I am very excited to be coming to this convention, i have wanted to do this sort of stuff all my life.


 * Question: Which should be stronger, the state government or the national government? Why? **
 * Answer: **National Government. Although this may be an unpopular choice with small states, because of the fear that the small states would get taken over by the larger states, i have trust and belief that the patriotic men of our government would make a compromise that protects everyone's rights and interests.


 * Question: How should we determine the representation of the states in Congress? By population, money, equality...? **
 * Answer: **Well, being from a small state, you can probably guess im not going to say population. I also am not going to say money. I don't think it should be just based on income. I think equality would be best. Every state, every person, everything should be equal. Slaves should count as a person, although i don't want slaves at all, i still feel they should be treated like everyone else, even if they are a slave. I also think whether you may be smart, or not as educated, you should get the same say in all aspects of government.


 * Question: Who should vote for the members of the legislature, and why? **
 * Answer: **The people, of course, because that way everyone, everything, and every state is created equal. There's no favoring anyone in any way. Although William Pierce said that "Governor Livingston is confessedly a Man of the first rate talent, but he appears to me rather to indulge a sportiveness of a wit, than a strength of wit.", so maybe my opinion shouldn't matter.


 * Question: Should we have one or more than one chief executive? Why? **
 * Answer: **One, because I don't think there is any reason to add another. This would only confuse and complicate the convention. Unless adding another chief executive would help a certain states chance at getting their point across, i think one should be perfectly fine.
 * Question; What kind of powers should the Chief Executive or Executives have? **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14px;">Answer: **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14px;">James Madison said, "He did not take an active part in the debates; but he was placed on important Committees, where it may be presumed that he had an agency and a due influence" about me. This shows that i am not a big fan of shouting out my opinions about topics such as this one. I will mainly focus on the anti-slavery portion of the convention, which is my biggest issue with how our country is run.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14px;">Question: Who should elect the chief executive(s)? **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14px;">Answer: **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14px;">I think one group of educated men, an even amount from each state, should form a group and decide. I feel this would be the fairest, and best way to do it so there is no advantages from bigger states for the people voting, where they would all just vote for the delegate from their state.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14px;">Question: What should be done about slavery in the United States? Should it be kept or outlawed? **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14px;">Answer: **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14px;">**STOP SLAVERY! STOP SLAVERY!** Slavery should absolutely, positively be outlawed. This is the biggest thing i want to change as i enter this Convention. Slavery should be outlawed forever. Being from one of the northern states, you may think well of course you don't want slavery. It is true that most northerners don't agree with slavery, but some northern people do. I am one who is very against the idea of discrimination against African Americans.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14px;">Question: Should slaves count in the population toward representation? Why or why not? **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14px;">Answer: **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14px;">I don't think they should, yet i don't think slaves should be allowed at all. I think if slaves were no more, then yes, the African Americans should count as a person, but the fact that they are a slave, no. I don't think they should count.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14px;">Question: Should the national government be able to regulate the commerce of the United States? Why or why not? **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14px;">Answer: **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 14px;">Yes, I think they should. I am a big fan of giving power to the National Government. I think they will make good decisions for our country and i trust them very much. They would do a good job regulating trade and dealings between states, or with other countries.

__Photo Album__






__Friends__
-Elias Boudinot -Abraham Clark -William Paterson -Jonathan Dayton

__Groups__
-Anti-Slavery Club -Jersey Boy -Small States -Patriots

__Bibliography__
Wright, Jr, Robert K., and Morris J. MacGregor, Jr. "WILLIAM LIVINGSTON." //U.S. Army Center Of Military History//. 11 Aug. 2000. Web. 27 Sept. 2011. <http://www.history.army.mil/books/revwar/ss/livingston.htm>.

Lloyd, Gordon. "Delegates to the Constitutional Convention:William Livingston." //TeachingAmericanHistory.org -- Free Seminars and Summer Institutes for Social Studies Teachers//. Web. 27 Sept. 2011. <http://teachingamericanhistory.org/convention/delegates/livingston.html>.