John Jay (December 12, 1745 – May 17,
1829) was a statesman, revolutionary, diplomat, first Chief Justice
of the United States, and Founding Father. Jay was an ambassador to
Spain and France, helping to fashion United States foreign policy,
and to secure favorable peace terms from Great Britain. Jay served
as the President of the Continental Congress from 1778 to 1779. He
was also a co-writer of the Federalists Papers. As a delegate to
the First Continental Congress in 1774 he sided with those who
wanted reconciliation with Parliament. Events such as the burning
of Norfolk Virginia, by British troops in January 1776 pushed Jay
to support independence. With the outbreak of the Revolutionary
War, he worked tirelessly for the revolutionary cause and acted to
suppress the Loyalists. Thus Jay evolved into first a moderate and
then an ardent Patriot once he decided that all the colonies'
efforts at reconciliation with Britain were fruitless and that the
struggle for independence which became the American Revolution was
inevitable.
A trail map for Weetamoo Woods and Pardon Gray Preserve can be
found here.