John I. Slingerland (March 1, 1804 – October 26, 1861) was a

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

farmer, businessman, and politician. He served terms in both the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Assem ...

and the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

. A native and lifelong resident of

Bethlehem, New York Bethlehem is a town in Albany County, New York, United States. The town's population was 35,034 at the 2020 census. Bethlehem is located immediately to the south of the City of Albany. Bethlehem includes the following hamlets: Delmar, Elsmer ...

, Slingerland was educated in the schools of Bethlehem and became a successful farmer. He was also involved in several businesses, including the creation of a

toll road A toll road, also known as a turnpike or tollway, is a public or private road (almost always a controlled-access highway in the present day) for which a fee (or ''toll'') is assessed for passage. It is a form of road pricing typically implemented ...

that linked the hamlet of

Slingerlands Slingerlands is a hamlet in the town of Bethlehem, Albany County, New York, United States. It is located immediately west of Delmar and near the New Scotland town-line and south of the Albany city-limits, and is thus a suburb of Albany. The S ...

to Albany. Originally a Whig, and later a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, while serving in the Assembly in the 1840s Slingerland was active on the side of the tenants during the

Anti-Rent War The Anti-Rent War (also known as the Helderberg War) was a tenants' revolt in upstate New York in the period 1839–1845. The Anti-Renters declared their independence from the manor system run by patroons, resisting tax collectors and successful ...

, when the renters of the Albany area's small farms rose up against the effort of the

Patroon In the United States, a patroon (; from Dutch ''patroon'' ) was a landholder with manorial rights to large tracts of land in the 17th century Dutch colony of New Netherland on the east coast of North America. Through the Charter of Freedoms a ...

s to collect long-overdue back rents. Their efforts led to the end of the manor system that had empowered and enriched a few large landowning families since the founding of New York in the early 1600s. Slingerland was also an antislavery activist; his work to publicize the 1848

Pearl incident The ''Pearl'' incident was the largest recorded nonviolent escape attempt by enslaved people in United States history. On April 15, 1848, seventy-seven slaves attempted to escape Washington D.C. by sailing away on a schooner called ''The Pearl''. ...

while serving in Congress generated national headlines that caused advocates of abolition to increase their efforts to end slave trading in

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...

. Slingerland became a Republican when the party was founded in 1855, and campaigned for

John C. Frémont John Charles Frémont or Fremont (January 21, 1813July 13, 1890) was an American explorer, military officer, and politician. He was a U.S. Senator from California and was the first Republican nominee for president of the United States in 1856 ...

for president in 1856. He served in the Assembly again from 1860 to 1861 and continued to advocate for tenants who wanted to end the manor system. Slingerland died at his home in Slingerands, which is within the Slingerlands Historic District, and was interred in the family vault on his property.

Early life

Slingerland was born in Jerusalem (now Feura Bush), a hamlet of

, and was the son of John and Leah (Britt) Slingerland. He attended the local schools, operated a successful farm, and took part in several business ventures. Among the companies in which he was a participant was the Albany, Rensselaerville and Schoharie

Plank Road A plank road is a road composed of wooden planks or puncheon logs. Plank roads were commonly found in the Canadian province of Ontario as well as the Northeast and Midwest of the United States in the first half of the 19th century. They were oft ...

Company; he was an original incorporator, and served on the board of directors. During its existence, the company built and maintained a

from Albany to Gallupville, which passed through New Scotland, New Salem, and

Berne german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese , neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen , website ...

New York State Assembly

A Whig, Slingerland was a member of the

in 1843 and 1844. During the

, a revolt by tenants against New York's

system, Slingerland sided with the tenants, a position he maintained during his service in the Assembly and his term in Congress.

Congressman

He was elected as a Whig to the

30th Congress The 30th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1847, ...

, holding office from March 4, 1847 to March 3, 1849. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1848 and resumed his business and agricultural pursuits. He was active in railroad development, and worked to bring the

Albany and Susquehanna Railroad The Albany and Susquehanna Railroad (A&S) was a broad gauge railroad from Albany to Binghamton, New York, operating 1851 to 1870. It was subsequently leased by the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company and later merged into the Delaware and Hudson Ra ...

line to Bethlehem. In 1848 Slingerland made national headlines when he alerted anti-slavery activists to the plight of more than 70 slaves who had attempted to escape Washington aboard a ship, '' The Pearl.'' Slave owners and slave traders recaptured the escapees and sold many of them to owners in the deep South, making it more difficult for them to escape again. The publicity Slingerland helped generate had the effect of causing abolitionists to increase their efforts to end the slave trade in Washington.

Later life

He joined the Republican Party at its founding, and campaigned for

for

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

in 1856. He served again in the

from 1860 to 1861.

Death and burial

Slingerland died in

Slingerlands, New York Slingerlands is a hamlet in the town of Bethlehem, Albany County, New York, United States. It is located immediately west of Delmar and near the New Scotland town-line and south of the Albany city-limits, and is thus a suburb of Albany. The S ...

on October 26, 1861; interment was in the Slingerland family mausoleum.

Family

In 1823, Slingerland married Elizabeth Van Derzee (1802-1835) in New Salem. Their children included Maria, John (d. 1882), and Harmon V. (1835-1917). After the death of his first wife, Slingerland married Sally Hall (d. 1874). Their children included Elizabeth (b. 1838) and William (b. 1845).

Legacy

The hamlet of Slingerlands is named for his family, and some descendants continue to reside there. His home at 1575 New Scotland Road still stands and is part of the Slingerlands Historic District, which was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 2012. In 2018, an article in the Albany '' Times Union'' detailed ongoing efforts to preserve the Slingerland family vault. John Slingerland House 1575 New Scotland Road

John Slingerland House 1575 New Scotland Road

References

Sources

Newspapers

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Books

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Internet

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Magazines

Notes

External links

*
John I. Slingerland
at The Political Graveyard * {{DEFAULTSORT:Slingerland, John 1804 births 1861 deaths Members of the New York State Assembly New York (state) Republicans Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) Burials in New York (state) People from Bethlehem, New York 19th-century American politicians