Editing George Clinton (vice president) (section)

==Revolutionary War==
As a member of the New York General Assembly, Clinton was a vocal opponent of British imperial policies. In January 1775, he introduced a motion for the Assembly to approve the resolutions of the [[First Continental Congress]]. The motion was defeated, prompting Clinton to warn that the colonies would soon need to take to arms. In March 1775, he twice introduced a motion to declare that the British Parliament had no right to levy taxes on American colonies. His actions caught the attention of the Provincial Congress, which elected him to be one of New York's delegates to the [[Second Continental Congress]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Kaminski|first=John P.|title=George Clinton: Yeoman Politician of the New Republic|year=1993|pages=17}}</ref> In Philadelphia, Clinton took his seat in Congress on May 15, 1775. He remained a delegate until July 8, 1776.<ref>{{cite web|title=Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress – Retro Member details|url=https://bioguideretro.congress.gov/Home/MemberDetails?memIndex=c000527|access-date=2020-09-16|website=bioguideretro.congress.gov}}</ref> However, on December 19, 1775, the Provincial Congress commissioned him a brigadier general in New York's state militia, tasked with defending the Highlands of the Hudson River from British attack. This role caused him to be absent from many sessions of the Continental Congress. Although he resigned his seat before New York's delegates had been granted permission to vote for, or sign, the Declaration of Independence, he was an enthusiastic supporter of American independence, even suggesting in one speech to Congress that a reward should be offered for the assassination of King [[George III]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Kaminski|first=John P.|title=George Clinton: Yeoman Politician of the New Republic|year=1993|pages=18}}</ref> While commanding forces of the New York state militia, he built two forts along the Hudson River and stretched [[Hudson River Chain|a giant chain]] across the river to keep British forces in New York City from sailing northward.

===Wartime governor of New York===
On March 25, 1777, Clinton was commissioned a brigadier general in the [[Continental Army]]. [[New York gubernatorial election, 1777|In June 1777, he was elected]] at the same time [[Governor of New York|Governor]] and [[Lieutenant Governor of New York]]. He formally resigned the Lieutenant Governor's office and took the oath of office as Governor on July 30.<ref>Kaminski (1993), p. 24</ref> He was re-elected five times, remaining in office until June 1795.  Although he had been elected governor, he retained his commission in the Continental Army and commanded forces at Fort Clinton and Fort Montgomery on October 6, 1777. He remained in the Continental Army until it was disbanded on November 3, 1783.

[[File:George Clinton, governor of New York (portrait by Ezra Ames).png|thumb|Gubernatorial portrait of George Clinton by [[Ezra Ames]]]]
He was known for his hatred of [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|Tories]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aoc.gov/cc/art/nsh/clinton.cfm |title=George Clinton|publisher=Architect of the Capitol|access-date=February 27, 2013}}</ref> and used the seizure and sale of Tory estates to help keep taxes down. A supporter and friend of [[George Washington]], he supplied food to the troops at [[Valley Forge]], rode with Washington to the first inauguration and gave an impressive dinner to celebrate it. In 1783, at [[Dobbs Ferry]], Clinton and Washington negotiated with General [[Sir Guy Carleton]] for the [[Evacuation Day (New York)|evacuation of the British troops]] from their remaining posts in the United States. That same year, Clinton became an original member of the New York [[Society of the Cincinnati]] and served as its president from 1794 to 1795.