Basic Information
Name: John Jay
Nickname: New York's Founding Father
Born: December 12, 1745
Died: May 17th, 1829
Nationality: American
Hometown: New York City, New York
WORK & EDUCATION
Occupation: Lawyer, diplomat, statesman
Education: Columbia University, New York Bar
FAMILY & FRIENDS
Parents: Samuel Dickinson, Mary Cadwalader Dickinson
Siblings: Thomas, Philemon
Spouse: Sarah Livingston
Children: Peter, Susan, Maria, Ann, William, Sarah Louisa
Friends: James Madison, Alexander Hamilton
Foes: George Clinton, Democratic-Republican Party
Analysis
After the Revolutionary War was over, some American statesmen quickly began to lose faith in the Articles of Confederation. John Jay was one of the loudest voices. In fact, he was practically holding a megaphone.
Herding Cats and States
Jay served as a delegate in both the Continental Congresses and helped negotiate the Treaty of Paris. After the end of the War, he became the nation's first Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and found that the Articles of Confederation government provided him with little ability to negotiate treaties with other countries. (Source)
When the Constitution was up for debate in 1788, Jay told citizens of his home state of New York that Congress "may make war, but [is] not empowered to raise men or money to carry it on--they may make peace, but without power to see the terms of it observe." He pretty much summed up the dissenters' feelings with a final, biting criticism: "In short, they may consult, and deliberate, and recommend, and make requisitions, and they who please may regard them." (Source)
In other words, this was a government without a whole lot of muscle.
One of his chief gripes with the Articles of Confederation was America's lack of unity on trade: the national Congress could promise countries like France or Spain access to shipping ports, but without an executive branch to enforce the promises, any of the states could ignore the rules. The system was also hurting the nation's credit, or ability to borrow money: without a good mechanism to raise taxes, Congress couldn't pay off debts. (Source).
Jay and the Federalist Club
Jay ended up joining with Alexander Hamilton and James Madison in support of a stronger federal government (Source). He was such a staunch nationalist in his later career that members of the Democratic-Republican Party, the political party that favored a weaker government, burned him in effigy and threatened to hang him. (Source)
Because that's a totally reasonable response. Luckily, the real Jay ended up not only being on the side of history, but not getting mobbed by a bunch of angry politicos.