Editing Daniel D. Tompkins (section)

==Governor==
[[File:Coat of Arms of Daniel D. Tompkins.svg|upright|thumb|left|Coat of Arms of Daniel D. Tompkins]] 
On April 30, 1807, he defeated the incumbent Governor Morgan Lewis{{spaced ndash}}Tompkins received 35,074 votes, Lewis 30,989 – and remained in office as Governor of New York until 1817. He was 33 when elected and is the youngest governor of New York. He was reelected in 1810, defeating [[Jonas Platt]]{{spaced ndash}}Tompkins received 43,094 votes, Jonas Platt received 36,484. In 1813 he defeated [[Stephen Van Rensselaer]]{{spaced ndash}}Tompkins received 43,324 votes, Van Rensselaer received 39,718{{spaced ndash}}and in 1816, he beat [[Rufus King]]{{spaced ndash}}Tompkins received 45,412 votes, King received 38,647. Tompkins was supported by DeWitt Clinton in his first run for office, but Tompkins later broke with Clinton by supporting [[James Madison]] over Clinton in the [[1808 United States presidential election|1808 presidential election]].<ref name="senate">{{cite web|title=Daniel D. Tompkins, 6th Vice President (1817–1825)|url=https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/generic/VP_Daniel_Tompkins.htm|website=US Senate|access-date=October 22, 2015}}</ref>

During the War of 1812, Tompkins proved to be one of the most effective war governors. He played an important role in reorganizing the [[state militia]] and promoted the formation of a standing state military force based on select [[conscription]]. He declined an appointment as [[United States Secretary of State]] by President James Madison in 1814, instead accepting appointment as commander of the federal military district that included New York City.<ref>Spencer C. Tucker, [https://books.google.com/books?id=VljA5QEI9_wC&dq=%22james+madison%22+tompkins+secretary+of+state&pg=PA713 ''The Encyclopedia Of the War Of 1812''], 2012, page 713</ref>

Tompkins was also elected a member of the [[American Antiquarian Society]] in 1814.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.americanantiquarian.org/memberlistt|title=MemberListT}}</ref>

In 1815 Tompkins established a settlement along the eastern shore of [[Staten Island, New York|Staten Island]] that came to be called Tompkinsville. He built a dock along the waterfront in the neighborhood in 1817 and began offering daily ferry service between Staten Island and [[Manhattan]]. In 1816 he purchased much of the land later known as Tompkinsville from the Church of St. Andrew, but his financial troubles later led the church to foreclose. His son-in-law and daughter, Dr. John S. and Hannah Westervelt then bought the property, which they later divided into many lots to sell off.

In 1817, Governor Tompkins suggested that July 4, 1827, be set as the date on which all slaves in New York state—including those who were born before the [[History of slavery in New York|Gradual Manumission Act]] of July 4, 1799, (and who were therefore not eligible for freedom)—should be freed.<ref>White, Shane. ''Somewhat More Independent: The End of Slavery in New York City, 1770–1810.'' University of Georgia Press, 1991. pp. 53–54</ref> This was subsequently marked by African Americans in the state by a [[Fifth of July (New York)|Fifth of July]] celebration.