Being a lawyer helped John use his skills for his negotiations
The graduation with top honors from Columbia University, which was then known as King's College, is one of the interesting facts about John Jay. Studying law is thought to have sparked Jay's interest in politics and helped him become a skilled negotiator.
John Jay started a legal firm in 1768 using government funding, and he worked there until he founded his own office in 1771. His first prominent position in the revolution came when he joined the New York Committee of Correspondence in 1774 and rose to the position of secretary. Jay stood in for the "Radical Whig" faction, which fought against what it saw as British violations of American rights while advocating for the preservation of property rights and the rule of law.
He briefly employed his degree before giving it up when tensions between America and Britain grew more serious. He was chosen to represent New York during the Continental Congress' deliberations on how to cope with the powerful British forces in the nation. Unexpectedly, John Jay wished to stay out of any significant conflicts with the British. He believed that gaining independence from them would not be advantageous for the nation, but his allegiance to the colonists and their rights caused him to change his mind.
